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The True Nativity Scene: No Hotel in Sight

Over the years I have witnessed and participated in a variety of Christmas pageants (I made a good furry sheep) and have seen plenty of Nativity crèches, from tiny wooden ornaments to “live” representations. I largely accepted the scenes as moderately accurate. I eventually learned that despite the common appearance of three Magi in the…

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Blessed Are the Pure in Heart: An impossible goal?

When reading the Beatitudes, the descriptions of those being blessed often seem lofty (I know my focus is not always on righteousness) or unpalatable (whose goal is it to be meek and mourning?). We all know that no one is perfect, so the next statement appears out of our reach. Jesus said: “Blessed are the…

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Blessed are the Poor in Spirit

We’ve started talking about the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus begins his longest recorded sermon by diving right in to descriptions of people found in that kingdom (poor in spirit, mourning, meek, merciful, etc.), which sound much more like people on this earth than those experiencing eternal bliss. Yet, his statements of how such individuals are…

Reflecting the Light

Last night I couldn’t sleep. I walked outside at 3am, the only time of day when the Arizona desert summer is not roasting hot. It was surprisingly well lit, not with any artificial lights, but with the brightness of the half-moon shining down. The moon is one of the best examples I can think of when…