I hope you have all been enjoying this lovely weather this weekend.  I imagine some of you have been out in your yards and gardens sprucing everything up.  I invite you to picture the master gardener, whistling, wearing a floppy hat, pruning shears in hand, smiling as he cleans up his garden, snipping away the dead branches on all the vegetation he has so carefully planted in his garden.  God is at work.  From the moment God placed Adam and Eve in his garden, he has been pruning his most […]

It’s hard to believe that our current pope, Francis, has been pope for eight years already.  I thought of that earlier this week when I happened to drive past the Malvern Retreat House because I had been there with some 200 fellow priests for our annual priests workshop eight years ago and we had all crowded around a television that been set up because the consistory was taking place – the election of the next pope – and news had just broken of the white smoke, indicating that the pope […]

“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 remember our Lord’s words of encouragement to them just a few days […]

Once again, Happy Easter!  How different today is from Easter last year!  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 yearlong Lent, ever since everything shut down in the face of the coronavirus last March.  We have all had our crosses to bear, struggling […]

“Alleluia!”  We’ve already sung it several times and now I can say it: Alleluia!  We haven’t heard this word for the entire season of Lent but this evening we can shout out “alleluia!” which – as I’m sure you all know – means “Praise God!”  We can, indeed, praise God because he has saved us through his son.  He has saved us from darkness and fear, from sin and death.  And, we can all really embrace this saving work as we continue to struggle in the face of the ongoing […]

As we all slowly and carefully emerge from this yearlong coronavirus pandemic, I’m really looking forward to getting together with my family for Easter.  Due to our age or jobs, all of the adults have been vaccinated so we’re finally feeling safe to gather around the dinner table, once again.  I imagine that more and more of you are able to safely do this, as well.  This year of social distancing has driven home the importance of real flesh and blood contact, and reminded us how much we cherish sharing […]

You know this is a special Sunday when we have two gospels.  And, you can’t help but notice how different our two Gospel passages are in tone and sentiment.  We began with Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem to the adulation of the crowd, and followed it with Mark’s account of his passion, at the hands of that same crowd.

As Jesus enters Jerusalem, he is at first the focus of Israel’s deepest hopes and dreams.  Frenzied crowds shout with pleading and joy – Hosanna – which means both, “save us, we […]

“See, I am now establishing my covenant with you and your descendants after you.”  Do you remember that declaration we heard from God on the first Sunday of Lent?  I don’t know about you, but this Lent has gone very quickly for me.  It’s hard to believe that next Sunday will already be Palm Sunday!  And, the readings have presented us with a consistent theme throughout these five weeks of Lent; it’s the theme of “covenant” – I hope you’ve noticed it.  It’s very important to our understanding of God […]

Have you noticed them?  The crocuses and daffodils that are beginning to break through the soil and some are even blooming, the rhododendron buds that are starting to bulge, the hint of green in the weeping willows – all of nature is getting ready to delight us, once again, with a glorious spring.  As I mentioned at the beginning of our celebration this morning, on this, the Fourth Sunday of Lent, we are invited to rejoice.  This Sunday has been traditionally known as Laetare Sunday, taken from the entrance antiphon […]