News RSS Feed

"The Quality of Our Witness" - Our witnessing to Christ is so pale, so low-keyed – to put it mildly! In saying this, the idea is not that we should go looking for ways to make ourselves really obnoxious, to bring on the desired persecution that would make us more like the kind of witnesses Jesus speaks of in today’s Gospel reading.

“I Stand at the Door and Knock” - It may well be said that all of Christ’s teachings and everything he did as well as all the teachings of the prophets, the Psalms and all of Scripture, finally, may be summed up in this passage from John 15 where the Lord gives his final “commandment.” “Love one another as I have loved you.”

"Ode to Joy" - I'm eating spiritual humble pie today. I am inclined to be a bit suspicious of testimonials of answered prayer that come in the packaging of 'flipping through the pages of the Bible, using a finger as the Finger of God to land on just the right verse for the circumstance.'

“Remain in me, as I remain in you, says the Lord; whoever remains in me will bear much fruit.” –John 15 - In our first reading today, we eavesdrop on a community discussion of the necessity of circumcision in order for non-Jew men to become Christians.

“My Peace Is My Gift to You.” - “I do not give it to you as the world gives peace.” - What I think Jesus is talking about is clearer when viewed through the lens of the Resurrection.

"Bridges, Not Walls" - In our society, it’s not very likely that anyone will go so far as to worship a missionary or preacher. The time of the Acts of the Apostles was quite different. After the cure of the crippled man in today’s reading from Acts, the local people thought that Paul and Barnabas were gods “come down to us in human form” (Acts 14: 11).

“Do Not Let Your Hearts Be Troubled” - Yet Jesus tells them not to let their hearts to be troubled. I find this to be one of the Lord’s most compelling statements. He seems to be saying that whenever we are troubled, whenever we are upset or disturbed, it is we who have somehow allowed that to happen.

“God’s time is not our time” - The very phrase “God’s time,” is an oxymoron because God by definition is outside of time. God is quite literally in eternity, eternal, beyond any concept of time; However, since God created time, now from our perspective, we speak of God as working in time as well.

“I am the light of the world, says the Lord; Whoever follows me will have the light of life.” –Jn. 8. Recently at the Easter Vigil, we witnessed the lighting of the Paschal Candle.  Then one by one we gave the light to each other.  That sacred gesture represents our sharing of the light of Jesus in an interpersonal relationship.

“… And the Sheep Follow Him Because They Recognize His Voice.” - In Jesus’ time it was common for shepherds to share a common corral for their flocks of sheep. Each morning each would lead his flock out to pasture, calling out to them. Only his sheep would recognize his particular voice and follow him out of the corral.

"Celebrating Life" - Most of us have heard the phrase “a celebration of life.” It is certainly an apt description of what being a follower of Jesus is all about. Both Scripture readings today end on this note.

“Who are you, Lord?” - The conversion of St. Paul, as today’s reading from Acts is referred to, marks a pivotal point in the Church’s history. Several things leap out at once.

"Real Presence" - Our readings from the Lectionary today are perfectly paired as a theological tutorial on the sacramental understanding of Real Presence.  How appropriate to find them in this season of Eastertide, where we continue to marvel at the Christ-resurrected presence in our midst.

“I will not reject anyone who comes to me.”— (John 6:37) - If we ever have any doubt that God loves us unconditionally, the two Scripture readings today should prove us wrong. Saul blazes a trail through Jerusalem and its environs in an effort to imprison anyone who preaches Jesus Christ. Later in the Acts of the Apostles, we read of Saul’s conversion.

“I Am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” - The gospel passage on today’s feast of the apostles Sts. Philip and James is John 14:6-14. Jesus speaks these well-known words (Jn. 14: 6) to His apostles in the context of the Last Supper. Jesus has just said that He goes ahead to prepare a place for them, “so that where I am, there you may be also.”

"Why We Come to God" - The exchange between Jesus and the crowd in today’s Gospel reading (John 6:22-29) should raise questions for all of us about what we expect from God, from Christ, from religion or from faith. “Amen, amen” he says to them, “you are looking for me not because you saw signs but because you ate the loaves and were filled.”

"I Am the Bread of Life" - Today we hear only of the signature miracle of the Lord’s that presages all that Jesus will say about, “The food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.” The feeding of the five thousand is the only miracle of the Lord’s that is witnessed by all four Gospel accounts. (Photo from "The Passion of the Christ")

“We are witnesses of these things, as is the Holy Spirit…” - (Acts 5:32) - One of my favorite sayings of Jesus comes from the Gospel according to St. John: “And the Truth will set you free” (John 8:32). One of my least favorite sayings of Jesus is also: “And the Truth will set you free.” You might look at those two sentences and say: “How can this be?”

“I sought the Lord and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears—Ps. 34.” - It seems that every day we hear or read about negative dark news: continuing war for survival in Ukraine; people struggling for life at our borders; tornados, snowstorms and floods that destroy lives and homes; people shooting up neighborhoods and shopping malls. Among all this horror, where is our risen Jesus?

“So Must the Son of Man Be Lifted Up” - On one level, Jesus is comparing Himself to the serpent on the pole that Moses lifted up during the sojourn of the Jews in the desert. This was to save them from an attack by serpents as a result of their infidelity to the Covenant struck with God at Sinai.