New life, new love, new hope
Gospel: LK 1:39-47
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/121224.cfm
In today’s gospel, we hear about Mary visiting Elizabeth, her cousin. After Mary speaks with Gabriel, she decides to visit Elizabeth given that she just learned that she was pregnant as well. They both have had a miracle happen to them, and what better thing to do than get some time together and share the moment. At their encounter, John jumps for joy in Elizabeth’s womb.
There’s something amazing about a new life. It transforms people to see and experience the world differently than they saw it before. It changes people as they now take on new roles as fathers, mothers, aunts, uncles, grandparents, etc. We are forever changed as a new life introduced to the world. As we extend our love out to children, it connects us back to other experiences in our life, but it is also something completely new because the new person is something unique that the world has never fully experienced before. We can easily mourn what was as we are also excited and nervous about what the future brings. Things will never be the same again for good or for ill. The uncertainty can bring a wide array of emotions.
This too happens as we meet new people and build new relationships or as relationships morph and change as time continues. In this past year, I have spent some time with new people who have impacted the way I see the world. I have grown in relationships with others that I couldn’t have imagined growing closer through our insecurities and shared experiences. I’ve gone through some struggles in some which, in some situations, have brought us closer together. I’ve had some relationships where we’ve grown apart as life has changed us and we are no longer in sync. Each of these encounters and experiences have transformed and shaped me in a way. We hunger for these connections and can feel an overwhelming absence when they aren’t there.
When we share with each other in love, we encounter God. God is revealed through right relationship. God is also revealed as we strive to be in right relationship with each other. We are all unique and dynamic so there is always a mystery of what is to come and what might be made known that we didn’t know before. We can be surprised by where and how God is found in our life. Who are some people that revealed God to you this year? What are the chances that they knew?
May we find ways to let others know the impact they’ve had on us for just being. Amen.
Easy and light
Gospel: Mt 11:28-30
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/121124.cfm
During the full duration of Jesus’s life, Israel was part of the Roman Empire. The Jewish people did not have a government of their own, but were captives of Rome. The Pharisees, or religious leaders, believed that this was caused by the Jewish people not fully following the law given to them by God. They believed that God had a covenant with them. If the Jewish people held up their end of the bargain, God would take care of them. God would give them freedom and prosperity as long as they followed God’s teachings. Since they were oppressed by the Roman Empire, they must not be right with God.
It is for this reason that Pharisees made additional rules and very strict interpretations of the Law. They monitored the actions and behaviors of the Jewish people and penalized them for violations. They surveilled and monitored their actions and corrected them because, in their belief, their freedom depended upon it. This is the world to which Jesus is living. Jesus’s message today is his response to this. Where they had hundreds of laws, Jesus summarized the law with just two: “Love your God” and “Love your neighbor.”
In this passage, Jesus referred to himself as meek and humble to juxtapose himself from the Pharisees who were arrogant and proud. As the Pharisee’s rules and oversight caused the people to be on high alert, anxious, and stressed, Jesus tells them that his way will give them rest from such things.
We too can find ourselves in a position similar to that in Jesus’s time. We have unnecessary persecution both outside and inside of ourselves. There are a lot of modern examples. With social media, we can often feel scrutinized by others. We may limit who we are around others in fear of judgment and condemnation. We may also personally impose ourselves with unnecessary obligations and rules that limit us from living a full, free, and prosperous life. God wants to take us past all this to experience peace and rest. We don’t need to fight for the love of God or prove our value for it is freely given.
Let go of your anxieties and your unnecessary obligations and find peace in God. Amen.
Ninety-nine to One
Gospel: Mt 18:12-14
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/121024.cfm
This gospel has always left me wondering why God would abandon the ninety-nine for the one. We can often be a very statistically driven society where we look at the ninety-nine to one and say why risk something happening to the ninety-nine to focus on the one. The needs of the ninety-nine are greater than just the one because there are 99X more of them.
But in this story, the shepherd is not abandoning the ninety-nine. First the ninety-nine are where they need to be. The shepherd didn’t leave them in the flatlands, but in the hills where they are safer from predators. The ninety-nine also have each other for support and unity. They have safety in their numbers. The shepherd doesn’t abandon the sheep because he is aware that their needs are taken care of and that there are low chances of something occurring if they go in search of the one. God’s work is never done until all are safe within the flock.
A lot of time we can focus on the ninety-nine in our lives; the things that are are already taken care of and lose sight of the one that is lost. It’s easier and more comfortable to keep with the ninety-nine as there is safety and security there. We may also get concerned that if we lose focus on ninety-nine, that something may happen and we need to keep it protected when it is perfectly secure and safe.
