In today’s Gospel, we may be surprised to learn that these friends of Jesus could walk and converse with him at some length yet not recognize him. We learn that the first community met and recognized Jesus in the breaking of the bread, just as we meet Jesus in the Eucharist. We can imagine the…

Believe What Sounds Too Good to be True Today’s Gospel, John’s story of Jesus’ first appearance to his mourning, frightened disciples. Apparently seeking one another’s comfort and protection, they locked themselves together in hiding. Suddenly, Jesus became fully present among them, alive, scarred and loving. He had but one word for them: “Shalom.” Our lectionary translates…

Trust in God’s abundant mercy                  Today we rejoice because Jesus was raised from the dead. We also rejoice because we were raised to new life with him. In the letter to the Colossians, St. Paul challenges us to live this mystery. He wrote, “If you were raised with Christ, seek what is above.” Through baptism,…

Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord                  This Sunday, also known as Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord marks the beginning of the Holy Week and the entry into this most solemn and important period of time when we commemorate the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the…

Today’s scripture readings from Ezekiel, Paul, and John center on death: death of a nation, death to self, and death of a beloved friend. But the lesson we need to take from today’s scripture is not the inevitability of physical death, with its sorrow and confusion, but the union we must all form with Jesus…

Rejoice                 The Fourth Sunday of Lent is known as “Laetare (Rejoice) Sunday,” expressing the Church’s joy in anticipation of the Resurrection of our Lord. Today’s readings remind us that it is God Who both gives us proper vision in body as well as in soul and instructs us that we should be constantly on our guard…

Do You Trust Jesus?                   In this week’s Gospel Reading, Jesus invites the woman at the well into a relationship of trust. He is a Jew—the sort of person she expects to look down on her because she is a Samaritan. What’s more, he knows about her past. She has been through marital struggles. She,…

For the second Sunday of Lent, we move from   Jesus’ retreat to the desert to his Transfiguration. On the second Sunday of Lent each year, we hear the story of Jesus’ Transfiguration. The story of Jesus’ Transfiguration is told in the three Synoptic Gospels: Matthew, Mark, and Luke. In each of those Gospels, the Transfiguration…

Make God’s Story our Story Today’s readings appear to center on the theme of temptation. The gospel tells of Jesus facing three prompts from the devil. And while temptation is a key theme across these scripture passages, it’s worth revisiting the traditional assumptions about the precise temptations. Perhaps the temptation is to believe the lie…

I have Not Come to Abolish the Law but to  Fulfill It                   Today’s reading is part one and deals with the Law. Part two deals with worship and religious practice and contains the Lord’s Prayer. Part three deals with trusting God and deeds of loving service to our neighbor. When the Messiah brings the…