Foot-washer

22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time St. Agnes Catholic Church https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/083125.cfm Sixty-one years ago, a 22-year-old fast-talking Louisvillian shocked the sporting world.  The young man then called Cassius Clay defeated the reigning world boxing champion Sony Liston in what was then considered a major upset.  After the bout, he gave a famous interview in which he proclaimed, "I am the greatest! I shook up the world. I'm the prettiest thing that ever lived."   The man who later became known as Muhammad Ali would go on to back up his boasts, winning the heavy weight championship a record-breaking three times and being proclaimed by many the greatest sportsman of the 20th century.  Since that era, we have seen a parade of other athletes who are proclaimed to be the “Goat” of their sport.  Goat – meaning the “greatest of all time.”  Michael Phelps is the Goat of swimming.  Tom Brady is the Goat of football.  Simone Biles is...

  Feast of Christ the King   Cycle B  Nov 20/21, 2021 https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/112121.cfm In 1963, there was a meeting between the first Catholic President of the United States, John F. Kennedy, and the pope of the time Paul VI in Rome.   This was the first time that a Catholic president had met a pope, and there was quite a bit of speculation about one particular question: would JFK kneel down in front of the pontiff and kiss his ring.   Most Catholics of the time would be expected to do just that at a papal audience– but this was the so-called “leader of the free world,” a powerful person in his own right.   Kneeling would suggest subservience and would present political problems for the young president.   When they finally did meet, there was no kiss.  The two leaders shook hands and then proceeded to meet each other on an equal footing as human beings.   In the Gospel today, we have a similar tableau of two...

April 1, 2021 https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/040121-Evening.cfm    Put yourself at the Last Supper.     The meal has just begun.     All of Jesus’ closest disciples are present—a rabble of people called out of fishing boats, tax collecting offices, brothels, and gangs—who followed him these three years through his long and winding road to Jerusalem.     They are family now.     Here they are seated at table during the Passover season.     It is an explosive time, fraught and tense with religious expectations and fear of a Roman garrison.     Yet the excitement of a palm waving parade into the city is still fresh.     It is good to be here and good to eat together.     And then Jesus does something shocking.       The Lord and Master strips down to his undergarments and gets on knees with a pitcher and bowl.  He signals that he is going to do the filthy, shameful wor...