faith

Let us believe in the one whom God sent.

One of the best ways to celebrate the Easter Season is to continue to conform our lives to the one who gave his life for us that we may experience and be engaged in our life to the full. We can accomplish this better by putting into practice what we read in the Gospels as well as being open to encountering God in our daily experiences and one another.

Today’s Gospel reading continues after Jesus not only fed the 5,000 but also after he had walked across the Sea of Galilee and guided his disciples safely to the shore. When the crowd caught up to, found, and gathered around Jesus, he continued to teach them, guiding them to “not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.” The people asked him what they could, “do to accomplish the works of God?” Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent” (cf: Jn 6:27-29).

The people asked Jesus what they were to do to accomplish the work of God, and he said to believe in the one he sent. The response of Jesus may not appear to fit the request. But to believe is not passive. Belief is to be followed by action. If we say that we believe in Jesus, do we pray with him, do we worship him independently and in communion with fellow believers, do we sing songs praising him, do we serve him through the giving of ourselves to one another by practicing the corporal and spiritual works of mercy?

When we experience setbacks, interruptions, conflicts, or are weighed down by tribulations, do we turn to cursing and yelling or turn instead to Jesus for guidance and direction? By the way, yelling or expressing our anger at Jesus is turning to him in honest prayer instead of turning our back on him. We are honestly letting him know how we feel. The key is to vent, but then let it go, and not stay there.

Do we turn within ourselves or only surround ourselves with those of like mind, color, political and/or religious views, and make others into scapegoats, or do we embrace the richness, uniqueness, and diversity of God’s people, open ourselves to dialogue, and new possibilities? When life goes well, do we thank God for the wonderful things that happen? Where are we spending our time, talent, and treasure?

Answering these questions is a good way to assess what and in who we truly believe. If our diagnosis today is that we are not as faithful as we would like, we don’t believe as much as we thought we did, that is not an invitation to beat ourselves up. It is a gift to begin again, to take a spoonful of belief in Jesus, spend a few silent minutes with him, begin the journey from our head to our heart, and put into practice one small thing today in his name with great love.
——————————————————-
Photo: Jesus is the One whom God sent to die and conquer death that we might have life and have it to the full. Good Friday sunrise at Our Lady Of Florida Spiritual Center, North Palm Beach, FL.

Link for the Mass readings for Monday, April 15, 2024

Our healing begins when we are willing to receive the embrace of Jesus.

A ghost is a disembodied spirit or an apparition. Jesus is no ghost, though when he appears to his disciples they believe him to be just that. Jesus then tells them: “Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you can see I have” (Lk 24:39). He also then requested from them something to eat, and Jesus received and ate the baked fish he was given.

Jesus, in showing the wounds on his hands and feet and in eating of the fish, revealed to his disciples that his resurrection is a bodily one. Jesus was not a disembodied spirit. Nor was he a mere apparition or hallucination. Jesus, was not resuscitated, just to die again. Jesus has conquered death and is risen from the dead. Jesus then proceeded, as he had done with Cleopas and the other disciple on the road to Emmaus, to share with those present how he is the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets by opening the scriptures for them.

Jesus not only revealed himself as having risen from the dead and shared that he was the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets, he embodied forgiveness. Though the disciples had betrayed him, and carried the weight of shame upon their shoulders for their lack of courage, the first words Jesus spoke were not words of condemnation but forgiveness: “Peace be with you” (Lk 24:36). In the showing of his wounds, the disciples were certainly reminded of what Jesus had gone through, his suffering and crucifixion. Could those wounds have also mirrored their own betrayal of him, their internal wounds, as well their own need for healing and repentance? Jesus did not bring up any of their past failures. He instead offered them peace.

All of us have been wounded in some way and have experienced trauma brought on by the myriad ways we have been exposed to the fallen nature of humanity. Jesus invites us to stop running from the fear of facing our hurts and the roots of our suffering and to instead kneel before him. He offers us his hands held out to us. May we gaze upon and ponder his wounds still present from the nails and come to a deeper appreciation of the suffering he endured for us.

