Maria Blog
Authenticity as a Holy Place: The Cleansing of the Temple
The Cleansing of the Temple story is always one which attracts a lot of questions, usually about Jesus' anger. In exploring this reading with students I have frequently been asked, 'did Jesus sin by getting angry?' or, they express their shock that Jesus appears to be acting out of character, without just cause. But, there is more depth to this story. Unlike the synoptic gospel writers, John places this scene right at the beginning of…
Read MoreMysterious Mountain Experience in the Midst of the Ordinary
As a lover of John's gospel, I have always been intrigued why John chooses to omit the story of the transfiguration which is present in the synoptic tradition. It is a spectacular and mysterious encounter…
Read More60th Birthday
What do LEGO building blocks, the musical Grammy Awards, the actor Alec Baldwin, the singer Madonna, Maria College, and yours truly—Anne Devlin—all have in common? (Oops! The picture above may be a giveaway!) Yes, this…
Read MoreTemptation: Keeping our Mission in check!
This week the universal church heard Mark's telling of the temptations of Jesus. For years I didn't connect with this story, seeing Jesus as the God who could not authentically be tested. It was not…
Read MoreHair Today, Hair Tomorrow!
As I sit here on a rainy President’s Day Monday, a local news story has really piqued my interest...and, believe it or not, the story is about hair! Well, not just any old hair, but…
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