There is a big leap of faith asked of Peter and the other apostles in today’s gospel story. Jesus is asking them and, by extension, us to make room for a big change in the way we think. The dominant way for all of us to avoid change in our lives—even change that helps us grow—is to go into our heads. We all do it, and we will all be doing it right up to the day we die. Human ...
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It was daunting when I realized my turn to write came on Easter Sunday. I read and studied all seven Readings from the Easter Vigil, the Exultat, the Baptismal Ceremony, the Epistles and Gospels. The “Exultat” sings in triumph, “O happy fault!” referring to the story in the Garden of Eden and the eating of the fruit of knowledge. The great Creation hymn that comprises the first reading (p. 349) is a prayerful reflection upon the knowledge given to Adam ...
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One thing we can say about all gospel stories—but especially the gospel stories we hear during Holy Week—is that they are very visual. Even if you never had the privilege of being in Jerusalem, you can easily picture the scene of Jesus riding on a donkey and the crowd waving palm branches. So, picture yourself, once again, amidst all the excitement of the voices shouting “Hosana.”
Since all gospel stories are part of the one story of salvation, allow me to ...
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Today we begin the holiest week in the Church’s calendar, aptly entitled Holy Week. Despite being seen by many Christians as such, it is not Christmas but Easter, which is the highpoint of the Church’s liturgical year. In a few days we will celebrate Triduum – Three Days that commemorate the Paschal Mystery of Jesus Christ and move us from Lent to this great season of Easter. Triduum is a three-part continuous liturgy – Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter ...
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I remember being a kid in the early 1970s and collecting hockey cards much like this Tim Horton card. I also remember playing with them until the corners were damaged and trading with them in the school yard. (Card aficionados now seal them in plastic, keep them in pristine condition, and pray they become rare and valuable). At recess you would look at another kid’s bundle of cards as he rifled through them hoping to find one you could trade ...
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In her book of essays, Wouldn’t Take Nothing for My Journey Now, author and poet Maya Angelou wrote, “I’m always amazed when people walk up to me and say, ‘I’m a Christian.’ I think, ‘Already? You already got it?’ I’m working at it…”
Possibly the most important conversion experience I have encountered personally involved coming to the realization that becoming Christian is a life-long process and while I may experience times of growth, I will never fully “have it.” I might ...
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The only thing that separates you from God is the thought that you are separated from God. It is all in your head (and mine). You cannot be separate from God. If you lived for one nanosecond separate from God, you would cease to exist. When you live in that realization, that you are connected to God by a bond that can never be broken, it always feels like surrender. But it’s a good kind of surrender. You will feel ...
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Often in our lives, we experience darkness in some way. Whether it be when the power goes out, if we drive through a tunnel, or simply pull a blanket over our heads, these are instances of literal darkness. What about those times where our darkness could be an internal struggle, such as a battle with addiction, mental health issues or simply grief and loss of a loved one? We have all been there. Rest assured that this darkness is balanced ...
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1. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
Do I fear being poor, in spirit or otherwise, and prefer to be rich in money, brains, or influence? Is my desire for poverty of spirit congruent with my lifestyle? Do I use the word of God to rationalize my lifestyle, or am I willing to have God’s word criticize it? Do I cling to my own ideas, opinions and judgments, sometimes to the point of idolatry? ...
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One of the ways sin in defined in the four gospels, is that it starts off with an inability, or a failure, to see. There is something about our seeing, when we sin, that gets screwed up right from the get go. It reminds me of a story in John’s Gospel, that we often hear during Lent, of how Jesus gets in trouble for curing a blind man on the Sabbath. The Pharisees, who value the keeping of the law ...
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