Jesus invites us next to look up into his face, the face of the one who conquered death and rose again. Resist turning away from the smile that radiates his unconditional love. May we allow ourselves to lose ourselves in the eyes of his acceptance, that offer each and every one of us the realization that Jesus loves us in this moment just as we are.

Then listen, receive, and abide in the words he speaks, “Peace be with you.” In those words of invitation, may all our fears, anxieties, and hurts melt away. May we die to our pride and arise, allowing ourselves to be embraced by Jesus, embraced by his love, so to receive and abide in his love which is the foretaste of eternity. In the arms of Jesus, let our healing begin.

Pencil drawing: Kathryn J. Brown, 1982, hanging on my seminary room wall. Spend some time to rest in Jesus’ embrace this Lord’s Day.

Link for the Mass readings for the third Sunday of Easter, April 14, 2024

We are invited to be agents of calm and peace.

Some of the context for today’s reading of the Gospel is found in John’s account of the multiplication of the loaves which closes with this verse: “Since Jesus knew that they were going to come and carry him off to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain alone” (Jn 6:15). Both Jesus and the people knew the Torah. In Deuteronomy 18:15-18, Moses shared that he was not the seal or end of prophetic tradition, he, like John the Baptist, pointed to one that would be greater than he.

As the five-thousand ate they talked among themselves, many may have then recalled how God fed the Hebrews in the desert, manna, bread from heaven. The miraculous multiplication mingled with the manna remembrance, comingled with the already growing messianic hope, could make a good case for why the people began to believe that Jesus was the “Prophet, the one who is to come into the world” (Jn 6:14), and then they rose to make him their king.

Recognizing their motivation and lack of understanding of the fullness of the kingship he would indeed assume, Jesus withdrew back higher up the mountain upon which he saw the people coming to him in the first place. The people presumably camped where they had eaten since evening drew near. Separation occurred between Jesus and the people because they moved to make him into something he was not. He refused, as he did during his fast in the desert, to give in to the temptation of power, pride, and honor.

The disciples were also separated from Jesus. They set out on the sea and headed toward Capernaum and would be reunited as they experienced a storm that arose on the sea of Galilee. Already full of anxiety as they were being tossed about by the waves, their fear grew as Jesus came closer to their boat, walking on the water. He calmed them as he said, “It is I. Do not be afraid” (Jn 6: 20).

Those present at the multiplication of the loaves and fish, the disciples, nor us today totally comprehend all of who Jesus is, for he embodies the fullness of humanity and divinity. Nor is he ours to tame. Jesus comes to us, is present to us, loves, and is willing to walk with us through all our trials and tribulations, as well as our joys and exhilarations. Though, what he will not do is be untrue to himself or to who he calls us to be. If we want to be fulfilled in this life, we need to let go of making Jesus in our image and likeness. Instead, with humility, we are invited to be conformed to his will, which, deep down is what we want too. We need to decrease, so that he may increase. We need to die in him, so that he may live in us.

In our willingness to surrender to the will of Jesus, we are able to keep our eyes focused on him. This does not mean our life will be perfect. There will continue to be challenges and conflict. The closer we come to Jesus the clearer we will see the truth and the absence of it within us and without. Conflicts with others will still arise. The difference is that when we experience the closeness of Jesus, while storms may rage on the outside, we will be calm on the inside. We will no longer feel the need react when our buttons are pressed, but can see another person with a wider lens, more  understanding, and love, and discern better how to engage or remain still.

We will grow stronger in our faith and trust in Jesus, and be more able to help others along the way to do the same, when we are willing to follow the guidance of Jesus and collaborate with him. In this free act of our will, we are aligning ourselves with the infinite power and ground of our being. In our participation with Jesus, we have access to his power working in and through us, we become agents of stillness and calm for ourselves and others, even while experiencing the storms of our everyday lives: “Be not afraid!” Trust in Jesus! When we do so, we will experience his peace.

