For those who, in search of unfrozen fresh air, opened the windows today, March 14 – first time since December – this seer’s take on imagination: John O’Donohue, The Celtic Imagination in Beauty: the Invisible Embrace, p.132f “Because we tend to see our experience as a product, we have lost the ability to be surprised…
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“Justly Generous” Thoughts on the 7th Sunday in Ordinary Time, February 24, 2019 by Rev. Jim Ryan, jimryan6885@gmail.com Today’s passage from the Gospel of Luke may have been one continuous teaching by Jesus from the beginning of the reading to its end. But, I doubt it. It occurs to me that what we have here…
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“We’ve made a THING!” Thoughts on the 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time, February 17, 2019 by Rev. Jim Ryan, jimryan6885@gmail.com We celebrated Black History Month with an Opening Litany that was taken from prayers of 4 of the Giants of that history. You can find the Litany at the end of this document. In the…
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Thoughts on the 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time, February 3, 2019 by Rev. Jim Ryan, jimryan6885@gmail.com If you hold to the theory, as I do, that Jesus grew into his identity then this event of Jesus’ visit to Nazareth, when seen in terms of his own personal history, is one of baseline importance. Take a…
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Thoughts on the 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, January 27, 2019 by Rev. Jim Ryan, jimryan6885@gmail.com We will return to this later, but let’s first put a picture in our minds. Picture Jesus showing up on Sabbath in his hometown synagogue and claiming to be the One who has been expected for at least 500…
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“Light of Life ….. Truth of Life” © Thoughts on the Feast of the Baptism of Jesus, January 13, 2019 by Rev. Jim Ryan, jimryan6885@gmail.com When I was studying the Sacred Sciences and preparing for ministry back in the day at Catholic Theological Union, one of the faculty members was Callistus Langerholz. He was a…
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“We can do both Joy and Sadness”© by Rev. Jim Ryan, jimryan6885@gmail.com Here are a few facts to chew on. First, in 2019, that’s right – next year, ethnic minority children will be the majority of all children in the United States. Second, minority children are already the majority among all children in 10 states. …
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“Light of Life,,,,,,God-with-us” © Thoughts on the 3rd Sunday of Advent, December 16, 2018 by Rev. Jim Ryan, jimryan6885@gmail.com We have reason to celebrate today! This 3rd Sunday of Advent, as a marker in time, is an announcement of good that happens with closeness to the Word of Life. As John announces in today’s Gospel…
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“Light of Life” © Thoughts on the 1st Sunday of Advent, December 2, 2018 by Rev. Jim Ryan, jimryan6885@gmail.com Thomas Merton’s final manuscript which he sent to the publisher just prior to his trip to Asia in February, 1968 was published this year with a foreward by Sarah Coakley. It has been given the title,…
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“In Good Standing……….With Whom?”© by Rev. Jim Ryan, jimryan6885@gmail.com A pastor at a Catholic Parish in the archdiocese of Milwaukee recently informed some of his parishioners that Jim Ryan is not a priest “in good standing.” He arrived at that charge after researching me by consulting with the chancery office. So, my question is, “good…
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