Jesus is the Lord of the temple, the Lord of our lives.

Jesus had not only created a scene when he, literally, turned over the tables in the temple, but had been doing so since the beginning of his public ministry. Jesus had been figuratively turning the tables on the religious leadership. The conflicts between Jesus and those in charge were not subsiding but only growing, especially now that Jesus was present at the Jewish spiritual center of the temple, the very seat of God. The chief priests, the scribes, and the elders, are becoming more concerned about the teachings and actions of this itinerant preacher and believe him to be a false prophet. They approach him when he returns to the temple and ask, “By what authority are you doing these things? Or who gave you this authority to do them?” (Mark 11:28)?

Jesus, who is the Lord of the temple, “the lord of the house” (Mk 13:35), recognizes that the “servants in charge” (Mk 13:34) of the house, are not seeking the truth in this question. “The question is full of hidden irony: the stewards of the temple, whose authority is only delegated, are demanding that the Lord of the temple answer to them for his actions” (Healy, 234). Jesus deftly turns the table on them. In doing so, they reveal that they do not believe that John or Jesus are operating under the authority of God, but they fear the reaction of the people gathering around their discussion. This is the time of the Passover, and many pilgrims have come to Jerusalem to celebrate. The area is teeming with people. The last thing that the Jewish authorities want is another scene as Jesus had staged from his turning over the tables the day before. They do not want to have the Roman centurions getting involved.

The chief priests, scribes, and elders refuse to answer Jesus’ question. Jesus follows like fashion then and does not answer their original question. This episode and exchange, as with the other conflicts with Jesus leaves his challengers frustrated and angrier. They believe Jesus to be a false prophet, yet they are not willing to call him out publicly. Indecisiveness further fuels their already growing resentment. Jesus though is at rest because he knows that he is following the will of his Father and has nothing to prove.

How do we do with conflict? Are we as surefooted and confident in the love of our Father as Jesus? If not, there can be many reasons. Foundationally, we need to ask ourselves: “Are we following the will of the Father in all that we think, say, and do?” The peace that surpasses all understanding that Jesus experiences and promises comes from the assurance that our loving God and Father is with us, has our back, and supports us. We also experience rest when our conscience is clear. The challenge is to be clear in our discernment that we know the difference between God’s and our own will, as well as when our decisions are in accord with or opposed to God’s. When not, then we repent and turn back to him.

We may receive clarity, although many times we are indecisive. The answer to knowing God’s will is knowing God. We encounter and develop a better relationship with our Father as we would with any other person. Though until we develop a deeper prayer life, that is easier said than done. As many of the saints attest, the closer they grew in relationship, the more distant he appeared. This is true because Jesus invites us to go deeper, so we come to the point that we resist relying on our emotions, inspirations, and consolations, as well as our capacity to make sense of what we are asked. Jesus leads us on an eternal path that has no end, cannot be exhausted, and we are to follow without hesitation. Jesus speaks to us in the silence of our hearts. Why do we listen? Because Jesus is our Lord, the Son of God our Father.

Photo: The more time we give to Jesus in silence, the more he becomes the Lord of our lives!

Healy, Mary. The Gospel of Mark. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2008.

Link for the Mass readings for Friday, May 30, 2026

Not hangry but a holy zeal for God’s house.

Upon a first reading of today’s Gospel from Mark it appears that Jesus woke up on the wrong side of the bed. He and the disciples were heading to Jerusalem, he was hungry, so spying a fig tree in leaf, he walked up to it and when he saw that there were no figs growing, he unleashed the words, “May no one ever eat of your fruit again”(Mk 11:14)!

In the next scene, we find Jesus returning to the Temple. He witnessed the money changers in the outer court, and he began to drive out those selling and buying there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves (Mk 11:15). Good thing for the doves that Jesus only went for the seats!

There was a series of commercials which ran a while back in which a character was very hungry and acting out of sorts until they were able to eat the candy bar being promoted. Once they did so, the character transformed back into themselves. Is this what is going on with Jesus? Is he just hangry? Has his blood-glucose level taken a nosedive? Or is there something deeper going on?