——————————————————————

Photo: Spending some time winding down each day helps too! St. Vincent De Paul Regional Seminary, Boynton Beach, FL.

Link for the Mass readings for Saturday, April 12, 2024

Each day is an opportunity to experience the miracles and wonders of God.

The feeding of the five thousand that we encounter in today’s Gospel from John is reported in each of the four Gospels. The only other incident that is recorded in all four is the Resurrection accounts. This point is relevant because biblical scholars look to the multiple attestation theory as one means as to whether an account in the Gospel record is more or less plausible. Having the same account present in each of the four is strong evidence in support for that event happening.

From a different perspective, there are those that embrace scientism meaning that they will not believe in anything that cannot be measured, experimented upon, or proven within the realm of the five senses. For those ascribing to this strict interpretation, religion and accounts of miracles are often dismissed as superstition, that if something indeed did happen, there is a scientific explanation to dismiss the miraculous. Even some believers may discount the record of the feeding of the five thousand as more of a symbolic representation of the generosity and service encouraged by Jesus such that everyone gave their small share and there was enough for all, not that he was able to multiply the bread and fish.

These perspectives of downplaying the miracle of multiplication seek to reduce or limit Jesus to just his humanity, but he is so much more. Jesus is human, fully human, yes, but he is also fully divine. Coming to understand the wonder of the unity of the divinity and humanity of Jesus can help us better understand the reality of our world and cosmos. One of the core aspects of who we are as human beings is that we are people of wonder. The physical sciences are tools that we have in our toolbox that we can access to help us to understand our physical realm, while at the same time we also have spiritual tools that aid us in understanding both physical and spiritual realities. The physical sciences actually emerge precisely because of our spiritual pursuit to understand the wonders of God’s creation. In accessing both faith and reason, we come to have a broader picture, more pieces of the puzzle in which to put together and better experience our world.

When we limit or explain away the miracles of Jesus, we rob ourselves of a more accurate picture of the reality of creation. One concrete example of this is when our third president, Thomas Jefferson, took a sharp object and painstakingly cut out verses from the Bible and pasted them to blank pages. He did so in columns of Latin and Greek on one side of the paper and French and English on the other. This eighty-four-page tome is commonly called the Jefferson Bible, but the president titled it: The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth. This text offers a human portrayal of Jesus that dismisses anything divine.

If we remove ourselves from the divine, and 99.9% of our life, experience, interests, and thought is spent in the finite material realm, we will miss a deeper expression of who we are as human beings and disconnect ourselves from much of the joy and gift of life. It stands to reason then why we would find it hard to believe in miracles, the mystical, the spiritual. In the miracles is not a self-aggrandizing move on Jesus’ part, but a move of love and empathy. Jesus is moved, time and again, to reach out in love, to care for and support those who are in need. Even more, the miracles are pointing to our final destination which is beyond the limits of this finite reality! As we read in today’s account of the feeding of the five thousand, Jesus is showing what living life to the full is all about: being in communion with God and one another.

We need to resist the temptation to write off too quickly the miracles of Jesus presented in the Gospels and still happening today. May we also not dismiss the gift and value of the sciences. By approaching our world with a both/and approach, we will get a better understanding of and appreciation for not only the gift and wonder of creation but also who we are as human beings. God has imparted within us the ability to access and develop both our faith and reason, to think critically, and to pray and meditate deeply.

Jesus, as the firstborn of the new creation, embodies the reality of the fullness of who God in the depths of our souls has created us to be, human and divine. Jesus is still present to us today, knocking on the doors of our hearts, minds, and souls. If we only follow the moral and social teachings of Jesus, as did Thomas Jefferson, we will experience some benefit, but we will limit ourselves because we will be cutting out the very life force that sustains those virtues we hope to aspire to. We will access the fullness of all that God the Father offers us when we open the door to his Son this Easter Season, let the Holy Spirit in, and offer the little we have and watch how much he can multiply our simple gifts.

