“Peace be with you.”  Three times in today’s Gospel, we hear the risen Lord assure his disciples with these comforting words: “Peace be with you.”  And, although this greeting of peace, “Shalom,” was a common expression among the Jewish people of his day – as it still is today – it had taken on a much deeper meaning for the followers of Jesus who had just gone through three days filled with anything but peace.  It made them think of our Lord’s words of encouragement to them just a few […]

Once again, Happy Easter!  It is so good to see so many of you here in person!  And, I greet, as well, those of you who, for a variety of reasons, are still joining us virtually.  As we come out of the 40-day liturgical Lenten Season, I think we can all agree that it has felt like a two yearlong Lent, ever since everything shut down in the face of the coronavirus.  Let’s pray that we don’t have to do it again.  We have all had our crosses to bear, […]

We are, once again, experiencing a great deal of turmoil in the world: the horrific war in Ukraine, the terrorist attack in the New York subway, frequent shootings right down the street in Philadelphia.  So much turmoil, death and destruction.  This turmoil offers us an insight into the turmoil in Israel in the time of Jesus, as the Jewish people struggled to survive under the oppressive rule of the Romans and the common Jew suffered from the misuse of power by many of their own leaders.  And, we need simply […]

As Christians everywhere this day flock to churches stripped of all flowers to venerate the wood of the cross, we fast and pray, mindful of the depth of God’s love for us, even to the death of his Son on a cross.  There are two questions that I would like to offer for our reflection.   First, what did we do to deserve such a loving God who gives the life of his only Son for our salvation?   And second, what can we offer him in return for this wondrous sacrifice […]

“I hope we have a nice vacation!”  Please make up your bed before you go to school.”  “I love you.”  We all know how important words are.  Among other things, they can express our hopes, give direction and relay our feelings.  But they don’t have any power by themselves.  Hoping for a nice vacation won’t guarantee it, nor will our directions to our child to make their bed.  But, when God speaks, his very word is effective.  “Let there be light,” he commands, and there was light.  “Stretch out your […]

For most of his public life, it seems that Jesus tried to hide his true identity.  While others acclaimed him as the Messiah or the Son of God, he referred to himself as the Son of Man; we heard him use that title to describe himself twice in today’s gospel.  When others tried to worship him or spread the news of his miracles, he told them to keep silent. He didn’t want their praise or publicity. Not yet. His time had not yet come and they did not understand his […]