Remembering that Jesus fasted for forty days in the Judean desert, I would speculate that there is something else going on. What is more likely is that Jesus is asserting his prophetic role. As with other prophets recorded in the Old Testament, like Jeremiah, who gathered the elders of the people, then smashed a potter’s flask, then shared that this is what God would do to them for being unfaithful (cf. Jeremiah 19), Jesus is most likely going with a similar hyperbolic display to make a dramatic point.

The fig tree is often a sign for Israel and is recorded as such in both Hosea and Jeremiah. When Jesus comes to the fig tree, his reaction is an expression of the unfaithfulness of Israel not so much at the fig tree. The chosen people are to be faithful to God in and out of season. When the disciples and Jesus passed by the fig tree the next morning, Peter exclaimed that the fig tree Jesus had cursed had withered to the roots. Jesus, not missing a step, mentions to his disciples that they are to: “Have faith in God” (Mk 11:22). By doing so, they will not whither and fade as those not being faithful to the covenant.

Jesus assumes his role as a prophet again when he is casting out the money changers in the temple precincts. It is no minor detail that the tables with caged doves were spared. If Jesus was going off in some kind of unabandoned rage, he would not have thought twice about turning over the tables on them as well. Jesus is making a spectacle that people would take notice. “Is it not written: My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples? But you have made it a den of thieves” (Mk 11:17).

Jesus is cleansing and restoring the Temple to its proper place as a house of prayer, but he is also showing that the temple tax that has been paid and the sacrifices that have been offered will no longer be needed. “Jesus’ actions signal the arrival of ‘that day’ prophesied by Zechariah, when the Lord would gather all the nations to worship him in Jerusalem, and ‘there shall no longer be any merchant in the house of the LORD of hosts’ (Zech 14:21)” (Healy, 227).

Jesus is foreshadowing how he will replace the brick and mortar and he himself will become the New Temple. Jesus will be scourged and crucified, he will be the sacrifice offered and the price paid for our sins. The altar will be the new table where his sacrifice will be memorialized and re-presented.

Jesus’ message at the fig tree and the cleansing of the Temple are just as important for us today. As his followers, we are to bear fruit in and out of season, this means that we are to live out his teachings in all areas of our lives, individually and in communion with one another. Jesus has given us all a gift to offer, something that no one else can or ever will quite do in the way we can. This is how we are to bear fruit. Jesus in cleansing the Temple, shows that he is the new Temple. We too are to be a part of this Temple. We are to resist the corrosive and corruptive temptations that assail us. 

May we not be transformed by the fallen tendencies of the culture, but instead transformed by the love of God and remain steadfast and true to our calling. Let us be faithful to God’s will as members of the living Temple. We are precious stones, to be polished and refined, that we might radiate the light of Christ to those in our midst.

Painting: Raymond Balze, “Jesus Chasing Merchants from the Temple”

Healy, Mary. The Gospel of Mark. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2008.

Link for the Mass readings for Friday, May 29, 2026

Jesus has come to help us to see.

Jesus said to him in reply, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man replied to him, “Master, I want to see” (Mark 10:51).

Bartimaeus offers his answer for all of us. “Master, I want see.” We may have physical sight, but we may suffer from spiritual blindness. We may see that the finite, the material, wealth, power, and fame, are promises or the answer to our security and happiness, but ultimately they do not. Pleasurable pursuits, even when good, offer happiness for a time but will in the end leave us wanting for more. Health and a lack of suffering are even more inviting. Although, we live in a finite and fallen world. Our health will be challenged at times and we will suffer.

Instead of looking without for our hope, help, and satisfaction, let us look within. Let us ask Jesus to reveal to us the false attachments and allure of the flash that has blinded us. If we ask Jesus to help us to see, he will heal our sight so that we are willing and able to see the source of our suffering and pain, where we are in need of healing, what finite things and who we may be allowing to lead us astray.