Let us continue to journey together, to read and pray together the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. May we resist rejecting outright what we do not understand or comprehend, and instead be willing to ponder the wonders of miracles, the gifts of God’s grace that builds on our nature, the reality of God-incidences all around us, and embrace the eternal foundation and ground of our being which is the Trinitarian Love of God.

Photo: Morning prayer back on retreat at Our Lady of Florida Spiritual Center, North Palm Beach, FL.

Link to the Mass readings for Friday, April 12, 2024

Are we willing to decrease so that Jesus may increase in our lives?

John the Baptist shared that he must decrease, and Jesus must increase. He had the humility and foresight that he was preparing the way for the Lord and he himself was not him. These words of John came in the last verse before today’s Gospel verses begin. There is no clear indication who then is continuing the verses read in today’s Gospel. Were they the continuing words of John the Baptist, Jesus himself, or the author of John.

The author is not as important as the words that describe Jesus as the one who “comes from above” and the one who “comes from heaven is above all”; this one “testifies to what he has seen and heard” and he is sent by God to speak “the words of God”; he is also generous in that he “does not ration the gift of the Spirit”; and the Son is loved by the Father and God “has given everything over to him”.

Each of these phrases point to the truth that Jesus is the Son of God who has come from above, he has come to reveal the truth about the Father, and is able to do so because he has seen and has an infinite relationship with him. He preaches the Gospel, the Good News, that God loves us, that he seeks and has always sought, to be in communion with us, his created beings and help us to grow in our communion with the Father as well. Jesus has come to reveal the Love of the Father and that his love is unlimited.

The proclamation that Jesus is the Messiah, is not just revealed in the Gospel of John, but each of the three other Gospels, Matthew, Mark, and Luke, as well as the epistles. Jesus, as the Son of God, is also the key to unlocking the Hebrew Scriptures, and we can see how the Torah, the Prophets, and the Writings all point to Jesus as well. Jesus shared this outline of salvation history with Cleopas and the other disciple on the road to Emmaus, such that their hearts were burning within them while Jesus spoke and opened the scriptures to them (cf. Lk 24:32).

John the Baptist gets it and that is why he is willing to pass on the baton of his ministry. Jesus is the Son of the Living God, and John offers the model for us to follow when he shared with his disciples: “He must increase; I must decrease” (Jn 3:30).

I invite you to spend some time in quiet reflection today by pondering the phrases that arise from John’s Gospel regarding the truth of who Jesus is. Pick one that calls to you and carry it with you through the day.

“The one who comes from above is above all.”
“The one who comes from heaven is above all.”
“He testifies to what he has seen and heard.”

“For the one whom God sent speaks the words of God.”
“He does not ration his gift of the Spirit.”
“The Father loves the Son and has given everything over to him.”

Do we “accept his testimony” and “certify that God is trustworthy”? If we “accept his testimony”, are we willing to decrease, such that he will increase his influence in our lives. Do we believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God?

Painting: Christ Blessing (‘The Savior of the World’), by El Greco, 1600

Link for the Mass readings for Thursday, April 11, 2024

Will we say, “Yes” and play our part as Mary did?

Why are we celebrating the Solemnity of the Ascension today, April 8? Typically, this special day is celebrated on March 25, nine months before December 25. The only time that is interrupted is when March 25 comes on Palm Sunday, Holy Week, or during the Easter Octave. In that case, we celebrate this solemnity on the first Monday after the second Sunday of Easter. Now, back to our regularly scheduled program and our Gospel from Luke.

Gabriel, an arch-angel, a messenger of God, a spiritual being, interacts with a human being; though Mary is not the first one to experience such an encounter. There are personal encounters with God and his messengers throughout the Bible. This is how the God of Israel, the God of Jesus Christ acts, person to person, through invitation, either directly himself or indirectly through one of his angels.

