The Encouraging Thomist

  Take up Thy Cross and Follow Me Icon Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost Jeremiah 15:15-21 Psalm 26:1-8 Romans 12:9-21 Matthew 16:21-28 I. There is an old hymn in the Baptist hymnal  that I grew up singing countless times as a kid.   And the lyrics still stick with me to this day:    and its first verse and refrain is familiar to you as well: "'Take up thy cross and follow me,'  I heard my Master say,   'I gave my life to ransom thee,    surrender your all today.' Wherever He leads, I'll go.  Wherever He leads, I'll go.   I'll follow my Christ who loves me so,    Wherever He leads, I'll go." Anyone heard that song before?  Is the tune "Falls Creek" which is the tune of this hymn   going to stay with you for the rest of the day?    I know its already in my head! Now, I'll be the first to admit that I paid very little attention  to this particular hymn for most of my youth,   as it was one of th...

St. Monica Icon Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost (Baptism of Logan Justus) Isaiah 56:1,6-8 Psalm 67 Romans 11:1-2a, 29-32 Matthew 15: (10-20), 21-28 I. Have you ever heard of patron saints before? If you have, who or what comes to mind when I mention patron saints? Perhaps one of the easiest patron saints that comes to mind is St. Patrick,  the Christian saint of Ireland,   whose feast day is celebrated in March by a wide variety of people,    even those who have never darkened the doors of a church.  I always find patron saints interesting,   because, traditionally, patron saints are understood as advocates and intercessors   for specific places, people, vocations, and anything else under the sun! For example, St. Anthony of Padua is the patron saint of patron saint of the lost,  because of his example of Christ's love for lost people.   But he also has several legends associated with him that tell of wonder-working    in findi...

  Christ walks upon the Water Icon The Tenth Sunday after Pentecost 1 Kings 19:9-18 Psalm 85:8-13 Romans 10:5-15 Matthew 14:22-33 I. Isn't it amazing how heavily our lives are influenced  by where you look with your eyes? And no, it is not just what we watch on T.V.,  or what news station is our default,   or what books we read.    It really is also about where we look with our eyes     in normal everyday life! For you who have kids,  how often have you had to remind them   to look where they are going?    If you play tag with them,     you really do have to remind them,      "Okay, DON'T look behind you to see if I'm chasing you,       because you will run into something and break your face."        I say this as someone who had much experience in this area,         and my face-bruises I wore proudly in my childhood tell the story. If you drive aro...

Jesus Feeds the 5000 Icon Ninth Sunday after Pentecost Isaiah 55:1-5 Psalm 145: 8-9, 15-22 Romans 9:1-5 Matthew 14:13-21 I. Have you ever undertaken a pilgrimage before? You know, a long journey to a specific place, often to a sacred place,  for the purposes of deepening your devotion or your spiritual life? Pilgrimage, like the Camino de Santiago,  the nearly 4 week travel over 485 mile journey to the resting place    of St. James the Apostle? A very common pilgrimage for a lot of people is Jerusalem,  and it draws a lot of people seeking spiritual nourishment,   whether they be Jewish or Muslim or Christian.  What about a pilgrimage to the Vatican?  The seat of the Pope is a deeply meaningful journey   not just for Roman Catholics,    but for many people in general who go to see architecture and artistry     from some of the most notable Renaissance painters and sculptors.  In fact, several within our own congregat...

Christ and the Little Children Icon Eighth Sunday after Pentecost 1 Kings 3:5-12 Psalm 119:129-136 Romans 8:26-39 Matthew 13:31-33,44-52 I. Being a parent is an everyday adventure,  isn't it? For you who are parents  or who have been the parental figures for someone,   your children are an exercise in the absolute spontaneity and irrationality    that is our shared human existence. In their baby and toddler stages,  they can do almost nothing without our help,   and yet they also seem to be magnetically drawn to do dangerous things! Trust me, I didn't have to teach my daughter to decide   that she could safely climb up on the kitchen counter   and get herself her own cereal bowl in the morning.     She very resourcefully got her own step stool from her bathroom,     drug it into the kitchen,      and was up in the cabinet before I knew what was going on! Likewise,  I didn't have to teach my so...

Seedlings for Gardens [Old Farmer's Almanac] Seventh Sunday after Pentecost Isaiah 44:6-8 Psalm 86:11-17 Romans 8:12-25 Matthew 13:24-30,36-43 I. Ever since the COVID-19 virus has been present in the U.S. in mid March  and most of our lives have been spent at home since then,   there has been one particular thing that has been a constant source of joy    for all members of my family:     our family garden.  Gardens are magical. Just think about it:  even with all the wonderful produce you can get at Walmart or Harps,   there is nothing like a garden-fresh snap pea    that comes fresh from the plant.      In fact, I remember vividly as a kid      when I had one of my first snap peas from the garden,       I was like, "There is NO way this is a vegetable. It tastes too good." I used to think my dad was nuts for how much he liked tomatoes.  Even through college, tomatoes were only for c...

St. Paul Icon I. Have you ever used a word so often  that you started to lose what the word even means?  Better yet, did that word all of a sudden  seem to not only lose meaning,   but did it also begin to sound silly or like a bunch of random sounds? This is really easy to test out,  and it gets a good chuckle depending on which word you use. One of my personal favorites,  is the word "babble." Try it! I find it quite fun! "Babble babble babble babble,  babble babble babble babble." Did it work?  Did you begin to hear the word lose meaning   and begin to just sound like a bunch of silly sounds    we make with out mouth? Babble is already a funny word in English.  It feels like it has more b's in it   than the average bee hive,    and it sounds funny, too. But what you have just experienced,  this losing of meaning,   is what linguists call "semantic satiation." Basically, you repeat a word so often ...