With new clarity, we will see and identify the dysfunctions we have grown accustomed to and the comfort zones we have surrounded ourselves with. Although comfortable because what we know, our growth is being stifled and our hearts constricted. Jesus will lead us to freedom. He has come close and reaches out and offers a hand with an invitation to lead us out of the chaos of our lives that we may not even be able to see.

Much like when I was 30 and first found out that I had need glasses all of my life because I have astigmatism. When I put on my new glasses, I was amazed at how clear things were, not knowing I had been compensating so much all my life. Living with spiritual blinders on is very similar. Jesus has come to lead us to experience healing and transformation. Each step will be a challenge, but the strength of Jesus’ hand will keep us steady and his light will guide us on the way to wholeness and freedom.

Photo: Blessed to return to SVDP Regional Seminary where Jesus brought wonderful people into my life to help me to begin to heal and see more clearly.

Link for the Mass readings for Thursday, May 28, 2026

May we still be willing to be amazed and afraid, in awe and wonder, of Jesus!

Some people will deny the divinity of Jesus on account of the differences between the synoptic Gospels, Matthew, Mark and Luke, which all follow a similar outline and similar accounting of the life of Jesus, and the Gospel of John, which is very different in regard to how much of the divinity of Jesus is expressed in its theological presentation. Those who would deny the divinity of Jesus following this proposal, state that the author of John is adding to Jesus that which was not there and that in the synoptic Gospels there are no accounts of the divinity of Jesus.
The assumption that there is no accounting of the divinity of Jesus in the synoptic Gospels does not present a true assessment of these texts. This view is not supported with a careful reading. The very first line of the Gospel of Mark states: “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ [the Son of God]” (Mk 1:1). This verse may often be read as merely an introductory device, and even if we drop the words the Son of God, bracketed because there are some manuscripts that do not include them, Mark was saying something very clear and very subversive when he used the word gospel. The Greek rendering of the word gospel is, euangelion, which we interpret as good news. This is still pretty much, “Ho, hum,” unless we understand the context of how euangelion was used during the time of Jesus.
This word was used by the Roman emperor who would send his emissaries to proclaim the good news throughout the empire announcing his birthday, or an imperial victory. No one else dared to use these words in a public forum as Mark is doing with the very first line of his Gospel. This was the prerogative of the emperor. Mark was covertly stating in the opening words of his Gospel that Caesar is not Lord. Jesus is.
Jesus only fourteen verses later would claim: “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel” (Mk 1:15). The kingdom of God is at hand in the presence of Jesus. This is the euangelion that we believe. The gospel, the good news, is that the Son of God has become one with us in the flesh, to dwell among us.
In today’s opening verse from Mark, we have read or heard; The disciples were on the way, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus went ahead of them. They were amazed, and those who followed were afraid (Mk 10:32). Again, this verse may be read over quickly as a literary device so we can get to the good stuff, yet again, Mark is saying a lot. We may miss the context, but the readers and hearers during his time would not have. They would have recognized that “amazed and afraid” were words used in their sacred texts to describe the reactions to God, his messengers the angels, and/or the work of God.
The Good News, proclaimed to us through the tome of salvation history, hidden in the Old and revealed in the New Testament, is that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. He is our Lord, he is our Savior and Redeemer. He became a human being, he became one with us in all things except sin, and dwelt among us. Jesus did so that we might become divinized, become God through our participation in his life. May we too, like the disciples, be amazed and afraid, in awe of the magnitude of this reality. How many times have we heard this Good News, yet have just gone about our business, as if nothing significant was said?
Let us resist the temptation to do that here. We can become so busy, so caught up in just getting through all that we have to do, that we forget what is really important and who is really important. We can take for granted those that are near to us, not out of any malice or lack of care, but just because life happens and we get caught up in doing and completing that which needs, or we think, needs to be done. May we spend some time slowing down and appreciating our life in communion with God and one another. May we fully appreciate the gift that Jesus has offered us, which is a relationship with him and his Father so that we may experience the love of the Holy Spirit. In so embracing and developing the gift of our relationship with God, we can better experience the dignity of our humanity, and hopefully begin to recognize again the same dignity that is present in each and every one of us.
Photo: Jesus was willing to give his life for us, to free us from the disfunction we know and lead us to experience the love of the Father!
Link for the Mass readings for Wednesday, May 27, 2026

With God all things are possible.