We can read such encounters going back to Genesis. God invited Abraham to be the father of a people that God would call to be his own. This reality would come to be with the birth of Isaac, while Sarah was well past child-bearing years. Jacob would wrestle all night with an angel and become the father of the twelve tribes of Israel, during the time of the Judges the mother of Sampson and Hannah, the mother of Samuel, both barren women would encounter angels bearing the message that each would give birth to those who would grow to lead the people Israel in their time of need. Moses, the judges, David, and the prophets all would hear and answer God’s invitation. Zechariah had an encounter in the temple and his wife Elizabeth, also barren and older, would give birth to John the Baptist. God has communicated and reached out to his created beings in history, in time, and in specific places.

With Mary, this announcement and encounter was different, for, at this appointed time, the Son of God himself would become, while remaining fully divine, a human being in the womb of Mary. The God who is. Period. Full stop. He is not a being, not a human, or even a supreme being. Infinite Act of Existence, the Sheer Act of to Be, who took on flesh and dwelt among his created beings. This is the message that Mary receives, and we can understand why she might be “troubled”. Yet Mary, the model of discipleship, pondered what this might mean as Gabriel said to her:

“Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God” (Lk 1:30).

Mary, who knew the arc of salvation history, as briefly sketched above, knew of the encounters God had with his people, her ancestors. She knew of the promised Messiah who would be the bridge between heaven and earth, the old and the new covenant, between a people lost and a people found. Mary in her fiat, her saying yes, would bear the Messiah become Theotokos, the God-bearer.

This is why we celebrate this feast each year: The Son of God has been born to us because Mary said yes. Yet, her yes is not in isolation. It is made possible by so many who had gone before her. Joachim and Anna, Mary’s parents who provided care and guidance, as well as the many named above and not named throughout the Biblical tradition who said yes to God and played a part in making this moment possible. Mary is not alone in the Annunciation, not alone in this definitive moment. This is the distinctive feature of Judaism and Christianity: We cannot save ourselves. We are not God. Our very life as created beings is a gift from God and we are in need of constant help and support from God and one another (cf. Lohfink, 254).

God invites us, today as we celebrate the Solemnity of the Annunciation, as well as every day to ponder, to wonder, to be still, and to be in awe. The Son of God, the Second Person of the Trinity, loves us so much more than we can ever imagine no matter what. He was willing to be conceived in the womb of Mary to become one with us to save us. Us, you who are reading this at this moment, me who is writing this, and each unique person taking a breath on this earth.

No matter how much we have messed up, no matter how distant we may feel from him, no matter how confused, overwhelmed, disillusioned, Jesus is present for and with us. The question is not whether we are worthy, for none of us are, the question is, “Are we willing?”

Are we willing to play our unique part in the ongoing drama of salvation history? Mary’s answer to this invitation was: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word” (Lk 1:38). This is her definitive yes. The Holy Spirit helped Mary and will help us as we place our trust in him. What will our response be?
——————————————

Photo: Enjoying some time of pondering, praying, and surrendering on my Rosary walk, St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary, Boynton Beach, FL. 

Lohfink, Gerhard. No Irrelevant Jesus: On Jesus and the Church Today. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2014.

Link for today’s readings for Wednesday, April 8, 2024

 

Trust in Jesus’ love and mercy.

The disciples locked themselves in a room fearing further persecution from the Jewish leadership. Jesus was crucified and as their followers, they believed that they would be next. They were also ashamed of having turned away from Jesus during his time of dire need. Amidst this heavy weight of fear, despair, and shame, Jesus “came and stood in their midst”. Their reaction of amazement and fear of Jesus’ judgment could only just begin to form in their minds because as Jesus came and stood in their midst he said to them, “Peace be with you.”

Jesus forgave them for their betrayal. He did not rub their nose in their shame or say that he had told them so. Jesus came among them and immediately bestowed upon them his mercy. He then commissioned them to be his Apostles as he said: “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” As Jesus is the Son of God, he has the power to forgive, and he is now sending his Apostles to be bearers of his forgiveness and mercy as he works through them.

