“After Jesus had been taken up to heaven the apostles returned to Jerusalem.” There, “they went to the upper room” (first reading for this 7th Sunday of Easter) The upper room is where they had gathered with Jesus after his Resurrection. It is a familiar place. Just before He ascended Jesus had told his disciples …
3rd Sunday of Easter, Year AActs 2:14, 22-33Psalm 16:1-2, 5, 7-8, 9-10, 11 (11a)1 Peter 1:17-21Luke 24:13-35April 23, 2023 When Jesus was arrested, Peter denied him three times. The other disciples fled. Now, Peter stands up and proclaims Jesus. He speaks of Jesus’ mighty deeds. He speaks of Jesus as the one they had killed. …
We are all in need of God’s Divine Mercy. Following the revelation of the Divine Mercy devotion by Jesus to Sr. Faustina, Pope John Paul II declared the Second Sunday of Easter to be Divine Mercy Sunday (cf. my article “God’s Gift of Mercy”). Jesus is our Savior. Jesus reveals Divine Mercy to us as …
The day after Christmas it is not uncommon to see Christmas trees already being discarded. However, in the Catholic Church, Christmas is seen as too important to be over with a single day. We celebrate it as a season that includes the Feast of the Holy Family, the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, The …
Easter Sunday Morning, Year AActs 10:34a, 37-43Psalm 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23 (24)Colossians 3:1-4John 20:1-9April 9, 2023 “On the first day of the week, Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early in the morning, while it was still dark.” What did she find? The stone covering the tomb had been removed. How could this be? They …
Easter Vigil Year AGenesis 1:1-2:2Genesis 22:1-18Exodus 14:15-15:1Isaiah 55:1-11Romans 6:3-11Matthew 28:1-10April 8, 2023 What we have been celebrating in recent days is nothing short of amazing. On Thursday evening, we celebrated the Mass of the Lord’s Supper where Jesus instituted the Eucharist (and with that, the priesthood). Yesterday, we celebrated the Passion of Jesus. He was …
3rd Sunday of Easter, Year CActs 5:27-32; 40b-41 Psalm 30:2, 4, 5-6, 11-12, 13 (2a) Revelation 5:11-14John 21:1-19 May 1, 2022 Last week we heard how the disciples gathered in the locked room for fear of the Jews. This happened not once, but twice. Both times Jesus came to them. The disciples have left the …
Divine Mercy Sunday (2nd Second of Easter), Year CActs 5:12-16Psalm 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24 (1) Revelation 1:9-11a, 12-13, 17-19John 20:19-31April 24, 2022 It is not always easy to follow God. We see this with the prophets in the Old Testament. For example, in 1 Kings 19, Elijah flees and hides in a cave when Jezebel, the …
Easter Sunday, Year CActs of the Apostles 10:34a, 37-43Psalm 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23 (24)Colossians 3:1-4John 20:1-9April 17, 2022 Early, “while it was still dark,” Mary of Magdala came to the tomb on the first day of the week. Whose tomb? Why is she going there while it was still dark? To begin to understand this, we …
Easter Vigil, Year CGenesis 1:1-2:2Genesis 22:1-18Exodus 14:15-15:1Isaiah 55:1-11Romans 6:3-11Luke 24:1-12April 16, 2022 “In the beginning…the earth was a formless wasteland, and darkness covered the abyss.” From the formless, God created order. From the darkness, God brought light, not just light as physical light. God also brought “light” in bringing order and meaning to the earth. …
