February 6 is the Feast of St. Paul Miki and Companions. Paul Miki was a Japanese Jesuit brother who was martyred with 25 other Catholics in Japan in 1597. Fr. Jody Magtoto, SJ, is a Filipino Jesuit missioned to Japan. He's spending a few months in the United States "interning" with the Jesuit Conference here in preparation for launching a communications office back in Japan. He shared a bit about St. Paul Miki and what it's like to be a Jesuit priest in a country less than 0.5% Catholic.

Being a Jesuit in Japan with Fr. Jody Magtoto, SJ

If you were going to pick a Bible passage to turn to in these difficult times, which would you choose? How about the one in the Gospel of Matthew about the inefficacy of worrying? It’s a neat little tidy message from Jesus and such an important lesson. Today's guest, Old Testament Scripture scholar Professor Mahri Leonard-Fleckman from the College of the Holy Cross, picked three sections of the Bible she suggests visiting. And it’s safe to say none of them have a single tidy moral lesson at all. A big theme in Professor Leonard-Fleckman’s writing and teaching is that the Hebrew Scriptures are full of tension. They can be uncomfortable to read, especially when we approach them looking for the sort of straight-ahead ethical guidance we find in parts of the New Testament. But that challenge doesn’t mean the Hebrew Scriptures can’t be incredibly illuminating and consoling during this era of pandemic and social unrest. In this conversation, Mike and Professor Leonard-Fleckman’s dug into her three choices: the Book of Ecclesiastes, Psalm 91, and the story of King David. She also provided a great primer for how to approach reading the Hebrew Bible and shared a bit of her own amazing faith journey. She’s a brilliant scholar who’s also a clear and accessible teacher. 

Follow Dr. Leonard-Fleckman on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MahriFleckman

Three Bible Readings Perfect for Difficult Times with Scripture Scholar Mahri Leonard-Fleckman

Jesuits and friends come together to look at the world through Ignatian eyes, always striving to live Ad Maiorem Dei Gloriam -- For the Greater Glory of God. Hosted by Mike Jordan Laskey, Eric Clayton and MegAnne Liebsch. Learn more at jesuits.org. A production of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States.

Three Bible Readings Perfect for Difficult Times with Scripture Scholar Mahri Leonard-Fleckman

AMDG: A Jesuit Podcast

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