Thomas, though not present on this first encounter, is present the following week and seeing the marks on Jesus’ hands and his side, he too believed, saying, “My Lord and my God!” Thomas too, even though initially doubting the resurrection of Jesus, became an agent of mercy and reconciliation.

Today, we still have access to the gift of God’s mercy and forgiveness instituted by Jesus as is recorded in today’s Gospel of John. This is a gift of healing made available to each of us, like the Eucharist, so that we may continue to experience Jesus, our Lord, and our God, working in and through our lives. When we come to the priest to participate in the sacrament of Reconciliation, we are coming to those, who in an unbroken apostolic succession, have continued to be bearers of Jesus’ forgiveness and mercy. It is to Jesus, through our priests, that we confess, and that we hear the words of forgiveness and receive absolution.

On this Divine Mercy Sunday, may we spend some quiet time with today’s Gospel and imagine ourselves in the locked room with the disciples. Experience Jesus appearing in our midst as he says, “Peace be with you!” Allow the radiating light of his mercy and forgiveness to wash over and through our whole being. Let us call to mind those sins that have kept us bound, visualize them as words floating up and out of us and dissipating into the radiance of the white and red rays emanating from the merciful heart of Jesus. May we allow ourselves to be transformed by the love and forgiveness of Jesus.

Having been reconciled and healed, Jesus sends us out to practice mercy and forgiveness with others. May we react less and breathe deeply more. Instead of adding fuel to the fire of negativity, let us seek to be advocates for healing and reconciliation. May we also take some time today to think of someone who could benefit from the presence of Jesus through our presence, someone who may need “to hear God’s good news of forgiveness and love” (Francis, 25). We may not be able to absolve someone of their sin, but we can forgive, make an effort to reach out to others in prayer and in person, and allow the love and mercy of Jesus to flow through us to those in our midst. Alleluia!

—————————————————————————————–

Photo of my copy of the painting by Eugeniusz Kazimarwoski. “Have mercy on us and on the whole world.”

McCann, Deborah. 30 Days of Reflections and Prayers: What Pope Francis Says About Mercy. New London, CT: Twenty-Third Publications, 2015.

Link for the Mass readings for Sunday, April 7, 2024

With Jesus, each day is a new beginning.

There are a handful of incidents in today’s Gospel reading from John that refer back to encounters Jesus had with his Apostles before his death and resurrection. Jesus waits on the shore as seven of his disciples; Peter, Thomas, Nathanael, James, John, and two others, return from a night of fishing. This is reminiscent of when Jesus first came to Andrew and Simon, James, and John as they were casting and mending nets and he invited them to follow him.

The disciples are on their way back to shore with their nets empty, and Jesus suggests that they cast their net over the right side, and they quickly find that they “were not able to pull it in because of the number of fish.” Peter had this experience in one of his first encounters with Jesus when he had been fishing all night and Jesus encouraged him to put out into the deep water, and that time they were able to fill two boats with fish.

After their great catch “of one hundred fifty-three large fish,” John told Peter that the Lord was the one who had instructed them. Just as when Jesus approached his disciples that night walking on the stormy waters, Peter jumped out of the boat and walked on water until he took his eyes off Jesus and began to sink. Peter again “jumped into the sea.” Did he walk on water all the way to shore this time? And when Peter and the disciples came to shore “they saw a charcoal fire.” The most recent event with another charcoal fire was outside the gate where Jesus was led for his judgment. To keep warm Peter joined the servants and slaves huddled around a charcoal fire. It was at that charcoal fire that Peter denied Jesus. The final scene in today’s account was when Jesus offered cooked fish and bread to his disciples, this is reminiscent of Jesus feeding the five thousand with two loaves and a few fish.

Throughout our lives, we will have encounters with people and experience incidents that we have experienced before. We may not have been as present as we may have wanted to be when attempting to comfort someone, we may have given in to temptation we regretted, we may have been involved in some task and made a mistake, or as Peter had done gone against our better instincts, as he had denied Jesus three times at that charcoal fire. Peter wept when he heard the cock crow. The sound brought back Jesus’ prediction, brought to light Peter’s own denial and cowardice. How many times must he have berated himself, how many times have we done so when we have sinned, fallen short of our goals, or made mistakes?

