Friday Second Week of Easter

 

Rejoice in Suffering Acts. 5:34-42

Some people say they don’t go to Mass because they don’t get anything out of it.

Yet the disciples in the book of Acts were beaten, imprisoned and

Rejected And,

They rejoiced that they had been found worthy to suffer for the Lord.

Only those who embrace the cross, will truly “get anything” out of the Mass;

Because the Mass is the Sacrifice of the Cross.

God Bless

Thursday second week of Easter

The Father has Given the Son Everything Jn. 3:31-36

When one is in love, all one wants to do is give everything one has to one’s beloved.

The Father has always loved the Son.

So God the Father has given everything He has to the Son for all Eternity.

So whatever the Father has, the Son has;

All power and all knowledge; Everything!

And those that the Son loves,

He will give everything to them;

If we love Him in return.

God Bless

Wednesday second week of Easter

 

The glory of being an Apostle Acts. 5:17-26

Many people may think it would have been wonderful to be an Apostle.

To see and hear the things Jesus did.

But with the glory comes the cross.

To be an Apostle means to follow in the footsteps of Jesus,

On the Via Dolorosa.

And so they did as they were arrested and thrown into prison.

Rejection, persecution, misunderstanding and reject awaits everyone who follows Jesus;

But so does the glory and the reward!

God Bless

Tuesday Second Week of Easter

 

One mind and one Heart Acts 4:32

One Mind and One Heart

The Acts of the Apostles tells us that the community of believers was of "One mind and one heart."

Does that bespeak the Church in which we live today?

The answer is obvious,

No, it does not.

For every person there is an opinion.

For every person there is a different answer on what the Church should do and where it should go.

What has happened to the Church in 2000 years?

To be fair to the Church today, the Church of 2000 years ago was not totally of "One Mind and One Heart."

By the year 50A.D. at the Council of Jerusalem there was division over whether or not Christians should be circumcised according to Jewish Custom.

There was division at the Eucharistic table between the rich and poor.

And as St Paul tells us that there were some who were not working but were busy bodies.

So not everything was of "One mind and One Heart" among the early Christians.

So what is a Christian to do?

First of all, Forgive!

Forgive one another as The Lord has forgiven us.

Secondly, Love!

Love one another as The Lord has loved us.

Lastly Pray!

Pray that we might all be one, as The Lord prayed that we would be one on the night before He died.

Will these three things bring down the walls that divide Christians as the walls of Jericho fell?

Maybe, maybe not!

But at least it will keep the walls from getting any higher and it may even tear down a few bricks that divide us.

The second Monday of Easter / The Feast of St. Mark

 The Body of Christ

St. Paul teaches that we are the mystical Body of Christ.

But through the centuries this Body has been broken and divided many times.

Long before the Protestant Reformation there was another schism in the 5th century when the Coptic Church of Alexandria Egypt split from the Christian Churches in Rome and Constantinople.

The Coptic Church claims to have been founded by St. Mark, whose feast day we celebrate today.

And is the major Christian Church in Egypt which is severely persecuted and experiences bombings of which you may have heard occasionally on the news.

Whenever we have a broken bone, the best way to heal it is through tender loving care.

As we celebrate the feast of St. Mark today and call to mind the Coptic Church which he founded in Egypt

and we are once again reminded that the best way to heal the Broken Mystical Body of Christ

is also through tender loving care of all who call themselves Christians.

Second Sunday of Easter

 

Touch Me!

Thomas had his doubts.

Who doesn’t.

When was the last time you saw Jesus!

So Thomas would not believe until he put his fingers in the nail marks

And his hand into the side of Jesus.

He wanted to literally touch Jesus.

Because he knew His eyes could fool him.

Maybe it was just a ghost;

Or even a figment of their imagination.

But there would be no doubting if he could touch Him.

Jesus however was not a ghost.

He had a body when He rose from the dead.

One that Thomas could touch and feel.

That could eat and drink.

And yet pass through lock doors.

When Lazarus was resurrected,

His body was resuscitated.

Life was breathed into his lifeless body again.

And eventually he died again.

The Body of Jesus however was transformed.

It was not limited to time and space.

Or affected by heat and cold;

Or would ever grow old or die again.

It was a glorious body that would live forever.

This is what we profess in the Apostles Creed.

That we believe in the Resurrection of the Body.

when we die the soul is separated from our body.

But when we are Resurrected;

Our soul will be reunited to our bodies.

But not our old bodies.

Rather We will get a new and glorious body.

