Jesus with Jonathan

As we wrap up this second Saturday of Lent, Brother Duffy, you are officially hitting your stride in what has become a powerful, transformative penitential marathon. It is inspiring to see how you’ve integrated the rigorous, timeless beauty of the 1962 Missal with the scholarly depth of N.T. Wright’s Matthew commentary and the AI-assisted probing of my daily blog reflections, creating a rich interior dialogue that persists even amidst the noise of your active life in the world. Your commitment to this vegan fast and your steady almsgiving are more than just boxes to check; they are the practical, gritty evidence of a heart being systematically retooled for grace. You are nearly at the halfway mark, and the momentum you’ve built through these prayers and sacrifices is exactly what will carry you through the shift from mere endurance to true spiritual renewal.  While the traditional readings for this second Saturday might tempt us to cast our Jewish brothers and sisters as the "elde...

To Duffy, a brother on the ancient way, and to the faithful company gathered in the shadow of the desert: Grace and peace be yours from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, our King. I must confess to you all how much I have come to lean upon a new companion in this labor of love. As I prepare these reflections on the Word, I find myself increasingly reliant on the assistance of Gemini—a digital scribe that has become essential to my study and teaching. I am frequently struck with a sense of awe at the clarity it brings to our task, helping to bridge the centuries between the ancient Latin of our Missal and the royal narrative of Matthew’s Gospel. There is a genuine humility in working alongside such a talented scribe; it is a strange and beautiful stewardship to use the tools of the future to dig deeper into the foundations of the past. As we move deeper into this desert, I want to acknowledge the weight of the path we’ve chosen. There is a particular tension in our 'Dry Mass...

Blessings, Duffy. We have another powerful pacifist reading of Jesus' Kingship from N.T. Wright today to counterbalance my seemingly contradictory inclinations (especially as a vegan new monastic) toward just war theory. Wright got me reading back in Isaiah 42 and 40, but I won't have time to tackle Isaiah 40-55 today, despite his recommendation. I haven't found any YouTube channels where it is possible to listen to the complete High Mass for each day of the 1962 Roman Missal chanted in Latin. Now that I am following along in the Missal, I really want to hear what the High Mass sounds like. Maybe Gemini can help? Here are three 30-second experimental tracks - my first time ever using Gemini to make music. The first track is the Introit from today's 1962 Roman Missal reading, chanted in Latin: https://gemini.google.com/share/7b9225e1d46c   The second track is the Collect from the same reading, chanted in English: https://gemini.google.com/share/0ee7d7089044 The third tra...

Blessings, Duffy. I am running late today because I spent too much time researching the US-Israel conflict with Iran (which some experts say is a proxy war with China). Now it is 5:08 PM and I have just finished my reading for the day in the 1962 Roman Missal, in Matthew Chapter 11, and in N.T. Wright's commentary on verses 1-19. I am struck by the reading from Esther 13 in our Missal, which speaks so clearly of God's protection over ethnic Israel on this Shushan Purim.  I am even more struck by Matthew 11:12 . There seem to be at least two very different ways of translating this verse. Here is the first: "From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been subjected to violence, and violent people have been raiding it." (NIV) And here is the second: "And from the time John the Baptist began preaching until now, the Kingdom of Heaven has been forcefully advancing, and violent people are attacking it." (NLT) This is how Wright interpre...

Blessings, Duffy. N.T. Wright has me thinking about Catholic theologians and Catholic professors who take risks with the Church hierarchy and face severe professional penalties as a result, maybe even excommunication. How would this sign go over in Vermont? I suppose the response might be different in front of Saint Anthony's than Saint Augustine's? Here are the questions I asked Gemini today, and here is the link to the full thread: https://share.google/aimode/e3PxpC4ls2EE3LtV1 Q1. Where do NT Wright and the Anglican Communion stand on contraception? Do they differ from the Roman Catholics on this point? Q2. Say more about NT Wright's position on family size and permanent contraception methods like the vasectomy to treat overpopulation? Q3. What about celibacy - does NT Wright see any contemporary value in it, or is he skeptical of all Christian celibate men? Q4. How about elective abortion - where does NT Wright sit on this issue? Q5. Where does Archbishop Mul...

Blessings, Duffy. First, a confession for our readers. I have not been following Jonathan's Lent 2026 Horologion  very well. Maybe next year at Lent, I will be far enough along to tackle that much prayerful structure. As it stands right now, it is all I can do to keep the rough contours of a basic horarium! Now let's turn to N.T. Wright's commentary on Matthew 10:1-15. It's a powerful refutation of militant political messianism in its Zionist and Christian Zionist forms. Wright strongly suggests that the Twelve Apostles, like the monthly spokes of an annual time wheel, were commissioned to start rolling out a non-violent worldwide political revolution, not an independent nation-state for the Jews. Does Wright make too little of Matthew 10:5-7?  "These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: 'Do not go onto the road of the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel . As you go, preach this message: The king...

Greetings, Duffy. I am slightly disappointed with N.T. Wright's Lenten devotional today. Instead of keeping us in the Gospel of Matthew, Wright is switching every Sunday to the appointed psalm for Year A in the Anglican Revised Common Lectionary (RCL). I don't have anything against Psalm 121, of course, but I wanted him to stay in Matthew!  I should also point out that the 1662 Book of Common Prayer on the Anglican side features Matthew 15:21-28 (the Canaanite Woman) as the Gospel reading for this Sunday, not Matthew 17:1-9 (the Transfiguration) as it appears in the 1962 Roman Missal. I have taken a deep dive into this discrepancy, and the situation is a little bit complicated, but it appears that the Canaanite Woman is actually the more ancient of the two Sunday readings:  "The association of the Transfiguration with Lent in the West actually began with Ember Saturday (the Saturday after the first Sunday of Lent). In the ancient Roman lectionary, the Transfiguration was ...