In today’s readings, we resume where we left off before Ash Wednesday interjected into the eight week of Ordinary Time. We return to the Gospel of Mark. Jesus had been teaching about the entrance into the kingdom of God as the rich man walked away sad by stating, “Children how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, than one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God” (Mk 10:24-25). The disciples were stymied, primarily because present Jewish belief held that those who had amassed wealth and riches did so because they were blessed by God. If someone who had followed the commandments of God, appeared to be blessed by God, would he or she not be a part of God’s kingdom, if not then, what was one to do?

Jesus responded to the disciples astonishment, by stating that “For human beings it is impossible.” Jesus said this because there is nothing that we can do to earn or buy our way into heaven. It is not through perseverance, dogged determination, or will power that we are saved. Our security also is not to be placed in the things of this world, our happiness and fulfillment is not to be placed in the apparent goods and glitter of the finite things that offer comfort and pleasure. For if we place our hope in the things of this world, in our own belief that we can control our own destiny, we will be building our foundation on sand. Self-sufficiency also be a dangerous slope. When we believe we can only rely on ourselves, then we carry the weight of the world on our shoulders which will be too heavy to carry.

“For human beings, it is impossible, but not for God. All things are possible for God” (Mk 10:27).

There is only one way to enter the kingdom of God. Say yes to the invitation of Jesus. The rich man refused the invitation to come and follow Jesus. He chose his possessions over the kingdom. The disciples of Jesus chose differently. Peter summed this up when he spoke up for those, who like him, did what the rich man did not: “We have given up everything and followed you” (Mk 10:28). Jesus affirmed Peter and the other disciple’s acceptance of the invitation to come and follow him, as well as to assure those who would willingly sacrifice and voluntarily give up, house, family, or land, to follow him. He insisted that they would receive back “a hundred times more in this present age… and eternal life to come” (Mk 10:30).

Jesus is not a preaching a kind of prosperity gospel or free reigning capitalism, nor is he a proponent of socialism or communism. Each of these are human socio-political, economic constructs. Jesus instead is painting a picture of the reign of God as a new family. One that exists, not of the world’s making, but of God’s design. A kingdom not of this world, though still present in it, and the good news is that all are invited to be a part. The apostles were on the way. They had indeed given up the material and familial to follow Jesus, but they, who argued among themselves regarding who was to be the greatest in God’s kingdom, still had their mental attachments and preconceived notions to let go of.

Those who are a part of the kingdom of God are not connected through bloodline, tribe, political party, or nation, wealth, honor, pleasure, or power, but are united through a transformation of their hearts and minds. The followers of Jesus become brothers and sisters. They care for one another, provide hospitality, charity, support, access, means, and encouragement. Together, they meet the challenges and persecutions that come from those who oppose the kingdom.

Jesus offers us the same invitation that he offered the rich man and his disciples; to follow him by letting go of that which distracts, diverts, and binds us from giving our life more fully over to him and building up his kingdom. It is helpful to assess our lives. Where are our pursuits disordered from God’s will, how are our minds and spirits distorted, and where does pride and self reliance hold primacy over God? Where can we let go, be less attached, and surrender to and trust in God’s will for our lives? The solid and true foundation we will build is in developing our relationship with Jesus and his Father. Upon this foundation let us stand and allow the love of the Holy Spirit to burn. What is not of God will burn away, what remains is of God.

Photo: Choosing to keep our eyes on Jesus, he will guide us through any storm, external or internal!

Link for the Mass readings for Tuesday, May 26, 2026

Happy 30th Anniversary!!!