One that will never grow old or die;

One that will shine like the sun and the moon and the stars.

So if you are not happy with the body you have;

You do not have to put your fingers in the nail marks of Jesus

Or your hand in His side.

All you have to do is put your Faith in Jesus;

And He will raise you up on the Last Day;

And give you and new and improved one;

Easter Friday

 Sometimes you have to go fishing! Jn. 21:1-14

The disciples were exhausted after,

The arrest of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane.

His trial and Crucifixion;

His burial.

Funerals are not easy.

And when they are over,

A person just needs time away.

So the disciples went fishing.

And Jesus was there on the shore,

Once again showing them how to fill their empty nets and hearts to overflowing.

And sometimes we too need to go fishing,

And Jesus will be there showing us where to cast our empty nets and hearts.

To be be filled to overflowing.

God Bless

Easter Thursday

A Risen Body Lk. 24:35-48

What will it be like when Jesus returns in glory?

The dead will rise from their slumbering place.

Not just their souls,

But their bodies as well.

Not their old decayed bodies,

But a new and glorious one.

One that we can touch and hold

Like we did when they were alive.

For Jesus appeared to His disciples whom He loved

And told them to touch Him!

And then we will all Feast forever at the Heavenly Banquet of the Lamb who was slain,

So that we might live forever with Him,

Body and Soul.

Easter Wednesday

 

In the Breaking of the Bread Lk. 24:13-35

It is hard to see when there are tears in our eyes.

The disciples were on the road to Emmaus but did not recognize Jesus walking right next to them,

because of the tears in their own eyes.

Sometimes we too cannot see Jesus, right next to us,

Because our own tears are blinding us.

But He is there.

He is here!

If we take the time to sit with the Lord,

And let Him feed us with His Body and Blood,

And reveal His sacred Face to us,

In the Breaking of the Bread at Mass.

Easter Tuesday

 

Empty Tombs Jn. 20:11-18

Mary Magdalene went to the tomb expecting to see a body laying there.

That is what we expect to see when we go to a cemetery.

But Jesus was not there.

He was risen.

On His way to His Father.

One day we may go to the cemetery

Expecting to see our loved ones.

Laying in their graves.

But they will not be there.

For the day will come when those who are in the tombs,

Will hear their Lord’s voice

And come forth.

To a new and endless life

Easter Monday

 

Where is the Risen Lord?

Why can’t we see Him?

Because He appears only to those who go in search of Him.

On Easter morning,

Everyone was asleep.

Maybe they partied too hard the night before?

Maybe they were too depressed to get out of bed after all that had happened.

Maybe they had their doubts.

Whatever the reason only Mary Magdalene Got up early and went to the tomb.

Maybe she believed

Maybe she just didn’t want to let go.

No matter what the reason,

She went in search of Jesus.

And only those who go in search of Jesus

Will find what they are looking for!

Easter Saturday

 Queen of Heaven

V. Queen of Heaven, rejoice, alleluia. 

R. For He whom you did merit to bear, alleluia. 

V. Has risen, as he said, alleluia. 

R. Pray for us to God, alleluia.

V. Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, alleluia. 

R. For the Lord has truly risen, alleluia.

Let us pray. O God, who gave joy to the world through the resurrection of Thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, grant we beseech Thee, that through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, His Mother, we may obtain the joys of everlasting life. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

The First Easter

 The First Easter

The first Easter was really far different than what we might imagine.

Some disciples were hiding behind locked doors for fear of their lives.

Mary Magdalene was looking for Jesus but not sure where to find Him.

Peter and John were running to the tomb trying to believe in their unbelief.

Herod was probably trying to recover from too much drinking the night before.

While Pilate was still washing his hands hoping to come clean.

And Caiphas and Annas thought they now had everything under control.

The truth is they were all clueless.

The Roman empire was going to fall.

Judaism was about to be torn in two.

And Christianity was going to rise from the ashes.

All because of one man whom nails could not hold and whom a tomb could not enclose.

Like Mary Magdalene where can we find the Risen Christ?

Like Peter and John how can we believe in the resurrection?

The first place that people look to experience the resurrection is in creation.

The rising sun, the coming of spring with its flowers blooming and birds singing.

But that experience of the resurrection is always passing away as autumn comes and turns into winter.

There must be a deeper and more lasting experience of the resurrection.

The second place we look then to experience the resurrection is in human love.

The love of family and friends.

The love we share with one another transforms us and transcends this world.

But friends move on and loved ones die, so this experience of the resurrection is limited as well.

