Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion
We are entering Holy Week. On the one hand, Holy Week commemorates the story of Jesus’ passion, death, and resurrection. However, if we look deeper, it is also our story. Holy week and the story of Jesus as we heard it in the reading of the passion, dramatizes the stark realities of the human condition. Within the Jesus story we find intense suffering, intrigue, malice, prejudice, hatred, betrayal, bribery, corruption, and bloody murder. Intertwined in this sad story is the life of a man who took the consequences of human sin upon himself and transformed it into love, forgiveness, peace and eternal life. He did so by becoming the “suffering servant” of God – a concept introduced to us both in the first and second readings. By becoming the “suffering servant,” Jesus changed the very meaning of human life. Human quest for permanent happiness and eternal life can only be fulfilled in Jesus.
Saturday of the Fifth Week of Lent
In Youth Ministry we are always trying to find new ways to present old truths without compromising on integrity. Some might say it is a byproduct of trying to fit faith into 140 characters and others would say it is just part of making faith manageable in our teens’ busy lives. Whatever the cause might be, it is a challenge of ministry.
Friday of the Fifth Week of Lent
I was talking with my four year old this week about her favorite movie - "Frozen". Perhaps most intriguing about this favorite movie of hers is that while she knows all the songs and states a definite preference for Elsa, she does not EVER, EVER, EVER want to watch the movie. "Why not?" I ask. "Because of all the scary parts." It's a reply that makes some sense, actually. But I tell her, with all my (supposed) adult wisdom: we watch all the scary parts but we know there's a happy ending. Isn't that good? Doesn't that make the scary parts just a bit better. "No!" comes the firm reply.
Thursday of the Fifth Week of Lent
Today’s readings begin with a covenant – a promise made between the Lord and Abram in which Abram’s life is so changed by his “yes” to the Lord that he receives a new name. He becomes a new person in the Lord – no longer Abram but Abraham. We, ourselves, experience this same life-changing covenant in the sacraments. In the sacrament of confirmation we are given a confirmation name. We become a new person in the Lord as we accept the Lord’s call to change our lives and focus on Him, often with the guidance of a saint or holy person. Additionally, in the sacrament of marriage, our name is changed. We take on a new identity as we are united with one another in the Lord. When my sister took her vows as a religious sister she too was given a new name. In each of these moments we make a promise to the Lord, a promise that is so important that our entire identity is changed. Receiving a new name sets us apart as new beings in the Lord, new vessels of the spirit.
Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord
As a hospital chaplain, the opportunities for ministry abound. What surprises me is that, while I know I am there as the minister, many times I feel the one ministered too. One of the ways this happens is by the steadfast faith of the people with whom I interact. Recently, a patient had just found out they had pancreatic cancer. It was suggested that with treatment she could extend her life likely by a few months. As she shared her faith journey it became clear to her that she did not want to get treatment. Her decision left me awestruck at the profound trust she had in God. From her deep faith, this woman made it clear, “God’s will be done.” This patient’s prayer came to mind immediately as I reflected on the readings today.
Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Lent
Today’s readings are all about vulnerability. We see in all of them—from Numbers, Psalms, and the Gospel of John—the reality of human frailty as well as the power of God. The Israelites, recently liberated from the oppression of the Egyptians, cry out to God and Moses when they are weary in the desert. Their cries are desperate and show their vulnerability. Elsewhere they ask Moses why he didn’t just leave them to die in Egypt.
Monday of the Fifth Week of Lent
When I read the daily news, I am saddened by the name calling, finger pointing, and general hatred that I see among people in our city, our nation, and throughout the world. After reading today’s scripture, I was again struck by Jesus’ words- “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” I know that I can also get caught up in making judgments and blaming others. I believe that Jesus is calling me (and all Christians) to put down our stones! Instead of placing blame and condemning others, Jesus calls us to reach out our hands in fellowship and respect to even those people that we find most difficult to love and accept. Since we have been forgiven, we must also be willing to love and forgive others. Instead of throwing stones, we need to place our stones on the cornerstone-Jesus- so we can begin to build the city of God.
Fifth Sunday of Lent - Year A Scrutinies
At every funeral mass, before I begin the official prayers, I always address the family gathered around the casket. I remind them the death of a loved one is one of those moments when the best thing we can do is to come before God. Death is one of those moments where our best option is to place life in God’s hands. Up until death, we could do everything in our power for those we love. But once someone dies, we are helpless. Our only help from this moment on is, God.
Saturday of the Fourth Week of Lent
There are many things that threaten our spiritual life. We can become overly scrupulous – convinced that every little thing is the gravest of sins – or we can have a dull conscience that doesn’t convict us of anything. We can put undue emphasis on material goods or on spiritual goods to the detriment of the other. And the list goes on for a long time. I think one the greatest threats we face is for Christ to become lackluster.
