I prayed with and for Frankie. He was at the hospital. He was a friend and a mentor, though he downplayed that part. Each time I visited, I prayed. It happened each time others visited. And there were many visits. There were many prayers. My friend died. Which means, of course, that prayer doesn’t work.  If […]

(Part four of a reflection on Matthew 17 and Luke 9) 4. The father loves his understanding of who Jesus is more than he loves ours. I hear about Jesus all the time in my work. Jesus wouldn’t do this. The Jesus I know is this way or that. Jesus isn’t like the father. The […]

(Part three of a reflection on Matthew 17 and Luke 9) I’d like to make some observations from this story. 1. The disciples wanted to spend time with Jesus. He was going up on the mountain, so they went up on the mountain. They had watched him go away to pray often. We don’t know […]

(Part two of a reflection on Matthew 17 and Luke 9. Here’s part one. ) Peter, John, and James slept through part of the conversation Jesus had with Elijah and Moses. They woke up as it was ending. Peter called out, wanting to build three little huts to celebrate the moment. Luke says that Peter […]

(Part one of a reflection on Matthew 17 and Luke 9) One day, after they had been together for more than a couple years, Jesus told the disciples he was going to die. They were going to go up to Jerusalem and he would be arrested and killed and rise again. This confused the disciples. […]