So, why were Peter and Paul so passionate about continuing the hard and dangerous work that Jesus had begun? Why would they risk life and limb and dare to walk into the lion’s den – that is, go to Rome – with such boldness? What motivated them to give up everything and go on this mission that would ultimately lead to their death – Peter by crucifixion, upside down, at that – and Paul by being beheaded?
To grasp the depth of their passion, we need to look at their […]
FEAST OF SAINTS PETER AND PAUL
“You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church. …I give to you the keys to the kingdom of heaven” (Mt. 16:18a, 19). With these proclamations, Jesus indicates both that there will be a church and that Peter will be its foundation as Jesus returns to his heavenly Father.
The New Testament clearly shows St. Peter as the leader of the apostles. Jesus chooses him to have a special relationship with him. He was the first one whom Jesus called to […]
We just heard the well-known account of Jesus feeding five thousand men and who knows how many women and children. After teaching them, he takes five loaves of bread and two fish, blesses them, breaks them and gives them to the disciples to set before the crowd. Having filled their minds and hearts with his teachings, he fills their stomachs before sending them home – with leftovers. We learn in this powerful event that our God is a God of compassion and provision. He will always take care of us […]
“Jesus said to the crowds: ‘I am the living bread come down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.’” (Jn. 6:51). Last week, we explored the central mystery of the Church as we celebrated the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. Today, we celebrate another important mystery of our faith: the transubstantiation of bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ as we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy […]
“In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” This is how we Christians begin all our prayers because we believe in and worship a triune God. But, what do we actually mean when we say that God is a Trinity? As we celebrate Trinity Sunday, allow me to offer some reflections on this very important mystery of our faith.
First of all, it is important to realize we are dealing with a mystery, a reality that is well beyond our total understanding, just as […]
Before ascending into heaven, Jesus told his disciples to remain in Jerusalem and await the coming of the Holy Spirit. We heard that on Ascension Thursday just ten days ago. The disciples did this, and in today’s first reading we hear an account of that powerful day when the Holy Spirit descended upon them. With a noise like a strong driving wind, and tongues as of fire that came from the sky, the Holy Spirit transformed the disciples and gave birth to the Church. This is such an important moment […]
I hope you had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend and you had time with family and friends. Mine was particularly precious since I was able to spend some time with my brother and sister-in-law who were visiting from California. They were here to celebrate with their oldest granddaughter – my oldest great niece – as she graduated from college. We are all proud of her as she fulfilled her goal of working at the Smithsonian Institute and aiding in the conservation of endangered species throughout our country. I also enjoyed […]