Our readings for Sunday are here.
These are the poem, my notes, and interpretations of Fr Dennis’ homily from the Mass of
- July 6, 2014
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The poem Fr Dennis references these years :
- 2014 homily — Repairer of Fences by Sr. Jessica Powers
In 2014, we reflected on —
- In the first reading, Zechariah’s prophecy defines God’s kingship through the contrast between a horse and ass of that day:
- Horse — elegant, a partner in warfare, trainable
- Ass — kind of odd-looking, beast of burden, untrainable
- … All leading to the understanding that “kingship” is Jesus’ gentleness carried on a donkey, making the idea of Jesus bringing a “Kindom” of kinship amongst all God’s Creation all the more imaginable, more intuitive.
- The gospel excerpt from Matthew, “for I am meek and humble of heart,” is one of the few times Jesus describes his interior state, “meek” (as in unassuming) and “humble of heart.”
- So. In light of this clear image of kinship, unassuming nature, and humility — How do I view God? How do I view God in my life? What has God meant to me?
- Sr Jessica Power’s poem, Repairer of Fences, clearly depicts a God who gets us out of the trouble we create, not a God placing us in trouble.
Our featured image from 2007 today is of a mule foal (i.e., the offspring of a mule), a rarity as most mules are sterile, being the 23-chromosome copy of the 24-chromosome horse (usually a mare) and a 22-chromosome donkey (an ass, usually a male). The unusual foal, eventually named Kule Mule Amos (nee John), was the son of Kate, a mule. Both lived on their human family’s ranch and were never offered to researchers to figure out this puzzle. KMA lived a short-ish life of six years, as one of the quirks of his genetic inheritance was less stability due to leg/foot structure and load-bearing capacity. It is thought the former may have played a part in his fall with internal injuries in a pasture one winter, leading to his death. The family’s concern for the latter kept KMA from being “a beast of burden.”
The image is from Laura Amos, via NPR, and without permission at this time. Hoping for a fair use, one-time exception.
I have added it because mules giving birth to foals are a quirk, not quite as much as someone proclaiming kinship as “kingdom.” But, still. And, some scholars don’t quite know how to interpret the passage from Isaiah and its gospel usages, in which the Savior-king will be “riding on an ass, the foal of an ass.” Yet … is it an additional emphasis on the humility (hey — not only a donkey … but on the FOAL of a donkey)? or the grammar which seems to indicate both?, or the sidecar theory? (On an interesting note to the latter point, when I was led up Cerro Pelón on horseback to one of the Monarch Butterflies’ overwintering meadows in Mexico, the foal of the lead guide’s mare was brought (only on its love of its mom — no lead, no nothing) to learn its way up the mountain. But he stuck to mom like glue as much as he could! Lastly, Jesus always saw the moms and children as people, which was not always the standard cultural understanding in his day.
Happy 250th to our beloved USA today, unfinished but not broken! Keep on hoping, praying, and serving, everyone! 🙂 May Christ’s Peace arise in us from the roots in the good earth to the stars that shine upon us.
The Surest Sign 