Saying goodbye to loved ones is often very hard.  This is especially true when that goodbye may be a final one.  St. John has several chapters in his Gospel dedicated to Jesus saying goodbye to his disciples just before his passion and death on the cross.  As we have over the past two Sundays, we hear again in today’s Gospel a portion of that final discourse, and it summarizes his teaching while also expressing his concern that they be prepared for his absence.  Jesus’ aim is to convince the disciples […]

We all know that Jesus speaks of himself as the Good Shepherd.  We hear him do it again in today’s Gospel.  But, what do you know about shepherding sheep?  If you’re like me, probably very little.  One of the interesting things to know about shepherding sheep, as opposed to herding cattle, is that, unlike cattle, who are best moved along from behind, sheep prefer to be led.  And, in our Lord’s time, almost all families had a little flock of sheep, along with a plot of land where they would […]

SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER

Shalom: peace be with you!  This greeting appears three times in today’s Gospel.  When Jesus offered his peace to his frightened disciples, he was not just offering a pleasantry; he was offering his mercy.  You will recall that the English word “mercy” derives from the Latin word “misericordia.”  The second half of that word – “cordia” sounds familiar, doesn’t it?  Our English word – “cardiac” – comes from that word, speaking of things pertaining to the heart.  But, when we think of heart, besides that vital organ, […]

Alleluia!  Do you know what that word means?  We have purposely avoided using it throughout Lent and now we proclaim it over and over again.  As you will read in my Parish Bulletin article, it’s 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!”  And, indeed, we praise God in a special way today as we gather on this Easter Sunday to celebrate […]

After the journey of Lent, after walking with Christ through this Holy Week, tonight we gather, enveloped in light and music, to celebrate that we do not have to be afraid. He has been raised just as he said – Alleluia!

Our Scripture readings tonight are a journey through salvation history. In every reading, we hear more details, we gain more insight into this God of might who created all things and who looked at us and found us very good. We are reminded of God’s power as he frees […]

Last night, all observant Jews around the world began their annual Passover celebration.  For us, however, tonight begins the Passover of the Lord.  Holy Thursday is act one in the three-part drama that is the Paschal Mystery, the central mystery of our faith.  The Passover is a central theme in the readings for this evening’s Mass of the Lord’s Supper.  In our first reading, we heard the instructions that God gave to Moses and Aaron regarding the first Passover meal, which included the slaughter of a spotless lamb for each […]

Today’s readings challenge us every day because we can recognize ourselves in so many of those involved in the events that we hear today.  We sometimes find ourselves to be as fickle as the crowd in today’s gospel passages who, in one moment, joyously welcome Jesus to the holy city of Jerusalem like a king with palm branches waving and chanting words forever enshrined in our Eucharistic celebrations – Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord – and then, at another moment condemn Jesus to a […]

“O my people, I will open your graves and have you rise from them. …Then you shall know that I am the Lord.”  “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me will live.”  Our readings today go straight to the heart of our Christian faith.  They speak of death, and new life in Christ.  We hear it promised in the first reading from the prophet Ezekiel and we hear about it actually happening in today’s powerful Gospel account.  In a world where we spend hundreds of millions […]

Throughout Salvation History, we find God acting in unusual ways, calling us to rethink our priorities and expectations as he works to lead us back to himself.  Today’s readings give us good examples of this.  We begin about 1,000 years before the time of Jesus with God’s surprising choice of the boy David to be Israel’s king.  In a society that prized the firstborn, warriors and wise men, Samuel had to accept God’s unusual choice of the last of Jesse’s sons – a mere shepherd – to be anointed as […]

“Is the Lord in our midst or not?”  What a question to ask after God had freed them from their slavery to the Egyptians and led them through the Red Sea to escape the Egyptian army.  And yet, just a month later, we hear the Israelites grumble:  “Is the Lord in our midst or not?”

As much as we may be tempted to look back on the Israelites and wonder at their doubt in our first reading, if any of us have ever been truly thirsty, we will be moved to […]