A Stranger, And You Welcomed Me

Hello everyone, I know I have been a bit quiet – that is an understatement! Anyway, I am popping in to say I hope to get back to more regular blogging.

In the meantime I wanted to make sure you all knew about this relatively new book, A Stranger, And You Welcomed Me, Homilies and Reflections for Cycle B, edited by Deacon Jim Knipper, from Clear Faith Publishing. Featuring the work of many renown Christians including Richard Rohr, Daniel P. Horan, James Martin SJ, Nadia Bolz-Weber, Deacon Greg Kandra, Jan Richardson, Phyllis Zagano the artwork of Br. Mickey McGrath OSFS, and many more, there is something for everyone in this book. Other contributors include Michelle Francl, Kevin Ahern, Margaret Blackie, Becky Eldridge, and Rory Cooney. And oh yeah, me also! There are so many fine contributions in this book and I hope you will consider making a purchase.

Proceeds from the book will go to several charities that welcome the stranger among us. Despite changing tides and times, we have lived through a long era of rejection of the stranger. I know that many of us believe that the rejection of the stranger is the rejection of Christ himself.

This is the first installment of a three part series that follows the great success of Clear Faith’s first homiletic series which can be found here. That one can be purchased as a box set or individually. All homiletic series are based on the Catholic liturgical year, but have always included a wide variety of Christian authors, both ordained and lay. Each volume supports different kinds of charities and well over $100,000 has been donated from the initial three books alone.

Please support the work by purchasing a hard copy or Kindle version at this link. If you are in the greater Albany area, I have a small supply of books and would be happy to get one to you if we can work it out.

Thank you and I will look forward to writing in this space again soon!

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Remain in My Love, a reflection for the 6th Sunday of Easter

Have you ever heard someone say, “I used to go to church, but I’m not welcome now.”? These words, and variations of them, may be spoken in anger, sadness, resignation, but most always in hurt. Hearing them breaks my heart.

What church doesn’t welcome/like God’s people? God’s longing is to draw everyone in relationship with God, as members of the mystical Body of Christ in the world. All three of today’s readings orient us towards God’s invitation to all people, offered in love, and made manifest through our own participation and action.

First we hear about Cornelius, a Roman citizen, who prostrates himself before Peter. Without hesitation, Peter tells him to get up, reminding Cornelius that he too is human, not divine. We are all human, and Jesus – who is divinity enfleshed, came to draw us into deeper relationship with God through one another. Peter tells Cornelius that God shows no partiality, and that every nation that “fears him and acts uprightly” is “acceptable” to Him. At this point, the Holy Spirit “fell upon all who were listening to the word.” Such an event is shocking to the “circumcised” who were amazed by God’s generosity and welcome to those they considered outsiders.

This makes me wonder why God’s generous welcome remains

Naked, and you clothed me…

Last year at about this time, a new book was published. This book, a compilation of homilies and reflections based on year C of the three year lectionary cycle, was the brainchild of Deacon Jim Knipper. Jim had one goal of bringing forth a new lectionary resource for prayer and reflection, based on the sermons of a wide swath of authors. This book contained the work of Richard Rohr, OFM, James Martin, SJ, and art of Bro. Mickey McGrath, OSFS, who are very well known, along with the work of lesser known writers. You know – like me! Jim’s other goal was at the heart of the project, and that was to use the proceeds from said volume, to support various charities. This book was the highly successful, Hungry, And You Fed Me: Homilies and Reflections from Cycle C.

This year we are both proud and privileged to present the second volume in the series, Naked, and You Clothed Me: Homilies and Reflections from Cycle A.  This year we see the return of all the original authors, along with a host of new and familiar names. Gregory Boyle SJ, Sr. Simone Campbell, Rob Bell, Jan Richardson, Christine Valtners Paintner, and Dan Horan, OFM, among others, are the ecumenical contributors to this year’s work. And the forward was written by the esteemed Robert Ellsberg, author and publisher at Orbis Books.

Our publishing company and website have been redesigned to support our work. Please  visit us at Clear Faith Publishing and have a look around. We are pre-selling Naked, And You Clothed Me, (list price $20) and Hungry, And You Fed Me is currently on sale for $16. Once there, you will find books, cards, and the 2014 calendar from Bro. Mickey McGrath. You can read about the charities that our books support.

We look forward to seeing you soon!