Memorial of Saint Boniface, Bishop and Martyr
The gospel reading for today tells the story of how Jesus is confronted and tested by those who wanted to see him fail. Some Pharisees and followers of Herod come to him, asking him questions in order to try to trap him. They ask him whether they should pay taxes to Caesar. This is indeed a thorny question. If Jesus says ‘no’ then he can be accused of defying the authority of the Roman rulers of Palestine. If he says ‘yes’ then he might be seen as being too supportive of the Roman regime.
Monday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time
In today’s Gospel from Mark, Jesus tells the familiar Parable of the Vineyard, drawing on a common image used by Old Testament prophets in which Israel is symbolized as the vineyard of God. In this parable, we can identify Jesus as the beloved son of the vineyard owner, who is ignored, seized, and killed. Jesus concludes this parable by referring to Psalm 118, saying “Have you not read this scripture: ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.’”
The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity
I spent twelve years in the seminary before I was ordained. Through the first eight years, my only goal was to get to the theology classes because I wanted to get into the depths of the knowledge about God. I plunged into theology with the excitement of a two-year-old about to jump into a puddle. But a puddle is only so deep, right? That is how I felt with theology as well. The best of my efforts to understand God led me only thus far. The best of my theology professors often ended the class with the line, “It is a mystery.” If I heard that statement one more time I could scream. Eighteen years after my ordination there are times, I have to content with that same statement, “It is a mystery.”
Saturday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time
The scriptural readings for today focus on the notion of authority. This is an interesting subject to reflect upon precisely because our society is becoming increasingly distrustful of many traditional forms of authority. In many instances, “authority” seems to mean the domination of the will, as the power of one person (or small group of people) coerces the wills of other people for arbitrary reasons. In our world, we often encounter the misuse of authority and so we may view all authority through this lens. Today’s scriptural readings can perhaps help us to better appreciate the enduring importance of authority and the great responsibility that authority brings with it.
Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Who do you turn to when you have news to share, good or bad? After my husband, I usually turn to my mom and my two sisters, and they to me. We have shared so much “news” over the years, the exciting news of engagements, pregnancies and births; the difficult news of miscarriage, cancer and divorce; the both exciting and difficult news of moving to another state or another country. We’ve shared our hopes and our joys, our hurts and our anger, our fears and our grief. And we’ve encouraged each other when we’ve needed encouragement.
Wednesday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time
The wisdom of the world says, ‘The one who has the most toys when they die wins,’ or ‘Win at all costs.’ Do these phrases sound remotely Christian? Christianity considers the process of arriving at ones goal just as important as the goal itself. So if achieving ones goal means that people will be undermined, hurt or belittled, then the process or goal is likely not Christian at all.
Tuesday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time
In the gospel for today Jesus speaks of the rewards that are in store for those who follow him. Yet it is important to see that Jesus also speaks of the hardships that are in store for those who attempt to follow him. Jesus also reminds his disciples that success in the Christian life will not look like success it the way that people ordinary define it. Judging things from a worldly standpoint, what Jesus is calling people to doesn’t make much sense, for “many that are first will be last, and the last will be first” (v. 31). In the first reading, Peter talks of the role of the prophets and the early disciples of Jesus in passing on the faith and inspiring people to live a life that is devoted to God.
Monday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time
Today is the beginning of Ordinary time in the Church. Though the Easter season is officially over, we continue to witness the amazing activity in the early Christian communities. The challenges of the times in which we live are a bit different from those early Christians, but their determination and singleness of heart completely engaging.
Pentecost Sunday
Most of you know my story of leaving home when I was barely 17 years old. Even though I felt I felt called to be a priest, there was no way to numb the pain of leaving home. I may or may not have told you this, but part of the reason the pain was so intense was because my next opportunity to see my parents would be after two years. When I look back at those two years I am really not sure how I got through them. e-mails, texting, Skype, and Facebook did not exist then. I ached for ‘closeness’ with my family. I still remember that first awful first Christmas without my family. If God has assigned a time for me in purgatory I will remind God of my first two years away from my family. Gosh! How I longed for ‘closeness.’ And I still do. That is why I go home twice a year. Those of you have lost a loved one or have someone you love live far away will understand what it means to long for closeness.
