The Little Friar

From John 13: It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end ... Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?" Jesus replied, "You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand." "No," said Peter, "you shall never wash my feet." Why does Peter resist? It must be that Peter still doesn't understand the Way of Jesus. In Peter's eyes Jesus is Lord, Messiah, and King. Consequently, it makes no sense f...

In Sara Miles' wonderful book  Take This Bread  she talks about the practice of anointing hands at her church St Gregory. That act of consecration and blessing strikes me as something quite appropriate for Pentecost season. I start by reading Genesis 2.7: Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.  The body of Adam had to be filled with the breath/spirit of God to become a living being. In the same way, I argue, the church -- the body of Christ on earth -- must be filled, like Adam was, with the breath/spirit of God. And that's what happened on Pentecost. The body of believers was filled with God's breath and became Christ's living, spirit-filled body on earth. And if that's so, the message of Pentecost is that we are Christ's body on earth. Christ's hands and Christ's feet and Christ's eyes. I'm then reminded of this prayer from St Teresa of Avi...

[T]he principle shared by all radical humanists is that of negating and combating idolatry in every form and shape -- idolatry, in the prophetic sense of worshiping the work of one's own hands and hence making man subservient to things, in this process becoming a thing himself. The idols against which the Old Testament prophets fought were idols in wood and stone, or trees and hills; the idols of our day are leaders, institutions, especially the State, the nation, production, law and order, and every man-made thing. Whether or not one believes in God is a question secondary to whether or not one denies idols. The concept of alienation is the same as the Biblical concept of idolatry. It is man's submission to the things of his creation and to the circumstances of his doing. Whatever may divide believers and non-believers, there is something which unites them if they are true to their common tradition, and that is the common fight against idolatry and the deep conviction that no ...

In the cross Jesus triumphed over the spiritual forces of evil, winning the decisive victory over the principalities and powers.  In Colossians 2.15 this victory is described using distinctive military imagery. NIV And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.  The phrase "public spectacle" refers to the victory parade of a conquering Caesar or King returning to the capital city displaying the spoils and prisoners of war before a cheering and adoring citizenry.  On the cross Jesus is leading just such a victory parade, displaying the disarmed "powers and authorities" and making "a public spectacle of them".  Some other translations that try to bring out this meaning in Col 2.15: CEV There Christ defeated all powers and forces.  He let the whole world see them being led away as prisoners when he celebrated his victory. Good News And on that cross Christ freed himself from the power of ...