What are some of the things that you are currently overlooking in your life? Who are some people that during this season need your attention and connection? And for the ninety-nine, it is good to let them know the value you put there too and that you will always return.
God, help us know when and trust that the ninety-nine are safe so we can focus on the ones that need further attention. Amen.
Gabriel’s news
Gospel: Lk 1:26-38
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/120924.cfm
Today’s gospel, often referred to as the Annunciation, shares the encounter between Mary and the angel Gabriel. I often read this story from the perspective of Mary, but there is also beauty from Gabriel’s perspective. If it is his job to share this good news to Mary and he has a sense of what is to come to include the significant role that Mary is going to play, he’s very excited about the encounter. Thus, he speaks, “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.”
To his surprise, Mary isn’t exuberant about the greeting, but responds with hesitancy and fear. Gabriel then calms down a bit to share his news as well as explain his excitement as he says, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David, his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his Kingdom there will be no end."
Mary in turn inquires how it can all be possible, so Gabriel explains, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.” He doesn’t stop there though. He offers additional consolation for her uncertainty about the news as he says, “Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God."
Nothing will be impossible for God. That’s a lot to take in for Mary. It’s a crucible moment with a lot of uncertainty about what the future holds. When God does the impossible, who knows how others will respond or what is yet to come. The world is open to endless possibilities if she can’t take for granted what she believed couldn’t be done. Her response after her initial shock and additional inquiry is so astounding; she humbly accepts her place in the unfolding story and puts her trust in God that it will all be done according to God’s will. She says, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word."
May we too, find the courage and faith to respond to God’s call as Mary did. Amen.
Prepare a way for the Lord
Gospel: Lk 3:1-6
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/120824.cfm
Today is the second Sunday of Advent. The gospel for the First Sunday had Jesus telling us to be prepared for the second coming of Jesus. In today’s gospel, we hear about John the Baptist preparing the way for the Lord. We are called to both be prepared and to prepare the way for the Lord. Our relationship with God has both a passive and active dimension to it. We must both be ready to receive God (passive) and we must make way for God (active). It’s like with any relationship, we must be ready to give as the other is ready to receive as much as they must be ready to give as we must be ready to receive. The giver receives as the receiver gives.
This calls to mind the struggle we have in finding a life partner. You can fall in-love with another person and they may not have the same feelings for you. Or, someone could fall in-love with you and you may not have feelings for them. For two people to be in-love, it requires reciprocation. This is how it is with God. God desires to have a relationship with us, but for it to happen, we must both be ready to receive it and seek it out ourselves. Unlike any relationship with another person though, God is always ready to receive and to give. That is why we must both be prepared for and prepare the way for God.
It is through repentance that we are prepared, and it is through prayer, scripture, and sharing the gospel that we prepare a way for God. The Mass is structured with this in mind. It mirrors the process of the soul’s journey to God. During the Mass, we start by asking for forgiveness and repenting for our sin. We then reach out to God through prayer, scripture, and sharing the gospel with each other which then leads to us ultimately to experience Jesus through the breaking of the bread and the sharing of the cup.
May we be prepared for God as we prepare the way for God. Amen.
The laborers and the harvest
Gospel: Mt 9:35–10:1, 5a, 6-8
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/120724.cfm
As we continue our advent journey, let’s call to mind the season that we are in. For those of us in the northern hemisphere, as we approach the winter solstice, the days continue to get shorter and shorter. The solstice, also known as yule, is the point where we transition from the days getting shorter to again getting longer. In some traditions it is considered the death of the sun as the days get shorter and its rebirth as they get longer. This is part of the reason why we celebrate Christmas around the winter solstice. We connect the arrival of Jesus with rebirth. As the days get shorter, it can have negative impacts on us such as fatigue and depression. That is another reason why we celebrate Christmas this time of year is because it gives us hope in this time of darkness.
In the past week, I went through some strong fatigue and depression. It was over a few days, but it felt like forever. As today’s gospel reads, I felt “troubled and abandoned.” I know others have experienced it far worse than me, but it was still very difficult. I felt detached from the world and hopeless, a sheep without a shepherd. We can all experience these sensations from time-to-time and to different extents. It’s part of the human condition. As we encounter others, we may not know what they are struggling with or what they have going on. Sometimes their life can seem perfectly grand, but inside, they are struggling.
When I read today’s gospel, Jesus was picking up on the struggle and suffering of the crowd. In Jesus’s time, they didn’t have a strong awareness of health and mental health. It’s taken all of human history to get us to where we are today, so imagine what it was like 2,000 years ago. They didn’t have a way to explain all the different types of illness and suffering so they often defined it as being demon possessed.