A parishioner came up to me after the morning Mass and shared with me that JoAnn told her yesterday to tell me: “I am proud of you and I love you.” She was not able to get to me yesterday, and shared the message with me after Mass this morning. Which is more appropriate as today JoAnn and I would have celebrated our 30th anniversary. Two random events? Coincidence? No. To me God-incidence!

Albert Einstein said, “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” I choose the “everything is a miracle” approach, as well as the St. Thérèse of Lisieux principle, “All is grace.” All is indeed grace filled when we turn to Jesus with our sorrow, anxiety, insecurities, and uncertainties. God truly will bring about a greater good, may not appear to be so in the moment, but over time, yes.

I still miss JoAnn and not sharing our daily lives together, but in this last year I had felt her closer since she died. I am blessed by the twenty-three years we shared together and a better priest because of the ups and downs, challenges and celebrations, and above all the love we shared. Our relationship helped us both to begin the path of healing and moving beyond the safety of the disfunction we knew, to trust in the freedom with God we didn’t know but were growing into.

Healing continues, we are all a work in progress. As we learn to breathe, be still, receive and abide in God’s love, we heal a little more, are transformed a little more, we become a little more human, and remember who we are as God’s beloved daughter or son. Happy Anniversary to my heart and my love.

Picture on my desk and on my phone. Blessed to see JoAnn’s smile everyday which seems to be getting bigger and more radiant.

Mary, Mother of the Church, our mother, pray for us now, and at the hour of our death!

Today’s memorial, Mary the Mother of the Church, began with the decree released on February 11, 2018, by Cardinal Robert Sarah while he was still the head of the Congregation of Divine Worship. Pope Francis called for the Church to celebrate this memorial on the Monday after Pentecost. Not only is Mary the Mother of Jesus, but since we as the People of God participate in the life of Jesus as members of the Body of Christ, she is our mother too.

The New Testament records time and again how Mary reveals by word and action that she is the model of discipleship.

Mary answered Gabriel’s request to conceive and bear Jesus, with her response, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word” (Lk 1:38). Mary then went with haste to share the good news with Elizabeth and to assist her in her pregnancy of John the Baptist. Mary, after the birth of Jesus, is visited by the shepherds and upon hearing their news from the angelic host, she “kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart” (Lk 2:19). Mary and Joseph cared for, protected, and guided Jesus in the Jewish faith as he matured and grew into a young man.

Mary was also present at the beginning of his ministry when she said to the servants at the wedding at Cana, “Do whatever he tells you” (Jn 2:5). Mary was also present at the crucifixion, as recorded in today’s reading from the Gospel of John: When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home (Jn 19:26-27). Mary was pierced with sorrow when the centurion’s lance was thrust through the side of Jesus, her son, as blood and water flowed. Mary was then present as the Church was birthed at Pentecost during the coming of the Holy Spirit (cf. Acts 1:14).

Mary is the mother of Jesus, the Mother of the Church, and so she is also our mother. We do not worship Mary but seek her intercession and guidance as we might our own earthly mothers. We also look to her as a model for living as disciples of Jesus. We too are to ponder the wonders and mysteries of God working in our lives. As with Mary, who stood at the foot of the cross, may we too not run from suffering but embrace it so that we also can then receive her son, Jesus, whose arms are wide open to receive us in the midst of our pain, so that he may bestow upon us his consolation, comfort, and healing.

Mary too could have run, could have turned away from the excruciating agony of watching her son die such a humiliating and horrific death. Did the words of Simeon prepare her, “and you yourself a sword shall pierce” (Luke 2:35)? Mary not only saw and experienced the piercing of the lance right into his heart, but she experienced the persecutions and criticisms of religious leadership as well as their own home town folk turning on Jesus. Mary did not run, she remained steadfast by her son’s side.

Mary, who it appeared that Jesus was denouncing when he said, “Who is my mother?” lived out Jesus’ directive better than anyone: “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it” (Luke 8:21). Mary did just that! May she lead us to do the same. As we are faced with challenges, may we ponder with Mary the options that God is offering us, when facing anxiety and fear, may we allow Mary to embrace and encourage us, and when we experience grief and sorrow, may Mary help us to remember, Jesus conquered death and has the final answer. May we do whatever Jesus tells us to do to make his Church relevant and vibrant in our time.

