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Readings: The Resurrection of the Lord | USCCB  Today’s Gospel reading has always captivated me because it is so detailed and realistic – making the point more than once, for example, that John ran faster to the tomb than Peter did. The passage even inspired a bit of envy when I was younger. If only I could have lived while Jesus walked among us, and I could have run alongside the disciples that morning to bear witness to the empty tomb with my own eyes. Perhaps then faith would come more easily, and doubt would be kept at bay by what I had seen directly and could never forget.  My envy was misplaced, of course. The vast majority of those who encountered Jesus during his life did not drop everything and follow him. Great crowds were not rushing to check the tomb that morning. Most who saw Jesus with their own eyes had turned away and moved on with their lives.  And from the vantage point of today, my faith is strengthened by all that followed from that empty tomb: a ragtag, fear-filled band of disciples transformed into a world-changing movement of missionaries and martyrs. The impact of the empty […]

Readings: Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion | USCCB As we move into the annual celebration of the holiest of weeks, we are invited into the experience of redemption for all of humanity that God desires for each of us. In a world marked by sin and division and separation among God’s children, we are called into communion with one another and with God.   In a Christian worldview, we wonder at how God accomplishes this in the person of Jesus. Jesus is “from the Father and for the world”. And this world and the human family in it is divided. The wonder is that God enters into this division and brings about unity and redemption by way of the cross.   God doesn’t just wave a wand and ignore the sin and division and say “all is forgiven”. Rather, in the person of Jesus and his suffering and death, we see God allows that sin and division to take hold of him and we watch him give back nothing but love. The power of this love is the only thing that can conquer these wounds in humanity.   One would think that humanity would be grateful for this gift of love, but […]

Readings: Fifth Sunday of Lent | USCCB  The account of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead in this week’s Gospel is so wonderfully human.  Mary and Martha are mourning the death of their dear brother after he fell gravely ill.  The disciples fear for their and Jesus’ safety.  People are concerned about the stench that a body may have after four days in a tomb.  Jesus himself weeps.  There is sadness, anxiety, and loss.  It’s all very tactile and messy.       Through this story Jesus makes something clear – he does not diminish the human experience.  On the contrary, he embraces all that it is to be human and shares it with us.  He does not begrudge our emotions or require that we suppress them to draw near to him.  Upon Jesus’ arrival to their home, Mary and Martha were consumed with grief and lamented that their beloved brother would not have died had He only come sooner.  Even while knowing the miracle that he would soon perform, Jesus did not cast off their suffering or shame their sorrow but was deeply moved by their pain.    Yet Jesus did not go to Judea to simply comfort mourners.  In the midst of […]

Readings: Fourth Sunday of Lent | USCCB  He thirsts for the conversion of human hearts.   And, figuratively, He ran, hastening to achieve the remission of our sins.  Extracted from Arnold of Bonneval’s reflection on The Seven Last Words of Christ, these words capture not only the essence of the fifth word of Christ from the Cross, “I Thirst,” but reflect the themes of mercy and conversion running deep within the readings for this weekend.   The parable of the prodigal son illustrates ‘thirst’ from various perspectives – the younger son seeking independence, the older son wanting recognition, and the father desiring relationship.   Our lives have likely run parallel at one time or another with these characters. Perhaps like you, I relate more closely with the sons than with the father. However, through God’s mercy, I know that our inclinations for independence and recognition can only be life-giving when used in support of our relationship with the Living Font through whom all blessings flow.   When struck with thirst, the last thing we want to do is run. During the remaining weeks of Lent and beyond, may our desire for relationship with God reflect more closely the intensity with which God pursues us.     […]