Jesus says to his disciples as he calls them to action: “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.” The gospel of Jesus is one of love. When we are in moments of suffering, we need love. As Jesus says the harvest is abundant, he is saying that the need for love is abundant. We need others to share love with us. In this passage, we are told to ask the master to send laborers, not ask the master to harvest. It is through the laborers that that master harvests. God works through us for others and works through others for us. We all need each other, and others need us.
I have often felt guilty or weak when I have needed others. It can be hard to admit that none of us can do it alone (even God needs us to carry out the harvest). Our times of need may not only be for us, but for those helping us. As others care for us, it may help them find the divine light and love in themselves; it is good to be needed and wanted and serve a purpose for others.
Let us be open about our vulnerabilities and let God’s light come from others to meet us. Amen.
Hope
Gospel: Mt 9:27-31
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/120624.cfm
At mass last Sunday, the priest said that one of the themes of Advent is to imagine what the world was like, particularly for the Jewish people, before the arrival of Jesus. There was the foretelling of the Messiah from the prophets. For those that heard that message and took it to heart, they went through periods of hope, denial, uncertainty, and frustration. The prophets that foretold the coming of Jesus, didn’t actually experience his arrival.
We all have some form of faith that if we take certain actions, we’ll receive a particular response. Like when we say “I love you” to a close family member, we expect that they will respond to us in kind. If they don’t, it can cause us to experience tension and doubt. We, as people of faith, can feel the same way about our faithful practices, such as prayer, service, and sharing our treasures. We can take those actions in hopes for particular outcomes. Sometimes we receive what we seek, other times we don’t. When we set expectations and if they don’t come to be, we are let down and can even question our faith and devotion.
At a higher–level, we can see the world overall in a cause and effect way. A month ago in the US, we had an election. There were a lot of predictions made about the election. Some predicted the candidate that got elected, but most of what was shared was that the other candidate was going to win. Those that put faith in the latter struggled with the outcome and needed to rethink how they saw the world or find answers as to why their prediction didn’t come to be.
In today’s gospel, the two blind men put their faith in Jesus. I’m sure they had other times in their life too where they sought healing through other means and were let down. I’m sure they had strong moments of doubt and hope as we all do through cycles of doubt and hope. In their encounter with Jesus, their hope overcame their doubt. In this encounter, they received the healing that they sought. Given their struggle and their history, they couldn’t keep quiet and were driven to share it with others. Their faith brought them to Jesus who healed them.They, in turn, were compelled to share that hope with others.
In these winter months, it can be easy for us to get lost in the negative and lose hope on what’s around us. While this season is one of hope, it can just as easily be one of doubt. Some of us may be experiencing more hope at this time and others may experience more doubt. Are you currently experiencing doubt or are you more in a season of hope?
If you are in a season of hope, consider finding ways on how to share that with others. If you’re more in a season of doubt, find time to share with others and seek out activities that will help. Sometimes our moments of struggle can help equip us for others in their moment of need. Regardless of where you currently are, this is a season to connect and share with others. As the two healed men reached out to others, this is a season for us to share with others and come together to help each other in their time of need, celebrate the joy, and bring hope.
All is possible with God. Amen.
Following the Will of God
Gospel: Mt 7:21, 24-27
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/120524.cfm
In today’s gospel, Jesus makes another call for action. To enter the Kingdom of God is to do the will of the God. It goes beyond just calling out to God, but requires you to follow. For us, this may be quite a daunting task. What is the will of God? How do we know we’re doing it? We don’t wake up everyday with directions on what to do to follow the will of God. For a deeply pious person, it can be very difficult to make decisions because it is hard to know which action is truly the right action.
I try to fall back on some specific scriptures to keep myself in check. It’s not always the easiest to do, but they have helped me when reflecting on my choices and actions:
We are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27): At times of personal struggle when I am feeling low about myself or others, I try to remind myself of this. Each of us we created for a purpose and in the image of God. At the core of our being we have something unique to show the world about God and others have unique things to share with us. This does not mean that we are always portraying that image, but there is still God in there trying to work on us.
We are to love God and our neighbor (Matthew 22:37-39): Are our actions loving of God, others, ourselves, and God’s creation? “God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him (1 John 4:16).” Are my actions out of love? This love goes beyond merely loving those that are close to us but also those that are challenging for us to love. As we are also called to "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you (Matthew 5:44).”