There must be a deeper and more lasting experience of the resurrection.

This comes from only from the risen Christ dwelling within us.

Everyday; giving us life.

But then why do so few people experience the resurrection?

Because you cannot have your cake and eat it too.

We cannot love money, continue committing our favorite sins and giving God our leftovers and expect to experience the resurrection.

Those who live for themselves and for the things of this world will never experience the resurrection.

While those who die to themselves and the things of this world will!

That is what lent was supposed to be all about.

The degree to which we die to ourselves is the degree to which we will experience the resurrection.

Christ is not just a teacher who tells us to do good and avoid evil.

He is not just a healer of the sick.

He alone is the resurrection and the life.

He is eternal life for the dead and the dying.

He is new life for those who have found their old life meaningless and filled with despair.

For some, Easter is merely the beginning of spring.

For others, it is a yearly ritual of new clothes, going to Church and then out to brunch or dinner.

But for some like Mary Magdalene it is a time to search for the risen Lord for the tomb is empty.

For some like Peter and John it is time to believe for the tomb is empty.

It is a time to die to live for Christ.

For the world and its passing pleasures are as empty as the empty tomb.

God Bless

Good Friday

 Trading Places

Many years ago I visited a man who was both blind and deaf. 

Something must have happened to him later in life because he could talk but not see or hear. 

We communicated through a small typewriter. 

I would type a word and he could feel with his fingers the letters that I typed. 

At the end of our visit, I laid hands on him and prayed, as I did I thought to myself,

"Would I take his place?"

Would I become blind and deaf so that he could see and hear?

Would you?

Would any of us take the place of a homeless person so that they could have a home?

Would we take the place of a prisoner so that he could be free?

Would we take the place of someone in the hospital so that they could go home?

Would we take the place of someone who is dying so that she could live?

This is what God did!

In Jesus, God took our place on the cross so that we could live. 

He took on our sins and our guilt so that we could be forgiven. 

He took on our wounds and suffering so that we could be healed. 

So much does He love us. 

By the Cross, we know how much God loves us. 

The question is, "How much do we love God?"

And the answer is found in how much we love one another!

Holy Thursday

 

Giving Thanks.

On the Night He was Betrayed;

On the Night He would be denied;

On the Night He would be arrested;

On the Night before He would be rejected;

On the Night before he would be scourged, crowned with Thorns and Crucified.

What did Jesus do?

He gave Thanks!

Just imagine.

Before all of this unbelievable emotional and physical suffering,

He gave thanks!

He took the Bread and gave thanks.

Then He took the Chalice and gave thanks.

He did not complain:

He did not curse His Father;

He did not say, “Why Me?”

Rather He gave thanks!

In our darkest hour do we give thanks to God?

True Faith, Gives Thanks, always and everywhere.

Actually True Faith is revealed when we give thanks

In our darkest hour.

When we are betrayed.

When we are rejected;

When we are facing the greatest emotional and physical suffering of our lives.

For when we do Give Thanks at these times;

A tremendous sense of Peace comes over us.

For in the very act of giving thanks,

we realize that we are not alone.

And have never been alone.

That no rejection, suffering or death can ultimately overcome us,

For God is with us through it all.

As He has always been with us.

And so we come to this Mass and every Mass,

To Give thanks to God,

Always and Everywhere

God Bless

Wednesday of Holy Week

 

Who of us will betray Him? Mt. 26:14-25

For three years the Disciples walked with Jesus and hung on every word.

They saw Him heal the sick and raise the dead.

And now one of them is going to betray Him.

They looked around the room and said,

“Surely not I!”

We go to Church and hear His words in the readings;

We receive His Body and Blood at Mass.

Will one of us betray Him?

Will one of us deny that we know Him?

If the disciples were unsure;

How sure can we be?

God Bless

Tuesday of Holy Week

 

What will we lay down for Jesus? Jn. 13:21-38

Peter said that He would lay down his life for Jesus,

Only to deny Him when challenged if he knew Him.

What are we willing to lay down for Jesus?

what did we lay down for Jesus during Lent?

Some chocolate?

A few extra prayers?

Fish on Friday?

And yet what did Jesus lay down for us?

His very life!

God Bless

Monday of Holy Week

 

Pour out your heart. Jn. 12:1-11

Mary had a bottle of costly perfume that She poured out on the feet of Jesus.

It was the way she could pour out her heart to Jesus.

Judas however found a reason not to.

He found a reason to spend the money somewhere else.

What do we pour out for Jesus?

