Can you imagine being invited to a friend’s house for dinner and, as you prepare to dig into the first dish, your friend gets up, grabs a towel, a water pitcher and basin and offers to wash your feet. What would you think and how would you feel? For the people of Jesus’ time, it was customary to have the household servant wash the dust off the feet of guests as they entered the house. It was refreshing for the guests after they had walked hot, dusty roads to their […]
Alleluia! This Easter proclamation that we repeat over and over again during the joyful Easter Season has a powerful meaning, one that we should all know and embrace. It is a combination of two Hebrew words: “hallelu” (the plural imperative of “hallel”) which means “praise” and “yah,” the first half of the Hebrew word for God, Yahweh. So, it literally means “everyone praise God!” We should praise God always because of all the good he does for us every moment of our lives. But Easter is the time for us […]
As you know, every year, we hear a different Gospel version of the Passion; this year we heard it from the Gospel of Luke. Scripture scholars call this Gospel the Gospel of Mercy since it so often depicts Jesus teaching and showing God’s mercy. Today’s passion account is filled with examples of Jesus reaching out in mercy and compassion as he is suffering his own passion. Allow me to point them out to you so we can reflect on them together.
The first example of mercy we hear in today’s […]
“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest.” (Lk 19:38). On Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion, we are called to join with our Lord, Jesus Christ, as he makes a triumphant entry into Jerusalem, and then suffers derision and mockery, scourging and finally crucifixion because he claims to be who he truly is – the Son of God – and comes to offer a new way of life. This week is, indeed, what we Christians call it: […]
Like many of the prophets before him, Jesus’ life and ministry was tied to the Temple in Jerusalem. It was there that Jesus was presented by Mary and Joseph when he was just forty days old. It was there that he held priests and scribes spellbound when he was twelve years old. It was there that he was drawn to worship and teach especially during the Jewish High Holy Days.
Today we hear of one particular visit to the Temple during the Feast of Tabernacles, the ancient Jewish feast held at […]
“Be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit.” This Saturday, Bishop Christopher Cooke confirmed 68 of our young parishioners who attend our school or PREP with the imposition of hands and anointing of the forehead. At the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday, I will confirm eight adult parishioners with the same sacramental imposition of hands and anointing of the forehead. This completed or will complete the initiation of all of these parishioners into the Church, which began at Baptism and was nurtured through the Eucharist. These three sacraments – […]
It may have slipped your mind, but we are in the midst of the Jubilee Year initiated by Pope Francis last Christmas Eve. You will recall that the theme of this Jubilee Year is “pilgrims of hope.” In the decree that announced the Jubilee Year, Pope Francis called us to be tangible signs of hope for our brothers and sisters, especially those who experience hardship of any kind. I’m sure we all know someone who could use a renewed sense of hope. The pope’s decree that inaugurated this Jubilee Year […]