We will not always be perfect, but God is perfect when it comes to delivering on this. God does not call us to go beyond what God does for us. God is the source that created us in God’s image and God will continue to love us and care for us. God wants us to participate in the multiplication of love and mercy. The kingdom of God requires our participation to make it come to fruition. We are active agents in its progress and we too can actively slow it down. In the end, love will triumph, and God is calling us to make sure it happens for us.
May we increase in love. Amen.
Generosity
Gospel: Mt 15:29-37
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/120424.cfm
Advent is a season of giving. As a season of giving, we all have the ability to be generous. It doesn’t require material things but can be the giving of our time and our care. As we live more generously, it inspires generosity in others.
Today’s gospel has been explained to me in different ways. You can read it to show that Jesus has power over the physical world and could make the loaves and fishes into more than in substance. Jesus multiplied them for the crowd. It’s a story of a physical miracle in support of the crowd to both feed the crowd and show Jesus’s divinity through the performance of a miracle. This may be the case, but there is another way to read the story. The generosity and the willingness to share small amounts of bread and fish inspired others to share what they had with the group. The real blessing is not in the offering but in our willingness to share.
When I first heard this second take of the story, I saw it as less of a miracle than the first, but now I see it as more. Giving multiplies giving, Love multiplies love. In us being generous to others, we give them permission to likewise be generous. It is in giving that we receive. The kingdom of God is established by us all living generously and taking care of each other in our times of need without an expectation of something in return. If we expected something in return, it’d be a transaction and not a miracle of multiplication.
Live generously. Amen.
Anticipation & Wonder
Gospel: Lk 10:21-24
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/120324.cfm
Take a moment and think about the joy you felt during the Christmas holiday as a child. The anticipation of Christmas morning. The sense of awe and wonder you had with the mystery of you were to receive. Beyond the awe and wonder, it was the anticipation that the tradition provides that makes Christmas morning so special. There was the preparation and the thought behind each gift that made it so special. There was also giving back. Not only did you receive surprises, but you had the desire to share the same. We enjoy having the anticipation built for ourselves and building that anticipation for others.
It does take work to make it all happen, and as we get older, it can become more about all the work and obligations and less about the anticipation, awe, and wonder. The revelation of God exists in our time of anticipation, awe, and wonder. There is a joy in the mystery of the now and not yet. We can easily lose touch with this in time.
Today’s gospel is a reminder of this. For there have been prophets, kings, and wise and educated people have not been able to know what has been revealed to those who have remained childlike. We can try to pin it down and define it with science and philosophy, but there will always be a part of it that remains a mystery. It’s in that mystery and that tension that we find anticipation, awe, and wonder. It is a love that transcends definition and understanding.
May we enjoy the anticipation of this season to be filled with awe and wonder that comes from the love we share. Amen.
Faith is Love in Action
Gospel: Mt 8:5-11
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/120224.cfm
Let us celebrate this second date of Advent that we have a God who gives us love and mercy. Jesus’s love and mercy transcends the social norms of his time. While he can be critical of different groups and how they treat others, he still has compassion and care for them. Jesus came to free the oppressed which had him critical of the actions and behaviors of people in positions in power. He was critical of social structures of persecution (religious institutions, money, how the unhealthy were treated).
Centurions had wealth and power. Centurions were active participants in persecution. This Centurion comes to Jesus in humility. He asks Jesus for healing, not for himself, but for his ailing servant. The Centurion in all his power does not have the ability to ease the suffering of his servant. He comes to Jesus out of compassion and love for another. He steps back from his position of dominance to care for one who has not been so privileged. The Centurion put himself in the position of serving his servant. His action was of service.
In so doing, the Centurion saw the difference of his position, that of Jesus, and that of his servant. He says, “Lord I am not worthy to receive you, only say the words and my servant shall be healed.” He came with a direct request and didn’t find himself worthy given his position of power and participation in institutions of power. He saw that Jesus transcended all of those structures and served something much deeper. Jesus saw equality in the shared humanity where the Centurion could not, but had a desire to. The Centurion’s advocacy went beyond a desire but was an expression of love through action. In seeking the healing of another beyond his own selfish need for them, the Centurion exemplified what it means to “love your neighbor.”
True faith is acting in love for the needs of another. The Centurion didn’t profess a creed, commit himself to Jesus, or worship Jesus, instead, he approached Jesus with humility and out of love for another.
May we see the needs of others beyond our own need for them. Amen.