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Photo: May we, as did John, receive Jesus’ invitation to receive Mary as our mother and take her into our home.

Link for the Mass readings for Monday, May 25, 2026

Veni, Sancti Spiritus – Come, Holy Spirit!

There is a list of seven deadly or capital sins. They are pride, lust, greed, envy, wrath, gluttony and sloth or acedia. Acedia may be the least recognized on the list but it is one of the most dangerous, because it is the most subtle. If it is recognized at all, it is often compared to laziness, but that does not quite grasp the depth of it. The word, from its literal meaning, means a lack of care. This can manifest in our life as cynicism, finding no meaning, an unhealthy minimalist approach of just doing what I have to, to survive, a resistance to discipline, a disengagement with the world around us, and ultimately a “lack of care given to one’s own spiritual life, a lack of concern for one’s own salvation” (Nault 2015, 28).

Marc Cardinal Ouellet, in his foreword to Jean-Charles Nault’s, The Noonday Devil, describes the affects of acedia on us today: “Left to his own devices, man ultimately despairs of ever being able to find a meaning for his existence and runs the risk of sinking into mediocrity that is just the symptom of his rejection of his own greatness as an adopted son [and daughter] of God” (Nault, 2015, 11).

Feeling the struggle of just getting by, feeling tired, worn down and worn out, getting caught up in a chronic cycle of stress can lead us to just going through the motions. The possibility of accessing our potential and striving for more in our lives is calling but even if we hear, we may wonder if we can ever fully do any better. We can deny the very gift of our humanity, retreat into a stance that accepts the unthinkable, as long as it does not directly affect us. We grow in our indifference toward our own needs as well as the needs of others. Our hearts become constricted when we listen to the father of lies instead of our Father in heaven.

Today, we celebrate the power to counteract acedia as well as all those temptations that grasp at our throat seeking to choke out the divine life that seeks to manifest within us. Today, we celebrate the feast of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came upon Mary and the Apostles to empower them with divine Love.

From our Gospel reading today we read how: The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you” (Jn 20:21). Jesus, who embraced our humanity, took upon himself our sin on the Cross, then conquered death, rose again, and freed us from our slavery to sin. The Risen One comes to us as he came to his disciples in the locked room and invites us to participate in his divine life, to share in the love he shares with the Father, who is the Holy Spirit. So when the temptations of sin arise in our mind and heart, we are to, in the words of St Benedict of Nursia, “dash them against Christ immediately” (Nault, 2015, 41).

The Holy Spirit prompts us through prayers, songs, and words of Scripture, and simple nudges in our everyday moments to counteract the lies and temptations that seek to lure us away from the invitation to grow in our relationship with Jesus, ourselves, and each other. One simple but powerful prayer to use is reciting the words from Psalm 70:2 “God, come to my assistance. Lord make haste to help me.” Another is “Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of the faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created and you shall renew the face of the earth.” Just saying, Veni, Sancte Spiritus, or its English equivalent, Come, Holy Spirit, reciting the Jesus Prayer or simply the words, Come, Lord Jesus, and/or spontaneous words are all ways to immediately turn away from the temptations that arise and draw on the infinite power and love of God.

We are like diamonds in the ruff. We are unique and special gifts to this world, though wounded and marred by our own and the sins of others. We may feel adrift, without direction; we may feel cynical and without hope; we may feel beaten, worn out and worn down; we may feel anxious and afraid, but let us not despair or lose our ability to care, let us realize that we are not overcome or outdone. We may be wounded, have been hurt deeply, or sinned horribly but we are not defined or set in stone.

Today, on the Solemnity of Pentecost, the birthday of the Church, let us call on the same Holy Spirit that empowered Mary and the Apostles to give us the guidance and strength from our God and Father who loves us and desires for us the full actualization of who we are and who he calls us to be.

