Tuesday of the Third Week of Easter
The scripture readings for today suggest a parallel between the witness of Stephen in the first reading and the message of Jesus in the gospel reading. The first reading contrasts Stephen with those who put him to death. On the one hand, Stephen’s enemies look on him as a blasphemer and not as someone who has a worthwhile message for them. On the other hand, Stephen tells his accusers that in opposing him they are in fact opposing the work of the Holy Spirit. Stephen is a martyr because he is willing to die for his faith. He continues to preach to those who wanted to put him to death and, in so doing, he stands as a witness for God’s message in Jesus Christ.
Monday of the Third Week of Easter
Several months ago my wife and I were blessed with the news that she is pregnant and that we are now parents! I can say without hesitation that I’ve never been filled with more joy, more excitement, or more love for my wife. I’ve found it amazing and surreal how my perception of life, my perception of the world around me, and my perception of myself have changed so drastically and so abruptly when viewed from the eyes of a new father. As a result, I’ve reevaluated a lot and I’ve tried to reprioritize a lot, knowing full well that I have a ways to go and understanding that becoming the best father I can be (much like becoming the best disciple I can be) is a lifelong process. All of this has added a completely new dimension to my prayer life. Praying for the soul of this new life has become my daily joy, and I often find the words of the priest at baptism echoing in the quiet of my heart and saying, “I claim you for Christ.”
Third Sunday of Easter
Last week I preached that the time after Easter is tougher for me than Lent. Whereas Lent focuses me and keeps me disciplined, the time after Easter makes me relax and lose some of that focus. Since I preached that, I cannot tell you how many people came to me and said that they felt the same way. In fact, I met people whose prayer life has gone into total disarray since Easter. This is what is most disheartening for me – that whereas I experience a letdown after Easter, the readings point to a post-resurrection church which is on fire. That bugs me. Why can we not be on fire like the post-resurrection church?
Saturday of the Second Week of Easter
Sandwiched in between two overtly Eucharistic sections of John’s Gospel—the story of the multiplication of the loaves and the Bread of Life discourse—is the story we have in today’s gospel reading of Jesus walking on water. I have found myself wondering on multiple occasions: why? Why would Jesus walk on water? What was He trying to communicate? Aren’t there many other things that would’ve been better uses of His time? Was this a kind of David Blane or Houdini act meant to marvel the disciples?
Friday of the Second Week of Easter
How difficult it is, sometimes, to see the significance of the things we do on a repeated basis. When we first moved to Ohio, all my surroundings were new and it was exciting to venture to new places and get to know the town of Dayton. We visited several of the MetroParks and the Boonshoft Discovery Museum and attended the wonderful festivals downtown and tried out some new restaurants. In doing all that, we made new friends, good connections, and most importantly, began to feel that Dayton could be a home for us, and not just a random place on the map.
Thursday of the Second Week of Easter
What is it about the human condition that makes us so competitive? It can be such a struggle at times, and even an ongoing struggle throughout life to overcome the desire to be better than, more popular, prettier, smarter, chosen first, the winner, etc…it goes on and on. And our culture seems to feed that kind of competition and constant comparing of ourselves to others. Some competition can be good as it pushes us to do our best and strive to further develop ourselves in positive ways. But often it is destructive. The jealousy creeps in when someone else has what we want for ourselves or our children. Sadly, we’ve all heard or read stories in the media in which people are even killed out of such jealousy. Although that is the extreme, we’ve probably all experienced some degree of the destructiveness of jealousy when we compare ourselves to other people.
Wednesday of the Second Week of Easter
My chains are gone, I’ve been set free
My God, my Savior has ransomed me
And like a flood His mercy rains
Unending love, amazing grace.
These lyrics are found in one of my favorite contemporary Christian songs. They are found in an updated version of the song we all know, Amazing Grace. God’s grace is surely amazing. For he so loved the world that he sent his only begotten Son to save and set us free. Though we do not live in the Apostolic age there still are prisons that hold Christians because of their beliefs. Even still we put ourselves into prisons of our own making.
Tuesday of the Second Week of Easter
The first reading for today describes the life of Jesus’ disciples after his resurrection. It describes Jesus’ followers as a community and states that his followers were “one in mind and spirit.” Rather than having private property they “had everything in common.” The reading goes on to state that no one in the community of believers was needy. When new members joined the community, they would sell what they had and distribute the proceeds to those who were in need.
Monday of the Second Week of Easter
While reflecting on the readings today, I am struck by how the Apostles prayed with their fledgling community in Jerusalem. As this is the year of Prayerful Discipleship in our parish, it seems logical they would have something to teach us. The times we live in may be very different from the first century Jerusalem; however our commission as disciples of Jesus has not changed.