Redemption
Gospel: Lk 21:25-28, 34-36
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/120124.cfm
Happy first Sunday of Advent! We are on a journey to the coming of our Lord, the fulfillment of our hope for redemption. He will be born into a world surrounded by anxiety and uncertainty. His message will be received by some, but most will pass it by. His legacy will greatly outlive his time in ministry. People will do some of the most amazing things in history in his name and some of the most heinous. While his message is simple, those of us that consider ourselves followers will struggle with it throughout the ages; each of us picking up on the truth it brings while also using it for our own ends. We’ll see the faults of others and overlook the ones in ourselves. He will have predicted and warned us about all of this, and yet, he still comes to us in our shortcomings. He comes not to condemn, but to love and guide. He comes not as a ruler but as a baby in a stable.
Today's gospel is where we start this Advent journey. It’s easy to read such gospels as apocalyptic. We can read it and think that things are going to get bad, and our job is to passively persevere through it until God actively brings us salvation from our suffering.
We can always find signs that things are getting bad or even worse. At times, they will be. At times, it will seem like it is just happening to you and at other times it will seem like it is happening to all of us. At times, we’ll make a habit of experiencing the woes that it will be all that we see. It’s at these times that we must remind ourselves that redemption is at hand, because redemption is always at hand.
This redemption is not outside of us, but is participatory and active. We must go beyond remaining resilient, but must always remain ready to fill the call. We must keep ourselves prepared to act, to welcome God’s redemption within us and to share that redemption with others. It’s for this reason that Jesus says, “Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life, and that day catch you by surprise like a trap… be vigilant at all times.”
We may not know when or how we’ll be called, but we can make sure that we are prepared by keeping our minds, our hearts, and our bodies in a state to answer the call. We must push ourselves beyond our anxieties and fear and seek help when needed so we can be there for others in their times of need.
“However, the poor shall not be deprived of the comfort that God sent them while we can avoid it.”
Catherine McAuley, Foundress of the Sisters of Mercy
Be the redemption you seek. Amen.
Perpetual Revelation
Gospel: Jn 20:1-9
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/033124.cfm
It’s an amazing experience when you’re working on a problem and all of a sudden “Aha!” it all makes sense and you are able to solve it. I can remember struggling with math in school and how it eventually became easier as my way of thinking about it was expanded. It calls to mind the mass roll-out of common-core math within public schools in the last decade. You’d find parents struggling with their children to figure it out. Some parents would just give up and teach their children the way they were taught. It’s hard for us to think differently about things we’ve taken for granted. Sometimes the process can be just as important as the outcomes, sometimes it isn’t.
Once something becomes commonplace and routine, it can be difficult to change one’s mind. We all have had experiences in life where an epiphany occurs that changes the way we see things. These moments can lead us to make dramatic changes in our lives. While the shifts in thinking are powerful, these changes still require a significant amount of discipline, but once we’ve had the awakening, it is hard to continue our old habits without a sense of guilt or shame. If we decide to maintain the status quo and not change, it takes us time to justify and excuse these behaviors to convince ourselves that our change of mind was just a fleeting thought or an impossibility.
We have a drive within us to both maintain and to change. Different personalities have different degrees of these. Some of us prefer more stability and others prefer unpredictability. As is with nature, we have different drives towards being static and dynamic. These drives vary by person, time of life, and situation. For example, we have traditions that we like to maintain during holidays while we also want to try new things.
Sometimes events change us instantaneously, and other times, we only see their significance upon reflection. We don’t always know the importance of an event when it occurs; iit takes time for us to process or make sense of it. In today’s gospel, we see that Jesus’s resurrection was such a moment for the disciples and those that were close to Jesus. It was truly unbelievable. They didn’t know how to explain it or understand it. It took them time and reflection to start to understand what happened to their friend. I’m not sure any of us even today can make full sense of it. It is part of the divine mystery that continually challenges us to think differently.
With God, we are always challenged to a deeper understanding. We need to keep ourselves open to a deeper revelation by not limiting ourselves to a narrow understanding. We should maintain a perpetual state of striving – always trying to grasp while knowing that we will never fully understand. God is always calling for us to go deeper. God is not waiting for us to arrive at the destination but is with us throughout the journey. The journey is the destination.
Today we celebrate the resurrection. God is full of surprises. Nothing is impossible to God. We can kill God, but God does not abandon us. We can deny and turn our backs on God, and God remains there for our return. Nothing can separate us from God.
Rejoice for God is with us! Happy Easter.
Not a bang, but a whisper
Gospel: Mk 16:1-7
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/033024.cfm
The three women that discovered Jesus in the tomb are sometimes referred to as the three myrrhbearers. At the time of Jesus’ death, it was a custom to anoint bodies with oil for three days after death. The three women would have skipped the sabbath (Saturday) in reverence to the day. In the gospel of Mark, these three women are Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome. All three women were present at the crucifixion and two of the women were present at the burial.