Friday of the Fourth Week of Lent
Solemnity of Saint Joseph, husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary
The roles of husband and father are not easy ones. Not that I have personal experience, but living side by side with my husband, the father of our children, and sharing similar roles as spouse and parent I know that while many blessings are shared, there are trials and challenges as well. Today the church celebrates and remembers St. Joseph, especially as husband of Mary, Jesus’ mother. The same St. Joseph, but as Worker, is celebrated on May 1. So, today we focus on Joseph’s role as spouse, and subsequently also foster-father to Jesus.
Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Lent
Images of being called from darkness into light abound. For the parishes celebrating Baptism at Easter Vigil, we read the Cycle A readings on the third, fourth and fifth Sunday. The readings all speak of conversion. Today we fall directly between the fourth Sunday in which the man born blind, in darkness, comes to see the light. This light is both physical and spiritual. The raising of Lazarus, the gospel for the coming Sunday, literally raises a man from the darkness of a tomb into the light.
Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Lent
At this point in the season of Lent, I often find myself wishing for a little bit of encouragement. I find myself asking, why am I going through this? What purpose is it serving? How much longer is it going to be before life can return to ‘normal’? The scriptures for today, especially the gospel reading, provide some of this needed encouragement.
Monday of the Fourth Week of Lent
Have you ever noticed a difference between your experiences of hearing the ‘Word’ and reading the ‘Word’? The reason I pose this question is that these are distinctly different ways encountering the Word of God. Different senses are used for reading than those we rely upon when actually hearing the Word proclaimed. In my own experience, even though I most often read the daily Scriptures in advance, when I hear the proclaimed during the Eucharist it touches me in a completely different way. There seems to be a powerful component in the act of hearing the Word that is not engaged when I am reading the Word.
Fourth Sunday of Lent - Year A Scrutinies
The scripture readings on the third, fourth and fifth Sunday of Lent (especially if we are following the Year A readings) are intentionally chosen to lead those preparing for baptism (at Easter) to come the fullness of faith. The gospel readings on these three Sundays are from John. John’s entire gospel revolves around the theme “coming to believe in Jesus.” Thus, last Sunday we heard about the Samaritan woman who by the end of the story came to believe in Jesus as the Messiah. Next Sunday we will hear about Martha and Mary who even before the raising of Lazarus will confess Jesus as the Resurrection and Life. Similarly toward the end of today’s gospel reading when Jesus says to the blind man that he is indeed the Son of Man, the blind man confesses, “I do believe Lord.” And then he worshipped Jesus. Like in the other stories, there is a huge difference in the faith of the blind man from the beginning of the story and the end of the story. At the beginning of the story he was blind but now he sees. At the beginning of the story he did not know Jesus but by the end he worships him. At the beginning of story he was just another sinner considered blind for either his or his ancestor’s sin. By the end of the story he is liberated and saved by his faith. This is true of the Samaritan woman, and Mary and Martha. In fact, this is true of the entire gospel of John.
Saturday of the Third Week of Lent
Scripture has a way of throwing in clever quips that go over our heads sometimes because of familiarity. Fr. James Martin talks about this in his book, Between Heaven and Mirth: Why Joy, Humor, and Laughter Are at the Heart of the Spiritual Life. He mentions that many of the parables and sayings of Jesus were likely humorous to their first audience. That doesn’t cheapen Christ’s words. For as Chaucer, Shakespeare, Joyce, and even Eminem tell us, “Many a true word is spoken in jest.” So what 2000 year old joke are we missing today? I think if we look to our two figures in the Gospel we will find it.
Friday of the Third Week of Lent
Thursday of the Third Week of Lent
The first reading ends with Jeremiah speaking of the Israelites and saying, “This is the nation that does not listen to the voice of the LORD, its God, or take correction. Faithfulness has disappeared; the word itself is banished from their speech.” When I hear these words I can’t help but think of our own nation. We may say one nation under God as part of our pledge, but do we, as a nation live it?
Wednesday of the Third Week of Lent
What are things we remember from childhood? For some of us it is a favorite toy, a place, or a setting like a family dinner. As a child one of the things that seem clear in my mind is my father giving his children rules to live by. These rules must have seemed devastating at times. Yet, as a parent now the boundaries that both of my parents gave me helped become the person I am today. Much of the wisdom I have passed on to my own children. In the readings today we are reminded of the gift of the law and how our observation of the rules offers us a spiritual freedom.
Tuesday of the Third Week of Lent
We’re now in the very middle of Lent. We find ourselves in the middle of the desert, where it is not possible to turn back but reaching the end seems so far away. For those of us who gave something up, perhaps it’s getting really hard now: We crave the food we gave up or the TV show we let go for a time. But one of the beautiful things about Scripture, especially in the Old Testament, is the way in which it present honest human emotions. My students, many of whom were raised in Catholic schools, are often surprised to read passages in Scripture that show raw human emotions. They expect the Bible to contain only stilted and precious language. But so much of it is about the human response to both God and the troubles of the world. Today’s readings are meant to sustain us in the middle of our Lenten journeys.