God does not want us to settle for anything less. God urges us to call on the name of his Son, Jesus, who will break the bonds of our enslavement to sin, and through our participation in his life become empowered by the Holy Spirit and be free to live the life we have been created for; a life of meaning, fulfillment, joy, love, consolation, and unity with God and one another.

Holy Spirit, please set us aflame with the fire of your love and burn off the dross of our sin so that we may be precious stones radiating your light and love in such a way that we keep our tongues from evil and our lips from speaking deceit, that we turn aside from evil and do good, that we seek and strive after the peace of God, that peace that surpasses all understanding. Lead us with your love to know the Father and his will for our lives. Help us to bear the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, understanding, and self-control.

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Photo: Veni Sancte Spiritus! Come Holy Spirit!

Nault, O.S.B., Jean-Charles. The Noonday Devil: Acedia Unnamed Evil of Our Times. San Francisco: Ignatius, 2015. If you are looking for a transformative book for summer reading, I highly recommend it!

Link for the Mass readings for Sunday, May 24, 2026

Perfect as his Heavenly Father? When we trust Jesus, yes, he will take us to new heights!

How many times have we looked to others instead of staying focused on what we need to do or be doing? How many times do we compare ourselves, assessing what we or others have or don’t have, how others are more or less confident, more or less better looking, more or less intelligent, how others lives are altogether or a catastrophe, and even, how our faith life is worse or better?

We get a taste of these questions and what our response ought to be from Jesus in today’s Gospel. The background of today’s reading is a continuation from yesterday’s, in which the author described how Jesus forgave Peter for denying him by asking him not only if Peter loved him, but how he was to put that love into action by feeding his lambs, taking care of and feeding his sheep. Jesus also had just let Peter know that Peter was going to die in his service to him.

Today, we read that upon hearing the news of his eventual death, that Peter shifts the direction away from himself.  When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about him?” Jesus said to him, “What if I want him to remain until I come? What concern is it of yours? You follow me” (Jn 21:21-22). Jesus does not definitively say what is or is not going to happen to the beloved disciple. Jesus is clear with Peter that his focus is not to be on what is going to happen to the beloved or any other disciple, but to direct his attention to following him and his will.

Our orientation as disciples of Jesus is to follow Jesus, to focus on his will for our lives and to expend our energy in such a way that promotes his will. We are to slowly transform each thought, word, and action such that each is to be aligned with God’s will. A good way to start that change is to spend less time comparing ourselves to others. The temptation to compare is a slippery slope that can lead us to the devastating sins of gossip, pride, and envy. If we are to compare ourselves to anyone, let it be to Jesus.

Jesus calls us to be perfect as his heavenly Father is perfect, which is an impossible task if we seek to go it alone. Yet, we can become perfected through our participation in the life of Jesus the Christ. We begin when we ask for Jesus to help us make a commitment to resist the temptation to compare ourselves to others. Then when the first instant of a comparative thought arises, we can replace it with a prayer of blessing directed toward another and follow up with some pondering about what we are grateful for.

Moment by moment, we just need to remember that we are not alone, that we walk with Jesus. One thought, one action, one interaction at a time, we are called to surrender our will to the love of God. By taking these steps to counter the influences of a focus on self first as well as resist the comparative and/or seeking to follow a cult of personality, we can begin to shift the momentum away from increasing divisiveness, defensiveness, and mistrust, and instead strive toward supporting, encouraging, and uplifting one another.

As we allow Jesus to love us in places we feel unlovable, our thoughts, prayers, and actions will change. We will become more understanding, patient, willing to engage in conflict resolution, and dialogue. To allow Jesus to love and forgive us, and take the time to savor and experience both, helps us to begin to lessen the intensity of fear, prejudice, biases, and chronic stress. As we are able to then experience his peace, let our shoulders come out of our ears, we become less defensive and willing to see each other through God’s eyes, as beloved daughters and sons with whom he is well pleased.

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Photo: When we follow Jesus where he leads, we will be able to rise above our sins, wounds, and resistance because when we trust in Jesus forgiveness, healing, and reconciliation is possible.