Mark’s gospel has none of the disciples mentioned at the crucifixion. It only mentions these three women. We encounter a lot of people in our life, but who is truly there for us in our deepest time of need? I am not saying this to speak ill of those who were not present, but to commemorate those who were. These three stayed with Jesus past the cross. They were there for his death, followed him to burial, and were planning on taking care of his body as his loved ones.
Jesus’ resurrection is not a bold proclamation. After a person in white speaks to the women, they do not react by glorifying God. As verse eight states, “They went out and fled from the tomb, seized with trembling and bewilderment. They said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.” The experience must have been very confusing and eerie for them. They instinctually responded by fleeing the scene.
Jesus didn’t wait around to be greeted or revered by the miracle that had occurred. Jesus' return was more of a whisper than a loud bang. Instead he begins his journey to Galilee. Later in the chapter, Jesus encounters Mary Magdalene one-on-one and then two disciples before he appears to the 11 remaining disciples. This transformative moment in history was treated simply and humbly by Jesus, and those that knew him did not know how to process it.
We can put a deeper metaphysical meaning to the resurrection and its significance in salvation history, but in this gospel, we are not shown that image. Jesus was a man, loved by many, denied by many, rebuked my many, and crucified. Only a few of his followers remained with him until the end and took care of his body after death. And for those few, they were shocked and bewildered by his return.
The resurrection is not an end but a continuation. Life goes on. Death has no power as life goes on. The Kingdom of God transcends death; the mission continues. And who is to lead that mission? Those that loved yet denied. Those that heard the word but did not trust. Those that cared but were bewildered. In other words, we are all called.
We can look at the struggles of our time and fall into despair, but we should see hope. If God chose to become a human being at that point in history and saw potential in the disciples and other followers with all of their shortcomings, there is hope for us as well. God trusts us in our untrustworthiness. God depends on us in our un-dependableness. God relies on our care in our mercilessness. The Kingdom of God is in our midst and we are to bring this Kingdom forward. We are not called in perfection, but as we are and as we are continually transformed on this journey.
Hallelujah! Praise God! The mission does not end in death, but continues! It continues alive in us as active participants. Hallelujah! Praise God!
Amen.
Good Friday
Gospel: Jn 18:1-19:42
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/032924.cfm
When we say that Jesus died for our sins, we make it sound like he had an active role in his death, but as we read his passion, he was far from active; he was passive. We need to think of Jesus as having an active role in it to explain his divinity in the very brutal things that happened to him, but he did not put up a fight or try to stop it. Jesus gave those around him free agency. He showed his divinity through healing and feeding not through control or forced servitude. God’s power is not control but redemption.
The gospel writer finds the need to explain how the actions needed to happen just the way they happened to either fulfill scripture or to fulfill words that Jesus spoke, but none of these things happened to fulfill scripture; the scripture was the way it was because that was the way it was going to play out. To say that something was done to fulfill the scripture has God having some agency in what happened, but God did not crucify Jesus, the government did on behalf of religious authority and their people.
Jesus challenged the power dynamics of his religious tradition. He extended God’s presence to outside the temple. He showed that others outside his tribe were God’s people too. He revealed that the true nature of the law was not a set of rules but was simply love of God and neighbor. He chose love and compassion over the customs of his people. He elevated those condemned by society and showed the limits of those in power. He emphasized baptism, fellowship, forgiveness, and repentance over the blood sacrifice of the temple. For these reasons, he was a threat to those who benefited from religious control. This is why they had Jesus killed.
Those religious leaders wanted Jesus crucified and so did their followers, but they did not want his blood on their hands so they handed him over to the government who found no guilt. In the end, Pilate ordered Jesus’ crucifixion for his own self-preservation. Pilate was protecting himself from an uprising. He also had the threat of punished by his leaders for not executing a man who was claiming himself to be king. Jesus was scapegoated to maintain the power dynamics of religious and governmental authority.
Jesus’ message transformed people. When individuals are transformed, it has the potential to transform societies. This will always threaten those who benefit from the status quo. Jesus offered a new way of seeing the world that challenged the cultural paradigms that were in place. Our God came to transform us and was ultimately killed for it.
Before we move to the resurrection at Easter, hold on to this moment and reflect on how we too scapegoat others, cling to our power, and maintain the status quo of our current society at the expense of others. We too are responsible for the death of Jesus in how we treat others today.
Lord, forgive us for our sins. Give us the strength for true repentance. May your grace drive us to become more loving. Let that love grow in fellowship and communion to bring forth your Kingdom forever. Amen.
