Saturday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time
As annoying as it must have been for Jesus, the question that the chief priests, scribes, and elders asked him was still a good one. No doubt, they were familiar with certain individuals of their day claiming this or that divine insight—perhaps even claiming themselves to be the Messiah. And, so, they were skeptical of Jesus as they had been of others.
Friday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time
Do you ever think about Jesus being hungry? I tend to think of Jesus tending to others’ needs, like the feeding of the five thousand, or allowing his disciples to eat the grain in the fields when they were hungry on the Sabbath. Today’s gospel from Mark includes the very familiar passage referred to as The Cleansing of the Temple that speaks of Jesus’ anger, but there’s also this somewhat strange story about Jesus being hungry that stood out to me today.
Thursday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time
Many of us have heard the word “stone” used in various ways: “Leave no stone unturned.” “Getting blood from a stone,” or even “A rolling stone gathers no moss.” In today’s first reading, we are called to be “living stones” in imitation of Jesus- the original “living stone” and cornerstone. What does it mean for us to be “living stones” today and how can we help build a spiritual house for God?
Wednesday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time
Parents, and anyone who remembers childhood, know this scene well - a child or even a young adult approaches a parent and simply says, “Say yes.”
“To what?”
“Just say yes!”
While most parents know better than to give a blanket, “yes,” Christ, our God Incarnate, is not like most parents. In fact, many scholars say that the parable we call “The Prodigal Son” might better be titled the “Prodigal Father” and is about the foolish Parent. Our God often acts in ways that our human nature sees as foolish and reckless. That reckless love is on full display in today’s gospel passage.
Memorial of Saint Philip Neri, Priest
In the text from Mark before us today, we receive a bold challenge. Peter announces that the disciples have given up everything to follow Jesus. Jesus talks about giving up the kinds of possessions that people value most. He names houses and land, which were surely among the most prized possessions for people of his time.
If we aspire to be followers of Jesus, what are we called to give up? What are our prized possessions?
Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church
For centuries, Christians have venerated Mary’s care of the Church. In 1964, Saint Paul VI formally bestowed on her the title “Mother of the Church.” In Argentina, Poland, and the Vatican, Christians have long celebrated this feast. And in March 2018, Pope Francis announced the creation of a new feast day for all of God’s people in commemoration of Mary, Mother of the Church. It is now celebrated on the First Monday after Pentecost. That is today.
Saturday of the Seventh Week of Easter
Our selection today from John the Evangelist, the Beloved Disciple, forms the conclusion of the Fourth Gospel. We find an interesting encounter between Peter, Jesus, and John. It speaks not only to a specific aspect of human nature, but also to our need for maintain our focus on Jesus as we follow Him in our daily lives. Today, let us seek to be faithful disciples of Jesus, gazing upon him in love, and following in his footsteps.
“Peter turned and saw the disciple following whom Jesus loved [John]. . .” Peter turned from his profound and poignantly personal exchange with Jesus, in which his threefold denial of Christ was undone by his threefold profession of love. In his infinite mercy, Jesus restored the relationship between them and delegated to Peter the honor and responsibility of serving as the shepherd of the sheep, the first Pope. At the end of that encounter, Jesus summons Peter, “Follow me.”
Friday of the Seventh Week of Easter
“Do you love me?”
“Do I what?”
“Do you love me?”
“... For twenty-five years, I’ve washed your clothes, cooked your meals, cleaned your house, given you children, milked the cow. After twenty-five years, why talk about love right now?”
I played one of the daughters in Fiddler on the Roof when I was in eighth grade, so this song came to mind as I was reflecting on today’s Gospel. If you are familiar with the musical, you will recognize the lyrics above as a conversation between Tevye and Golde who have spent twenty-five years in an arranged marriage and apparently never talked about love.
Thursday of the Seventh Week of Easter
Today we continue to hear from Acts of the Apostles as we do throughout every Easter season. “The Gospel of the Holy Spirit” (Acts) highlights Paul’s courageous, strategic defense before the Sanhedrin, where he highlights theological divisions in order to survive. Standing alone, Paul exhibits bold faith, wisdom, and reliance on God, resulting in divine affirmation of his mission to Rome, through which Luke (author of Acts) reminds his readers that Christ is present in suffering.
Wednesday of the Seventh Week of Easter
On Mother’s Day weekend, I took time to empty my compost bins and put the rich decomposed elements of last year’s garden and assorted food scraps in my garden to nourish this year’s annual vegetables and flowers. Still rather empty, my vegetable garden and places where annual flowers will soon bloom felt full of possibility. This, even as my perennial mid-spring purple salvia, light pink dianthus, and fuchsia rugosa roses are at their peak and will soon fade. Already, I begin to anticipate the loss of these abundant flower favorites at my front door. These natural rhythms come to mind this week as we find ourselves between Ascension and Pentecost.
Tuesday of the Seventh Week of Easter
I glorified you on earth by accomplishing the work that you gave me to do.
John 17: 4
The readings in this Ascension to Pentecost time reflect on completing our life’s work, as given by God. Both Paul (Acts first reading text) and Jesus in his beautiful dialogue with his Father, are reflecting on responding to their calls and completing their work on earth. Paul’s goal was to give witness to God’s grace. Jesus speaks of glorifying God, and God’s glory being known through Him.
