Acts 1: 1-11; Eph 1: 17-23, Mark 16: 15-20 Dear Sisters and Brothers, Today we celebrate Christ’s Ascension into heaven. He has completed his mission by fulfilling his father’s will. So, as a good son, He has returned to render a full account of his work to his father. As Christ’s disciple, we [...]
Sixth Sunday of Easter Acts 10: 25-26, 34-35, 44-48, 1Jn 4:7-10, Jn 15, 9-17 Dear Sisters and Brothers, I once met a man who told me he had declared war on his pastor because he allows people to receive communion in the hand standing rather than on the tongue kneeling. “They are denying [...]
Fifth Sunday of Easter Acts 9:26-31, 1 Jn 3:18-24 3:18-24, Jn 15:1-8 Dear Sisters and Brothers, We are invited today to consider our belonging to the Lord and to the Church. The first reading immediately presents us with a picture of Saul. Newly converted to Jesus, provoking fear in the Christian community at [...]
Fourth Sunday of Easter Acts 13:14, 43-52, Rev 7:9, 14-17, Jn 10:27-30 Dear Sisters and Brothers, In the Good Shepherd We Understand the Priesthood: Today is World Day of Prayer for Vocations, a day that Christians are invited to reflect on the meaning of God’s call and to pray for vocations. To help [...]
Third Sunday of Easter Acts 3:13-15, 17-19 1 Jn 2:1-5 Lk 24:35-48 Dear Sisters and Brothers, We move further into the Easter celebrations today. Our readings, especially the first reading and the Gospel, are very clear. If we want to understand Jesus Christ, we must know the Scriptures of our ancestors in the [...]
Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of the Lord Acts 10:34a, 37-43, Col 3: 1-4, Jn 20:1-9 Dear Sisters and Brothers, The coach of a team lagging behind in score would usually yell these words of encouragement to his players on the court: “Boys, let’s do it! It’s not over till it’s over.” And [...]
Palm Sunday Is 50:4-7, Phil 2:6-11, Mk 14:1-15:47 Dear Sisters, and Brothers, The second reading today, from the Letter to the Philippians, says almost all that can be said and helps us understand the other two readings, especially the long Gospel of the Passion of Jesus. Jesus chooses to suffer for [...]
Fifth Sunday of Lent B Jer 31:31-34, Heb 5:7-8, Jn 12:20-33 Dear Sisters and Brothers, The Priesthood of Jesus and Our Priesthood: There is a story about a little bird that was trying to fly to warmer climate in order to escape the winter cold. On the way the bird encountered a snow storm. [...]
Fourth Sunday of Lent 2 Chronicles 36:14-16, 19-23, Ephesians 2:4-10, John 3:14-21 Dear Sisters and Brothers, Today we celebrate the Fourth Sunday of Lent. Lent is a forty-day season of fasting, abstinence and penance. It is a season that is stricter, in this sense, than the rest of the year. But it is [...]
Third Sunday of Lent Ex 20:1-17, 1 Cor 1:22-25, Jn 2:13-25 Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ, We are temples of the Holy Spirit. Christ cleanses the physical temple in Jerusalem of all that is not leading people to God. We ourselves must be cleansed of all that does not lead us [...]