Memorial of Saint Philip Neri, Priest
We have come to the last day of the Easter Season, and with it to the end of both the Acts of the Apostles and the Gospel of John, both of which we have been following throughout the Easter Season. Both of these endings gesture toward the martyrdom of Peter and Paul in Rome.
Friday of the Seventh Week of Easter
So many people do not REALLY have faith in Christ or in his resurrection. They see Jesus as a nice guy who said good things like "Love each other" but the idea that Jesus rose bodily from the dead seems both a figment of imagination as well as an unnecessary part of the gospel story. Today's scriptures ask us to reconsider the significance of Jesus' bodily resurrection, though.
Thursday of the Seventh Week of Easter
Have you ever played the “guess how much I love you” game with a child? I remember the loving competition when my children were young, each of us trying to outdo the other in declaring our love. “I love you more than I can say”, “well, I love you more than the whole world,” “ I love you bigger than the sky!” As I seem to recall, they were usually stumped when I would finally say, “I loved you before you were even born.”
Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Easter
In Jack London’s book, ‘White Fang,, the story of wolves and their interaction with people is told. This book allows the author to belong to and see the world from the eyes of a wolf. In ‘White Fang’ London explores not only the violent life that is the wolf world, but also the equally fierce world of humanity. As it opens two men learn they are being pursued by wolves. This section is how these two men attempt to stave off the predators’ intent on destroying them.
Tuesday of the Seventh Week of Easter
The gospel for today is taken from the prayer that Jesus offers just before he goes to the garden where he is arrested. In the prayer, Jesus speaks of the role of his disciples after his ascension. Jesus prays that his disciples will pick up where he has left off and continue his work in the world. It is fitting to read this gospel passage at this particular time in the liturgical year, since we have just celebrated the feast of the ascension when Jesus took leave of his disciples for the last time. Although Jesus speaks in his prayer of returning to the Father, it would be a mistake to think that his ascension means that Jesus is gone. Instead, that Jesus ascended means that he is present to us in ways that he was not present during his earthly life and ministry. Among other ways, he is present to us in the mass, in our daily prayer, and in our lives in community with other people.
Monday of the Seventh Week of Easter
I have the wonderful opportunity to work on the team that prepares the 8th grade students at our parish for Confirmation. Throughout the course of the program we discuss the Holy Spirit and His presence in scripture, in salvation history, and in our lives as disciples. As part of their preparation, the students choose a “patron saint” whose name they will take at the time of Confirmation. During our gatherings, the students create and paint icons of their saints, and they are encouraged to reflect upon how the Holy Spirit has been evident in their saint’s lives. As we discuss these holy men and women who are from many different lands and many different times, it is easy to see that the Holy Spirit is essential for growing in holiness and becoming Disciples of Christ.
Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord
The account of the ascension from the gospel of Mark is a very intriguing passage. Just for a moment picture this: These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive out demons, they will speak new languages. They will pick up serpents with their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them. They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” If I compare my ministry with this passage there is every reason for me to feel absolutely inadequate. In fact, I may conclude that I am a complete failure.
Saturday of the Sixth Week of Easter
In a little more than a week we will celebrate the great feast of Pentecost, when the disciples receive the Gift of the Holy Spirit, who forms them into the Mystical Body of Christ. This feast is the conclusion of the fifty days of the Easter season. For now, we continue to celebrate the great mystery of Easter.
Friday of the Sixth Week of Easter
For many people (myself often included), life happens on a very short-term time scale. My days are cluttered with brief Facebook announcements, quick news tidbits and hurried hellos to friends as I rush to the next activity. My thoughts and feelings are equally as short-term: how I feel about my life, my appearance, my job, politics, religion and so on are easily affected by a friend's Facebook post, or a sales clerk's mean words, or any number of other short, day-to-day interactions. I can feel despair if someone doesn't smile at me, wondering all day why they didn't smile, what I did wrong, how I could fix it for next time. My feelings about these short day-to-day interactions can last a long time, paradoxically.
Thursday of the Sixth Week of Easter
Wednesday of the Sixth Week of Easter
Good story tellers can have you on the edge of your seat and have you hanging on their every word. They are so good at emphasizing the right words changing their voice so that they draw us into the story. There is one more part to it that St. Paul clearly understands, by making the story connect directly into the lives of his audience.