Do we pour out our heart and soul for Him,

Or like Judas do we come up with excuses

Why we should hold back

And save our hearts or spend our money somewhere else?

God Bless

Palm Sunday

 

Everyone was crying Hosanna, Hosanna to the Son of David;

Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord!

But Jesus knew different.

He knew they were going to cry,

Crucify Him, just a few days later.

All those people who were praising Him

On the Mount of Olives,

Were no where to be found a few days later.

As He was hanging on the cross,

On Mount Calvary.

Many claim to follow Jesus,

But most stop short of the cross.

What kind of Disciple are we?

Anyone can sing the Praises of God,

But a True Disciple stands at the foot of His cross.

As Jesus was entering into Jerusalem

To be rejected, suffer and die.

We are entering into Holy Week.

Peter denied Him;

Judas betrayed Him;

The other disciples left;

As we enter into Holy Week,

Now is a good time to reflect on what kind of disciple we are?

Friday 5th Week of Lent

 

Denounce him, Denounce him! Jer. 20:10-13

Jeremiah was a prophet

But that did not matter;

The people did not like what he had to say,

And so they denounced him.

Even his friends!

But the Lord was his champion,

Who raised him up.

There is a crowd of people nowadays,

Waiting to denounce everything anyone says.

But if we cling to Jesus and His Words,

He will be our champion,

Who will raise us up on the Last Day!

God Bless

Thursday 5th Week of Lent

The Lord Remembers His Covenant Forever Ps. 105

God made a Covenant with Abraham and His descendants that remains forever, never to be broken.

An oath He swore to Isaac and to Jacob His son.

And the Lord remembers His Covenant forever.

But do we?

Jesus has made a Covenant with us;

A New and Eternal Covenant;

That He sealed with His own Blood.

Do we keep our side of the Covenant?

Are Faithful to what we have promised at our Baptism?

Wednesday 5th Week of Lent

 

Standing in the Fire : Daniel 3:14-95

Shadrach, Mishach and Abednego found themselves in a hot situation, literally!!

For when they refused to worship

the god of King Nebuchadnezzar,

He had them thrown into the firey furnace.

But in the midst of the flames they prayed,

“Blessed are you O Lord!

Praiseworthy and glorious forever.”

Sometimes it is not possible to escape the firey flames of life.

When things get too hot to handle,

The best thing one can do

Is learn to stand in the fire,

And like Shadrach, Mishach and Abednego

Praise God for Sister Fire.

Tuesday 5th Week of Lent

 

Where do we belong? Jn. 8:21-30

Jesus told the Pharisees that He does not belong to what is below;

rather He belongs to what is above.

He does not belong to this world for He did not come from this world.

Where do we belong?

If we belong to what is above;

Then we need to lift up our gaze to Heaven.

If we do not belong to this world,

Then we need to stop living for the things of this world.

Jesus was lifted up on the cross,

So that we can keep our eyes on the things that are above

And not on the things that are below.

5th Monday of Lent

 

You are the Light of the world Mt. 5:14

Do not be ashamed!

Do not be afraid!

Do not hide your Faith!

We are the Light of the world.

If we are ashamed or afraid of or hide our Faith,

Then the world remains in darkness.

When a person is in darkness, however

Shining a bright light in their face only blinds them.

It is the same with Faith.

The Light of Faith that we shine for others to see,

Must therefore be gentle and loving,

Not condemning and judgmental.

If we want them to see.

The 5th Sorrowful Mystery

 

The Crucifixion and Death of Jesus

No one saw this coming.

Jesus was just another Jew.

Another prophet rejected by the elders.

Another criminal condemned by the Romans.

The soldiers had done this a hundred times and expected to be home for dinner.

But not until they had taken the spoils rolling dice for His clothes.

But they were all wrong.

2,000 yrs later the death of one man in the backwaters of the Roman Empire

On a small rocky hill has transformed the planet and the human race.

No one individual’s death has had such an impact

On every continent, in every country and culture and race.

And continues to do so.

There are those who continue to reject Him;

Who condemn His followers just as He was.

Who with revolution after revolution,

Sack their churches and imprison His disciples.

But He just won’t die as they hoped.

Jesus just won’t go away.

It is not money or power or prestige that attracts every age to Jesus.

It is His death on the cross.

And just when Christianity looks dead and gone.

Just when it has been buried as passé and medieval.

It rise up!

It resurrects!

No suffering, No persecution, No Mocking or Rejection,

Can overcome it.

That is the power of the Cross.

For those who embrace it,

ALWAYS Resurrect.