Resurrection Earthquake

After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it...Suddenly Jesus met them and said, "Greetings!" And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.  Matt. 28:1-2,9-10

Have you ever been in an earthquake or perhaps felt tremors? In recent months there have been powerful and devastating earthquakes in Haiti and Chile that have come suddenly and unexpectedly. I lived in Northridge, California, for a number of years when I was growing up.

Mary and Martha: Contemplation and Action

Now as they went on their way, he entered a village; and a woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving; and she went to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things; one thing is needful. Mary has chosen the good portion, which shall not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38-42

      Type-A? Extrovert? Introvert? Active? Contemplative? Descriptive categories like these can sometimes be helpful in understanding personalities, but often categories can lose sight of the nuances of our souls, the complex ways in which we individually give expression to our particular way of reflecting the image of God. In church tradition Mary and Martha have represented  the different calls to active or contemplative life, Mary’s contemplative life being recognized as the better way.

"How do you know me?"

Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!” Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me? Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”