Friends, the mountain is a great image throughout the Bible. It is the place where we go up and where God comes down to meet us. Today’s first reading from Isaiah orients us to three holy mountains of the Lord: first, the historical Mount Zion; second, its fulfillment in the heavenly Mount Zion; and third, a sort of “middle mountain” of the Mass, where we ra ... Show More
Aug 11
How Not to Read the Story of the Syrophoenician Woman
Friends, for this Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, we hear the story of the Syrophoenician woman. Jesus famously puts off this woman—first by ignoring her, then by dismissing her, and finally by insulting her—and she offers one of the most famous comebacks in literary history. ... Show More
15m 57s
Jun 2024
The Mountains of Scripture
The story of the Bible is a story of mountains. From the Garden-temple of Eden to Ararat, Horeb, Sinai, and Zion—mountains play an important role in the story of the Bible. Time and time again, God chooses mountains as the place of special communion with his people. In this episo ... Show More
38m 56s
Mar 2023
Day 79: Psalms of Ascent (2023)
Today, Fr. Mike points out how the boundaries of the land of Canaan in Numbers remind us that the Promised Land is not a nice idea, but a real tangible place. He also reveals that Psalm 120 begins the Psalms of Ascent, or the Psalms that people would pray as they went up to the T ... Show More
19m 13s
Mar 2022
Day 79: Psalms of Ascent (2022)
Today, Fr. Mike points out how the boundaries of the land of Canaan in Numbers remind us that the Promised Land is not a nice idea, but a real tangible place. He also reveals that Psalm 120 begins the Psalms of Ascent, or the Psalms that people would pray as they went up to the T ... Show More
19m 13s
Mar 2024
Day 79: Psalms of Ascent (2024)
Today, Fr. Mike points out how the boundaries of the land of Canaan in Numbers remind us that the Promised Land is not a nice idea, but a real tangible place. He also reveals that Psalm 120 begins the Psalms of Ascent, or the Psalms that people would pray as they went up to the T ... Show More
20m 2s