The Encouraging Thomist

Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost Ezekiel 18:1-4,25-32 Psalm 25:1-8 Philippians 2:1-13 Matthew 21:23-32 I. "Sticks and stones may break my bones,  but your words will never hurt me." Anyone heard this little statement before? Whether it be the cartoon that I watched as a kid  or that one person on the playground in 3rd grade,   or even the transference of that idea into adulthood,    it is amazing how long that this phrase stuck with me personally. And, interestingly enough,  this phrase has a fascinating origin   if you dive a little deeper. A few sources,  such as the Cambridge Dictionary and Gary Martin's entry on the Phrase Finder,   the original saying is said to have appeared in The Christian Recorder,    with is an African Methodist Episcopal (AME) publication     in 1862,      but that entry in The Christian Recorder remarks that it is an "old adage"       suggesting an earlier origin.  [c.f. Martin, Gary. "The Phrase Finder". phrases.org.uk]

The Prophet Jonah Icon Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost Jonah 3:10-4:11 Psalm 145:1-8 Philippians 1:21-30 Matthew 20:1-16 I. Anger is an emotion  that is often difficult to manage. Have you ever had to coach your kids or grand-kids  how to manage their anger?   Or even better, have you seen a kid    who had a meltdown when they couldn't figure out     what to do with that temper rising inside of them?      I don't know about y'all,       but I've never had such a sympathetic connection        with the parents at Walmart who are on their last nerve         with a child who just isn't having it. Often, kids aren't mad about being just the fact of being in Walmart, right?  There are all kinds of other factors that lead them to that tantrum   that they aren't even aware of at the time. Missing nap time makes anyone cranky,  but for kids who need naps,   that can lead to some problems controlling anger! How about hunger?  We even have a word for this:    hangry!

Divine Mercy Icon Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost Ezekiel 33:7-11 Psalm 119:33-40 Romans 13:8-14 Matthew 18:15-20 I. When you think of the word "love"  what is the first thing that comes to mind? Is love something you feel?  Well, if you watch any romantic comedy or Christmas family special,    often love is depicted as some sort of romantic feeling of affection. This is one kind of love, that is for sure.  But is that the main one you think of? What about the love shared between friends,   a bond that isn't necessarily romantic,    but a love for each other that transcends time and place?     If any of you have a dear friend from childhood that you still keep up with,      you probably know the deep friendship type of love.  For you parents or grandparents out there,  what about the love you have for your kids?   That is a very very powerful type of love,    one that, if your children are in danger,      you would literally jump off a bridge or step in front of a car f