Singing in the Assembly
When we come together to celebrate Eucharist we are asked to do something we are seldom (if ever) asked to do elsewhere. Some of us find it difficult or we think we are not capable. Or we think that it is something that only women (if we are men) or children (if we are adults) or professionals (if we are not) should do. Some of us don’t even think about it at all; we simply don’t ...
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The gospel story we just heard is a contrast between a true shepherd who is willing to lay down his life for his sheep and a hired hand who runs away when danger comes. It’s really not a story about shepherding sheep, which I know nothing about. It’s a story about caring for the people God has put on our life’s journey. Jesus is the good shepherd not because he talks about some abstract, idealized shepherd who lays down his ...
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Who is God For You?
Well, we are halfway through the Easter season. This is the Fourth Sunday of Easter, and four Sundays from now we will celebrate Pentecost. One of the characteristics of this season is the celebration of initiation sacraments. In our parish grouping we had an adult baptism at the Easter Vigil, and we have first communion and confirmation celebrations coming up in the next few Sundays. There is much preparation that occurs prior to the celebration of ...
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This gospel story is a story within a story within another story. The risen Jesus appears to his disciples and reassures them that he is not a ghost and that he still has a fondness, in his risen state, for a good snack of fish. It’s a continuation of the story of how Jesus appeared to two disciples on the road to Emmaus, and how he was made known to them in the breaking of the bread. Hmmm. I wonder ...
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The readings for today remind us that Jesus is our advocate. They reassure us that Jesus’ atoning sacrifice for us and for our sins extends beyond us to the whole world. In the Gospel, first Jesus said to the disciples: ” Peace be with you! ” Knowing how disturbed they were , the state of their minds, the Lord asked, ” Why are you so troubled? ” In other words, Jesus was asking them ” Can you give me reasons ...
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It’s not the Second Sunday after Easter but the Second Sunday of Easter. And only since the year 2000 has this Sunday become known as the Sunday of Divine Mercy.
In Poland, back in 1925, a 19-year-old teenage girl fled to a convent without her parents’ permission. Her name was Helena Kowalska. Three years later she professed vows as a nun and took on the name Sr. Faustina. She had powerful visions of conversations with Jesus and, of course, they thought ...
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Although nobody witnessed the actual moment Jesus rose from the tomb, Mary Magdalene was the first to witness the Risen Lord. And, as a good disciple should do, she ran and told others. Those others told others who told others who told us. That’s how we come to be here this morning. But discipleship, whether it’s Mary Magdalene’s or our own, isn’t as simple as turning on a light switch. If you’re anything like me, on the road to becoming ...
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Each of the four gospel writers tell the resurrection story from a slightly different angle. The resurrection story could be told from 100 different viewpoints, and they would all add another layer of richness. Mark’s version has three women going to the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus. They are not the first to take up the task of anointing Jesus. On Palm Sunday we heard about a woman who broke open and poured, in a lavish way, costly ...
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Faith and Knowledge
Knowledge, science, is the application of human intelligence to the empirical world. Math is just another word for intelligence. To believe in Creation is to believe that our intelligence is God-given, that there can be no conflict between Science and Creation. Science describes Creation in all its complexity. Difference is essential to the world. Otherwise, we would all be a pre-Big Bang lump. Our knowledge of our own little piece of the world does not mean that someone ...
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Your former pastor, Jeff Doucette, and I used to call Good Friday—facetiously, I might add—the great Catholic guilt day. We weren’t totally wrong as guilt often fills people when they hear that Passion reading we just heard. Even though none of us were personally there 2000 years ago yelling, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” we, nonetheless, feel at least a twinge of guilt for not being the best version of ourselves here and now. We see and hear about God’s great ...
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