Making mistakes and taking risks, are necessary for learning and growing in any endeavor in life. Jesus does not want us to beat ourselves up when we fall short, fail, nor even when we sin. What is required for maturation is an honest assessment of the situation, an acknowledgment of our mistakes and sins, a healthy sense of guilt but not a turning in upon ourselves and steeping in our own guilt. Once we have recognized what we have done or have failed to do, we then repent, correct our mistakes, confess, and make the proper adjustments. Often, we overcompensate in the beginning, but as we remain persistent and seek God’s help and guidance, we will reach a healthy balance.

Jesus returns to be with his disciples after his resurrection, he meets them in very similar settings as he had before his death. All of his disciples failed him. Jesus did not condemn, but instead forgave them. Jesus showed them how far they had come since he first called them, while at the same time helped them to see how far they still had to go to. Jesus is not only their teacher but the divine source of their own transformation.

Jesus has risen, he is new life, he appeared to his disciples to guide, encourage, and empower them to be who God called them to be. Jesus offers us the same access to the wellspring of his humanity and divinity. Our repentance and Jesus’ forgiveness go beyond helping us to become better people. Through the love of Jesus, we are invited to experience a new beginning each day. When we are willing to surrender to him, participate in the sacraments, and pray, our minds, hearts, and souls will change, we will be redeemed, transformed, and conformed to Jesus and share more in his life. Good news to not only share in word but in deed. Alleluia!!!

————————————————-

Photo credit: While on my evening Rosary walk, a new bloom of Bermuda Buttercups. In Jesus’ name, may this day be a new beginning for us as well! St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminar, Boynton Beach, FL.

Link for the Mass readings for Friday, April 5, 2024

 

“Were not our hearts burning within us while he spoke to us?”

Our Gospel reading for today begins with a feeling of despair. The hope of Jesus being the Messiah, the promised one who came to redeem and deliver his people Israel died a brutal death. Even though Jesus sought to prepare his followers for this reality, they could not conceive or believe that the promised Messiah could die.

Cleopas and his companion are in mourning as they walk along the road to Emmaus. They have left Jerusalem and are commiserating among themselves about their dashed hopes. They were so sure that Jesus was who he said he was, now what were they to do? Jesus met them where they were and wove his way into the conversation and their journey.

When the time for them to part arrived, Jesus motioned to them that he was continuing on. The pair of disciples urged him, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over” (Lk 24:29). Jesus did just that and he revealed himself to them “in the breaking of the bread”(Lk 24:35).

The account of the road to Emmaus has significant relevance for our own spiritual journeys. How many times have we had an inaccurate understanding of Jesus in such a way that we felt let down? Have we domesticated Jesus, or limited who he is, seeing only one aspect of his totality, attempted to shape or conform him into our image and likeness? Have we prayed for something and then that petition or intention was not fulfilled in the way we had hoped? Have we sought Jesus and felt that he wasn’t there for us in our time of struggle or during those times that we felt that we needed guidance?

We need to remember that Jesus meets us where we are, accepts us as we are, walks with us even when we are walking in the wrong direction. While at the same time, he reveals to us the truth. We then need to decide to continue on the path leading away from the love of God or to turn back and into his open arms waiting for our return.

Following the truth that Jesus sets out before us means that we will be stretched beyond our comfort zones, urged to let go of our safety nets and training wheels, called to repent from our sinful ways by resisting the temptation to curve in upon and isolate ourselves. Instead we need to be willing to risk, to be loved, and to love in return. Through our relationship with him, Jesus invites us to nothing less than experiencing the transfiguring flames of Trinitarian Love.

Spending time reading and meditating upon the wonderful, daily readings from the Acts of the Apostles and the Gospels available to us right now will set our hearts aflame as happened with Cleopas and his companion. As this pair returned to the community of Jerusalem, may we gather each Lord’s Day, to hear his word proclaimed and to experience him revealed in the breaking of the bread.