Fellowship with friends
Gospel: Jn 13:1-15
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/032824-Supper.cfm
Today’s gospel tells a beautiful story about a man and his love for his friends. The writer of John tells the story of a man who knows his time is limited. He knows that he will be returning to the Father and will be away from his friends corporally. Here is where you see the deeper humanity of Jesus – his love and his compassion. It’s not just a universal love, but a specific love. He loved his friends. They journeyed with him for years.
In these last moments, he doesn’t give them a detailed exposition of what to do when he is gone. He doesn’t seek to get his message out to as many people as possible running door to door to share the good news. He doesn’t give his disciples a set of rules or clear direction on what to do next. There are no action plans or performance reviews. Instead, he wants to savor these last moments of his fully human experience by spending time with his friends. They were his direct followers who were going to carry on his mission after him, but he didn’t approach them as an authority. Instead, he approaches them as a caring and loving friend. He shows them his appreciation by washing their feet and bonding with them in communion.
The breaking of the bread and sharing of the wine at the end of his last meal shows his deep desire for friendship and fellowship. He is not concerned about the work that they need to do, he’s focused on spending time with them. He knows what he is about to face and he just wants some time with his friends.
Jesus isn’t seeking dominion over us but fellowship. Jesus isn’t seeking our subservience. Jesus isn’t just seeking our partnership in his mission, he seeks our friendship. In such a friendship, we become fellow stewards of creation and each other. Our God washes our feet and breaks bread with us.
For in God’s last moments of freedom as a human being within the boundary of time, God chose fellowship with friends. God is not just the alpha and omega, but everything in between. God’s truest sacrament is fellowship. Our time together is sacramental when we approach each other in selfless love. It is how our God encountered us and we must seek to encounter each other with the same. We are called to love.
Examination of Conscience
Gospel: Mt 26:14-25
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/032724.cfm
There is a Catholic practice called “examination of conscience.” An examination of conscience is spending some time to think more deeply about your thoughts and actions. It’s a good practice to do even if you are not Catholic or even religious for that matter. It helps us to think more deeply about our habits, our thoughts, and our actions.
Some people will take the time to walk through the Ten Commandments and examine how their thoughts and actions have broken them. An examination of conscience can simply be asking yourself questions such as:
What have I done recently that has negatively impacted others?
When have I not wanted the best for someone else?
When have I recently been jealous of someone else?
When did I lose my temper recently?
When have I felt shame recently?
When have I been overly critical of myself?
When have I been overly critical of others?
Were there times when I was not honest with myself?
Were there times when I was not honest with others?
Am I truly living a life according to your principles and your actions?
You can ponder how you’ve loved your neighbor as yourself, and when you didn’t.
Spending time to do this, helps us learn and grow. It helps us become more thoughtful about our actions, and it helps us better align our actions with our values and develop good practices.
In today’s gospel, Jesus tells the disciples that one of them will betray him. The disciples all respond with a question of uncertainty, “Surely it is not I, Lord?” I imagine that they all experienced an examination of conscience at that moment as they pondered if and how it could be them.
An examination of conscience is a type of prayer. It is a way for God to help us align our thoughts and actions with our deepest intentions. It helps us become more loving and merciful to ourselves and others.
Betrayal and Denial
Gospel: Jn 13:21-33, 36-38
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/032624.cfm
From Palm Sunday to today’s gospel, things starting to change for Jesus. On Sunday he is being revered by a crowd. Yesterday, he had an intimate moment with some of his friends. While having that special moment, he gets questioned by one of his disciples, Judas, about how the money used for the oil that he was anointed with could have been better used in service to the poor. Now in today’s gospel, Jesus tells Judas that he knows that he is going to betray him.
Once Judas is gone, Jesus explains that he will be going away and that none of them can follow him. Peter speaks up and says that he will always follow him. Jesus then tells Peter that he will deny him three times before the new day starts. Things have changed so quickly for Jesus!
Sometimes, people express an encounter with God as a “born-again” experience. I believe these moments do genuinely happen; people can experience God in such a fashion that they feel that their life is forever changed. That said, these moments are not a complete fulfillment. Our relationship with God is a journey. God isn’t done with us and the revelation for us isn’t over as much as we can feel it or have a sense of it in those moments.
We can respond to these moments like Peter does in today’s gospel. We can feel fully committed and not know that when challenges come, we will quickly run and hide. Life has a way of showing us how fragile and non-committal we are. We can have the best intentions, but those intentions don’t sustain our faith.