Monday of the Seventh Week of Easter
Today’s Gospel invites us to take courage because Jesus is triumphing, bringing good out of evil, victory out of defeat, hope out of despair. You see Easter wasn’t a single event but a reality lasting until the end of time and into eternity.
Saturday of the Sixth Week in 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 guides the Church in continuing the work 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. In one way, though, as we move through the Easter season, we reflect upon the effects of Pentecost. As you may have noticed, we’ve been moving through the Acts of the Apostles, which chronicles the earliest work of the Church in Christ’s earthly absence. In Acts, the resemblance of the apostles to Christ is striking – they preach with eloquence, perform miracles, and even lay down their lives – what a contrast to their confusion, fear and thick-headedness in the gospels!
Friday of the Sixth Week of Easter
As our youngest is about to graduate from college, I’m aware of the mix of sadness and joy. There’s a bit of sadness, even a tinge of grief, as our last one enters adulthood more fully, soon to start his adult life in a different state further from home. And of course there’s joy. There's joy at what he’s accomplished, and that he has had this wonderful opportunity, and joy that he is able to move on to greater independence – that’s been the goal all along. Yet, we will miss him, just as part of me misses those younger years for all of my children, even while being grateful for the adults they’ve become.
Feast of St. Matthias, Apostle
Happiness, pleasure and joy are terms that are often used interchangeably, but on deeper reflection I believe that they do not mean the same thing. We can be happy when we get a job promotion, experience pleasure as we enjoy a delicious meal, but joy seems to denote a much deeper quality of being. In today’s gospel, Jesus tells His disciples (and us) that He wants to give us joy and He wants us to experience this joy in its fullness (completely). What is this “joy” that Jesus is offering us, and how can we experience this joy in the midst of the many challenges, pains and sorrows of our daily living?
Wednesday of the Sixth Week of Easter
We meet Jesus and the disciples today in a threshold moment. They are at the edge of something new, anticipating change. Jesus is preparing them for his death, resurrection, and ascension into heaven. He knows their sorrow as they anticipate loss, a loss many do not understand. Jesus also knows the gift of the Holy Spirit that will come upon them. He knows how difficult it will be to move through this threshold moment in their lives. Transition is always hard. There is grief as we lose what was.
Tuesday of the Sixth Week of Easter
The two readings offered today technically don’t have an intentional connection. We are following through the adventures (misadventures in this case?) of Paul and Silas and continue to listen to Jesus’ last supper discourse in the Gospel of John. If you’re like me, the end of this Gospel is somewhat obscure, as it relates to a kind of legal justice. But what drew my attention was that Jesus is actually consoling the disciples in their grief with promise of when “the Advocate” comes. This is the title Jesus gives to the Spirit in this part of John. Advocate: helper, intercessor. And as I read Acts, it seems a wonderful example of what happens when the Spirit comes. The “helper” is first present with Paul and Silas, who despite being in an abject condition, having been beaten and now imprisoned, they pray and sing. The psalm 138 expresses both “I will sing your praise…” and “when I called you answered me, you built up strength within me.” So the Spirit is there with them in prison and then manifests itself in an earthquake that might have allowed them to escape. But they continue to pray and reassure their jailer not to despair because he’s failed in his task to keep these “criminals” secure. The Holy Spirit has broken the chains that bind and makes the jailer into someone who tends their wounds. We see in all this that the Holy Spirit turns the world upside down for good and for communion. So when we are grieving the state of the world and feel God is distant, let us recall that the Helper, the Advocate, the Holy Spirit is still at work. Expect a miracle!
—Sr. Laura M. Leming, FMI, PhD (Marianist Sister)
Monday of the Sixth Week of Easter
Early Christians, particularly Jewish believers in Jesus as the Messiah, faced increasing hostility and exclusion from synagogues, especially in the late 1st century (c. 90s AD). Known as aposynagōgos (put out of the synagogue), this separation was driven by theological disputes, especially the confession of Jesus’ messiahship, and the rise of the birkatha-minim, against heretics.
Many scholars believe the exclusion reflects the period after the destruction of the Temple (post-70 AD), as Judaism redefined itself and “Christianity” separated from it. In fact the term “Christianity” itself did not become common until towards the last decade of the first century. The first Gospel, Mark, was composed after 70.
Saturday of the Fifth Week of Easter
Today’s readings discuss both the joys and the challenges that Jesus and the early church experienced as the Good News was proclaimed. St. Paul travels to many areas where the church is growing in numbers as the Spirit directs his journey. Jesus warns that living as His disciple will not always be easy but will involve persecution and hatred because we are His. These joys and challenges continue to be lived out in our daily walk as we follow Christ. Our dependence on the Spirit of Christ is essential for us to help grow the faith.
Friday of the Fifth Week of Easter
Our gospel message today encompasses the whole point of salvation history. Jesus calls us his friends. The entirety of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the word of the Father, is summed up in the great commandment: “love one another” (Jn 15:17). Yet, we are reminded daily of just how difficult we make it to live out this calling. Friendship is an opportunity to freely choose to love someone else and care for who they are. True friendship is typically grounded in a concern on the part of each person for the best of the other, for the other’s sake; it is the embodiment of the commandment to love one another.