Fifth Sunday in Lent – Homily thoughts “Ephraim Week” © Rev. Jim Ryan, M.Div., Ph.D. The news that Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead caused a stir in the goings-on of both Bethany, the hometown of Lazarus, Martha, and Mary, as well as Jerusalem, the temple surroundings specifically. Some people believed in him and others…
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Homily by Rev. Jim Ryan, Ph.D. Third Sunday in Lent, March 20, 2022 The person who goes to the doctor because of not feeling quite right and who receives the diagnosis that they have stage 4 cancer that has metastasized to several organs – this person faces some immediate choices. Do they passively accept the…
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29th Sunday in Ordinary Time, October 17, 2021 Rev. Jim Ryan, M.Div.,Ph.D. jimryan6885@gmail.com Before you read this homily please download and view the Circle of Dance with this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s368y4qKkzk This is an Ojibwe Circle of Dance performed in Grand Rapids, MN in 2011. The Dance followed an event of cultural exchange between members of…
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28th Sunday in Ordinary Time, October 10, 2021 Rev. Jim Ryan, M.Div.,Ph.D. jimryan6885@gmail.com Sabbath took on new meaning for me when I picked up and read Wendell Berry’s collection of poems, “Sabbaths.” Wendell revealed to me the understanding that Sabbath is not one certain day of the week. Sabbath and Sabbath Rest is a matter…
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“I am the bread of life.” (John 6:35) I’ll go out on a limb here and say that when a Catholic hears this statement of Jesus it’s my guess they immediately think of Eucharist, Communion, the Mass. We automatically associate Jesus with Sacrament. What I’d like to say is there are times when we need…
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Rev. Jim Ryan, M.Div.,Ph.D. jimryan6885@gmail.com Let’s begin with reviewing familiar territory, familiar that is to our Mary of Magdala Community. The passage from the Gospel of John, the first Gospel Reading for today’s liturgy, is the story known to every Christian who ever studied the New Testament. Mary of Magdala experiences the risen Jesus and…
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14th Sunday in Ordinary Time, July 4, 2021 Rev. Jim Ryan, M.Div.,Ph.D. jimryan6885@gmail.com I have heard it said and seen it written by historians and scholars that Abraham Lincoln almost singlehandedly remade America. While I acknowledge that this is somewhat of an overstatement, I invite you to consider that he did things that the founders…
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11th Sunday in Ordinary Time, June 13, 2021 Mary of Magdala, Apostle to the Apostles Community Rev. Jim Ryan, M.Div.,Ph.D. jimryan6885@gmail.com Since we live so much of our spiritual lives inspired by images I thought I would pick up on the image of ground this morning. We just heard about the seeds sown in…
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Corpus Christi Sunday, June 6, 2021 Mary of Magdala, Apostle to the Apostles Community Rev. Jim Ryan, M.Div.,Ph.D. jimryan6885@gmail.com Some in the community know that the daily schedule in the Ford-Ryan household includes checking on the time that the International Space Station will fly overhead that night. We are fortunate that our little house in…
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Palm Sunday, March 28, 2021 Rev. Jim Ryan, M.Div.,Ph.D. jimryan6885@gmail.com This year my philosopher pal is Martha Nussbaum who teaches Political Philosophy and Law & Ethics at the University of Chicago. She writes that a stable society is one that is based in justice. And for society to remain stable its citizens must love justice. …
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