With an encounter with the divine, we can also respond like Judas. Judas was very pious. After following Jesus, Judas returns to his beliefs about religious authority, the law, and service. He too was motivated by good intentions. Instead of keeping himself open to a deeper transformation through his relationship with Jesus, he defaults to his old view of what is meant to be good and pious. The betrayal of Jesus was an aspiration to help many and get recognized by religious authorities for doing it. As the story continues, he turns his back on Jesus, someone he loved, for recognition and money to serve.
While his friends had good intentions, Jesus was the one who had to suffer for them. He experienced the betrayal and denial of friends in his greatest time of need. We do this to God too in our encounters with others. We can harm others with our good intentions, and we can justify our actions with our good intentions.
With God, we are called to more. We all need to be more honest with ourselves about the motivations behind our actions. The transformation we are called to requires work and our participation. It is not just a one-and-done experience but a journey. God is always calling us and leading us to more. As we follow, more is revealed when we are ready to receive it. These encounters are challenging which makes it easy for us to fall back to our comforts as Peter and Judas did, but God wants more for us as he did for Peter and Judas as well. We will falter, but God is there to help us learn and grow from it. God is never done with us.
Generous love and gratitude
Gospel: Jn 12:1-11
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/032524.cfm
In today’s gospel, Mary shows her generous love and gratitude for Jesus as she anoints his feet with her hair. We are called like Mary to show generosity and gratitude for others.
What alters the perspective of the story is Judas interjecting that the gratuitous cost of the perfume could have been used to help the poor. The gospel then shows how Judas was selfishly motivated. Jesus responds, "Leave her alone. Let her keep this for the day of my burial. You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me."
This passage has been debated historically. It has been used to justify lavish churches and to condone behaviors that are not caring for the poor, but I do not believe the gospel should be used in this way. The gospel writer is having Jesus address Judas directly, not make a broad proclamation about the poor among us. For those who take advantage of the fringe of society and those in need, there will always be the poor. Those who take advantage of others will always find an opportunity to limit their generosity in service to others. When you have the mentality that you help others so that you can take your share off the top, you will always find others in need of your help. It is not truly helping when one is self-serving. We are called to generous love and gratitude, not to use others as a means to our own ends.
We too quickly can judge the generosity and actions of others when we don’t fully understand the context. In the situation with Mary, she recently experienced her brother dying and Jesus raising her brother from the dead. Jesus soon too is going to experience the same. Mary is showing gratitude to Jesus during the limited amount of time they have together. She has a new appreciation for treating the time she had with those close to her as sacred.
We too have the same opportunity. We must be generous with our time and treasures with others and that includes those that are closest to us.
Hosanna!
Gospel: Mk 11:1-10 (First Reading)
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/032424.cfm
We start Jesus’s passion with Palm Sunday. It’s one week before his resurrection, but the disciples and people do not know this. Palm Sunday is Jesus’s last moment of glory with the people before he goes through the struggle of his passion. It shows us how fleeting earthly glory is. Things change very quickly when societal structures find a person guilty. As people praised Jesus on Sunday, people would call for his crucifixion on Friday.
But today, Jesus experiences the glory and people do not know what is about to come. The words they say get recited at every mass, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.”
Hosanna: We say or sing this word, but what does it mean? There are different translations but simply put it means, “Save us, God.” It is a word of praise as it is also a call for salvation. It is a prayer. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Save us, God! The people in the towns surrounding Jerusalem knew Jesus for his healing power both physically and spiritually. He was able to heal the sick and forgive sins. The power that Jesus showed them that he was from God. It was not the kind of power that led to world domination, it was a power that healed individuals, communities, and relationships. God’s presence was made known through the actions of Jesus.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the Highest! Save us, God! When we say these words in mass, we are showing gratitude to God the Father for sending us the Son, we are recognizing the divinity of Jesus, and we praying for our salvation. These are very simple words, but they can be very powerful if we let them resonate with us beyond just being words we’ve habituated.
Now visualize yourself as being present at the first Palm Sunday and how it must have felt to say those words after having encountered Jesus. Think of the lepper, the lame man, the woman at the well, the tax collectors, Lazarus, the woman caught in adultery, and the other people we’ve learned about over this season on Lent. Ponder what those words meant to each of them. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the Highest!
Now think of the words for yourself. What are some of the ways that you are grateful to God? What are some areas of your life that you feel need salvation? Pray those aloud or in the silence of your heart. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the Highest!
Take this into consideration when you say or sing these words at mass. They should not be something we merely recite, they should be something that connects us intimately with God through expressions of gratitude and need.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the Highest! Save us, God!