The power of Semitic poetry stems, literally, from the functionality of its consonantal roots. With but three consonants, a long series of words, used in a specific way, set in a specific pattern, according to an ordained order and rhythm, can be carefully arranged so that even the sound of the words can be manipulated…
Category: General
Daniel Anthony del Castillo
Fr. Marc Boulos, June 8, 2019 In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. To Daniel’s beloved wife, Renae, and his mother, Marcia; To Renae’s mother Claudette and her family; To his sisters, Deborah and Michele; To Giovanni, Alessandro, Isabella, Cezanne and Hudson, and to the least…
Image and Likeness
The first part of Fr. Paul’s concluding remarks on Genesis 1. (Episode 61)
Ish and Isha
Fr. Paul discusses the Hebrew terms ish and isha in Isaiah 2 as they relate to Genesis. (Episode 60)
Living Breath
Fr. Paul discusses the belittling of man in Genesis 1. (Episode 59)
No Oxygen Allowed
Rationalize (verb): to attempt to explain or justify (one’s own or another’s behavior or attitude) with logical, plausible reasons, even if these are not true or appropriate. Synonyms: justify, explain, explain away, account for, defend, vindicate, or excuse, as in, “he tried to rationalize his behavior.” Thanks, Google Dictionary, for providing such a lucid description…
Their Confusion is at Hand
Why would Jesus, who warns against the sword in Matthew 26 threaten to use one in Matthew 10? Why would Jesus set a man against his father and a daughter against her mother, when in the Torah God commands that parents are to be honored? In Luke, the gospel heralds the coming of Jesus with…
Grant Victory Against Me
The Passion narrative in John 19 is unequivocal: the life of Jesus ended in humiliation, abuse, abject betrayal, subjugation and utter failure. You might try to comfort yourself by arguing that Jesus was treated unfairly, however, in truth, the outcome of his life was a direct result of his Father’s teaching. In other words, in…
Knock Yourself Out
A recent article in Salon magazine views the ongoing decline in American religion “in part, as an inevitable result of the politicization of Christianity.” Where does the temptation to infuse church with political ideology come from? What does politicized religion hope to achieve and what are its consequences? Are there examples of politicization in the…
The Empire Strikes Back
Often and wrongly promoted as a biblical precept, unconditional love works against the purpose of Jesus in the New Testament. Nowhere is this point more clearly expressed than in the parable of the wicked vinedressers in Matthew 21. What does Matthew’s parable reveal about biblical grace and the problem of entitlement? Why does God allow…