Link for the Mass readings for Saturday, May 23, 2026

Jesus gently reveals to us where we have missed the mark, and invites us to begin again.

When we spend time reading the Gospels, we will encounter in them that the God of Jesus Christ is a God of justice, yes, but a justice that is tempered with mercy and love, a restorative justice, not a punitive justice. God invites us to be in communion with him and one another, and to answer that call requires a transformation, a change of heart and mind. Jesus meets people where they are, accepts them as they are, while at the same time holding a mirror up to them to show how what they are doing is keeping them from the very reality of communion with his Father that they seek.

One example can be seen when Jesus encountered the Samaritan woman at the well and he asked her for a drink. What followed from that simple, while at the same time profound request, led to her humble confession that she did not have a husband to which Jesus responded: “You are right in saying, ‘I do not have a husband.’ For you have had five husbands, and the one now is not your husband. What you have said is true.” Jesus spoke to a woman and a Samaritan in public, two things that were not done in his time as it was against societal norms.

Jesus recognized the distinction, but saw instead and foremost, a human being, a woman isolated, possibly being ostracized from her own community, for who else would come by themselves to fetch water in the full heat of the day? What he shared with her was respect, as he spoke to her as a person. Because of her honesty, humility, and courage, what transpired over the course of the conversation was not only her transformation but the redemption of her and her whole community. This transpired because, with joy and courage, she proclaimed the Good News even to those that had kept her at arm’s leg, and on the margins (cf. Jn 4:1-12).

Another encounter happened with Saul who was present and oversaw the stoning of St Stephen and continued his zealous persecution of the followers of Jesus. On the road to Damascus, Saul encountered the risen Jesus, who met him with the words: “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me” (Acts 9:4)? Again, as with the woman at the well, Jesus greeted Saul with a simple but profound question which had a tremendous effect on him. Saul was transformed from a persecutor of the Way to a follower of the Word. He would not only change his name to Paul and proclaim the Gospel to a community but to the Mediterranean world.

In today’s Gospel, Peter, who had betrayed Jesus three times, encountered Jesus who also posed a question, but this time asking it three times: “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” (cf. Jn 21:15-19). With these simple questions and Peter’s affirmative responses of yes, Jesus forgave Peter for betraying him. Peter went forward to proclaim boldly the life of Jesus at the feast of Pentecost, and three thousand were moved by his words and sought to become part of the Way of Jesus.

Jesus encountered the Samaritan woman, Paul, and Peter, and met each of them, not with condemnation, but with love and mercy. He met them on their level and then offered them a look in the mirror by asking a simple question. Jesus sought to draw them out of their own false senses of self and sin, and into the love of God. Jesus provided another way. Each person answered with truth and humility, and willingly looked at their life, turned away from what Jesus revealed and accepted his invitation to change their hearts and minds.

The justice of God is not about condemnation and shame, about rubbing our noses in our own mistakes and misjudgments. Yet, if we choose our own sin over the love of God’s healing transformation, it may feel punitive, because God will allow us to feel the effects of our decisions. God gives us another choice. He has sent his Son to show us the path of love, forgiveness, and reconciliation. Jesus echoes Hosea 6:6 when he is recorded as saying, “‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice’. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners” (Mt 9:13). Jesus comes to us, as he came to the Samaritan woman, Paul, and Peter.

As we make some time for prayer, enter into any of these biblical accounts, and spend some time in silence today, let us allow ourselves to see Jesus approaching us or sitting with us. What simple, yet transformative question does he ask that reveals in what way or areas we are keeping God distant? In what way(s) do we need to change our hearts and minds? When we choose to leave behind our false self, our pride, and our ego, and instead respond with humility and contrition, true sorrow for our sins, as did the Samaritan woman, Paul, and Peter, we will be healed, transformed, and empowered to go forth to share the Good News of the love and mercy we have experienced with God.

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Photo: Each breath, each moment, each temptation, is an opportunity to choose to follow Jesus and a new beginning.

Link for the Mass readings for Friday, May 22, 2026