2nd Sunday of Easter
Easter is over and I am wondering how you are. I am asking you this because for me the post Easter season is often more difficult than Lent. This is because Lent focuses me. I have a goal and I have the discipline to get there. After Easter I get triumpalistic, but then exhaustion sets in It and becomes so easy to let the discipline slip away. The Monday after Easter was the hardest day to stay focused in prayer because I felt that it was time to relax after the fourty days of discipline. So I wonder about you… What does your post-Easter scene look like?
Saturday within the Octave of Easter
These words from today’s Psalm (Ps 118:15) illustrate the insuppressible good news of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. The good news of the resurrection bubbles forth from Jesus’ disciples out of their gut, almost uncontrollably; it is unable to be squelched or held down.
Friday within the Octave of Easter
Sometimes I think it is very difficult to comprehend, let alone believe, that Jesus rose from the dead. Death for us is something final. It is something that we have to deal with and confront because we cannot undo time and make someone come back. That finality makes it quite hard to see that perhaps death does not always win – that God’s Son rose from the dead.
Thursday within the Octave of Easter
Most of us have grown up hearing the story of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection. We’ve known about, if not celebrated, many, many Easters in our lifetime. Sometimes it might seem almost ordinary, and maybe not amazing. Perhaps we’ve become accustomed to the idea of God becoming human, taking on flesh, being crucified, buried, and then rising from the dead, rising out of the tomb on the third day. It may seem almost commonplace to us.
Wednesday within the Octave of Easter
Signs of resurrection are all around us. The death of winter has given way to the new life of spring. Trees are flowering, bulbs bloom, and bird eggs are beginning to crack to reveal their babies. These signs along with the ever brightening sun are sufficient to make our souls smile. This new life bursting forth is yet one way the universe experiences the process of resurrection.
Tuesday within the Octave of Easter
I don’t tend to think too much about the Holy Spirit. Sure, I know that the Spirit is one of the three persons of the Trinity, but it’s not always so easy for me to picture the Spirit or recognize the work of the Spirit in my life. I’ve heard theologians say sometimes that the Spirit is neglected in the thoughts and devotions of Christians. For these reasons, it seems to me that the scripture readings for today have something important to say to us. They point us to the importance of the Spirit in our lives as Christians, especially as we continue to celebrate Jesus’ resurrection this Easter season.
Monday within the Octave of Easter
I am sure many of you have heard the saying “Seeing is believing”, but sometimes this is not always the case. I have had the experience many times in my life where several people are present at the same event, but what they “see” is very different. Our impression of a particular happening is influenced by many things. Our past experiences, our emotions, our expectations, our openness and trust all affect our individual experience of a particular event. Several years ago I had the opportunity to go zip lining. After the initial fear of trusting the equipment, I was able to take a “leap of faith” and travel above the tree line to see the amazing sights of the rainforest below me. There was another woman in our group, who was so fearful that she was having difficulty not only jumping off the platform, but she was completely unable to enjoy and appreciate the scenery because of her worry. We both did the same thing, but what we saw and experienced was completely different. I think the readings today describe 3 different groups of people and what they “saw” when they encountered the empty tomb. Because of their previous experiences, their openness and their expectations, each of the groups relate a different understanding of what they saw.
The Resurrection of the Lord
Love Wins is a book about God. The author, Rob Bells writes this book for people within and outside the church whose image of God is unhealthy. For example, think of people so unsure about God that they never quite know what to expect when we meet God face to face; or, people who think that God is like a watchful policeman looking out for infringements; or, that God is far beyond our human experiences. Bells writes for people like this. And his point is simple: that Jesus shows us what God is like. And the most significant thing that Jesus showed us about God is that LOVE WINS.
Holy Saturday
Something strange is happening - there is a great silence on earth today, a great silence and stillness. The whole earth keeps silence because the King is asleep. The earth trembled and is still because God has fallen asleep in the flesh and he has raised up all who have slept ever since the world began. God has died in the flesh and hell trembles with fear.
Good Friday of the Passion of the Lord
You've probably seen those optical illusions where, if you look at the picture one way, you'll see an old woman - but if you look at it another way, you'll see a young girl? (See here for one example: http://www.moillusions.com/2006/05/young-lady-or-old-hag.html) Optical illusions make us aware of the fact that what we think might be happening isn't always what is happening. Or - there's usually another way to look at the same facts.
Evening Mass of the Lord's Supper
Today begins the Easter Triduum with Holy Thursday liturgy, continuing with Good Friday and Holy Saturday, and reaching its high point in the Easter Vigil. The Easter Triduum is the culmination of the liturgical year in proclaiming Jesus’ passion and resurrection.
The readings for the Holy Thursday liturgy begin with the Exodus reading (12: 1-8, 11-14), which includes the ritual instructions for the Passover of the Lord. The blood of the Passover lamb was placed on the doorpost to protect the firstborn from the angel of death. On that night the Israelites were released from slavery in Egypt. Remembrance and celebration of this freedom continues with the yearly Jewish Passover celebration.