As we put into practice what we hear and receive, we too then will begin to: see Jesus more active in the midst of our everyday activities, recognize him in our daily events and even in interruptions, be more inspired to share the sacrificial love we have received from Jesus with those around us, and come to realize that Jesus is more present and closer to us than we are to ourselves. We just need to invite him to walk with us on our journeys, even and especially when we are heading the wrong way!!!

————————————————————-

Photo: While praying with the mysteries of the Rosary, not only my heart, but the sky was burning!

Link for the Mass reading for Wednesday, April 3, 2024

We experience the miracle of the Resurrection at each Mass!

As we continue through our Easter readings we are given glimpses of encounters with the risen Jesus. This is good news for us, as the risen Jesus of the Gospels is the same Jesus who we can encounter each day.

In today’s Gospel, Mary does not return with Peter and John after having observed the empty tomb. Mary stayed by the side of the tomb and wept. She then peered into the tomb and witnessed two angels. As she turned back, she saw who she believed to be the gardener. She questioned him as to the whereabouts of Jesus. Mary sought a rational reason for where the dead body had gone. When the man did not immediately answer, she must have turned away again, because Jesus said to her, “Mary” (Jn 20:16)!

Upon hearing her name, Mary Magdalene recognized Jesus.

Peter and John left the empty tomb. We do not know why. Maybe they wanted to confirm to the other disciples that Mary was correct about the empty tomb? Mary could have gone back also, but something impelled her to stay. It could have been the sorrow that brought her to tears, it could have been her dedication and faithfulness to Jesus to find him, to anoint him as she had come to do that first early Easter morning, it could have been that she did not know what to do next, or that there was a sense beyond her understanding that compelled her to stay. Whatever the reason shortly thereafter, Jesus came to her. She recognized him not at first, but when he called her by name. When she called him “Rabbouni”, Jesus asked her to, “Stop holding on to me”.

What was Mary holding on to? Though mistaking him for the gardener at first, she came to recognize that he had indeed come back to life. But in calling Jesus Rabbouni, teacher or master, Mary was going back to the relationship she had with him before. Jesus was transfigured, he was different than he was before. Jesus actualized the perfection of his humanity, while still retaining the fullness of his divinity. Though his mission would not be complete until he returned back to the Father with his Ascension.

In the accounts of the Resurrection of Jesus, there was not only a newness to his appearance, but his relationship with his followers were also transformed. He was not coming back to avenge those who betrayed him. Jesus charged Mary to return and convey the message he gave her to his “brothers”. Jesus is revealing to Mary the intimacy of relationship with him that she personally experienced when Jesus called her by name. And this was only a foretaste of the greater intimacy to come at his Ascension, when he would return to the Father and unleash the power of their divine communion of love through the power of the Holy Spirit that would be experienced by his brothers and sisters at Pentecost.

We are heirs to the same promise that Mary Magdalene, the Apostle to the Apostles, shared with the Twelve. Jesus has become the firstborn of the new creation and through our baptism in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, we are offered the invitation to participate in his death and resurrection as well and share in the same intimacy of Jesus’ life and love that he shares with his Father.

The miracle of the Resurrection is revealed at each Mass when Jesus, Body and Blood, is represented again. Around the altar we gather as his brothers and sisters to be configured to his Body, and as we consume him, we are not only being nourished by the Bread of Life, we are being perfected, divinized by the trinitarian love, and being transformed into the image and likeness of the Father that we have been created to be. This is why Easter is such a cause for joy and celebration!!! This is why, like Mary who was sent by Jesus, at the end of Mass we to are sent forth to, “Go and announce the Good News of the Resurrection” in our everyday lives! Alleluia!!!

———————–

Photo: Beginning of Easter morning Mass where I was blessed to assist Fr. Nick and his parishioners at St. Clare Catholic Church, North Palm Beach, FL.

Link for the Mass readings for Tuesday, April 2, 2024