relating to liturgy or public worship
Commissioned by Christ (Ascension, celebrated on Sunday in many dioceses: Acts 1:1-11; Ephesians 4:1-13; Mark 16:15-20.) The conclusion of Mark’s Gospel, which we read today, seems to combine Luke’s story of the Ascension with Matthew’s account of Jesus’ command to proclaim the Gospel to all the world. The commission has…
Loved and Chosen (6th Sunday of Easter: Acts 10:25-48; 1 John 4:7-10; John 15:9-17) Jesus tells his disciples, “It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain.” They already knew that, of course, but now, on the…
Fruit of Vine or Tree (5th Sunday of Easter: Acts 9:26-31; 1 John 3:18-24; John 15:1-8) Jesus, drawing on a sight familiar to anyone in his day, describes himself as a vine and his disciples as branches in the Father’s vineyard. For us, he might have used a different metaphor, a…
The Lord is my… (4th Sunday of Easter: Acts 4:8-12; 1 John 3:1-2; John 10:11-18) Most of us, if asked to finish the above title phrase, would say: Shepherd. We might even be surprised that today, often called “Good Shepherd Sunday,” we do not have the Twenty-third Psalm as our responsorial….
Come Closer (3rd Sunday of Easter: Acts 3:13-19; 1 John 2:1-5; Luke 24:35-48) Today’s title quotes Mary’s first words to the children at La Salette. She adds, “Don’t be afraid.” We recognize the pattern, in reverse, from the Scriptures. In last Sunday’s Gospel, Thomas was invited to come so close as…
Impossible? (2nd Sunday of Easter: Acts 4:32-35; 1 John 5:1-6; John 20:19-31) For the Apostle Thomas one thing was certain: Jesus was dead and buried. Therefore, it was simply impossible that the others had seen him alive. The doors of his mind were shut even tighter than those of the place…
Bystanders No More (Easter: Acts 10:34-43; Colossians 3:1-4 OR 1 Corinthians 5:6-8; John 20:1-9) Holy Week can be experienced as a journey or, better still, a pilgrimage, to the empty tomb. The Commemoration of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday, and of his Passion on Good Friday, and especially the…
Voluntary Humiliation (Palm Sunday: Mark 11:1-10; Isaiah 50:4-7; Philippians 2:6-11; Mark 14–15) Jesus anticipated the acclamation of the admiring crowd. He even arranged for a mount so as to be more visible. The people were thrilled to welcome him as their leader, their hero. Jesus accepted it all. He also…
Going Back up to Jerusalem (4th Sunday of Lent: 2 Chronicles 36:14-23; Ephesians 2:4-10; John 3:14-21) Cyrus, the King of Persia, respected the cultures and religions of the peoples under his rule. But he must have received some sort of revelation from the God of Israel, for he wrote, “All…
The Lord Our God (3rd Sunday of Lent: Exodus 20:1-17; 1 Corinthians 1:22-25; John 2:13-25) Do you remember what God said when Moses asked him his name? The Lord answered categorically, “I am who am,” and told Moses to tell the people, “I AM sent me to you.” Today we read,…
