The Book of Revelation is mysterious with strange and abstract imagery that does not seem to have much relevance to our lives. Yet in this time of pandemic perhaps it is truly revealing something important and critical for us.
Do you want to go to heaven? We are invited to the heavenly communion with God - into the very life of Trinitarian Communion at every Mass. The Mass makes heaven present to us and invites us in. What do you say - want to come?
We are perhaps more in tune with sacrifice in these challenging days. Yes it is challenging to accept these current difficulties of isolation, threat of sickness and death. Yet our willing acceptance is the way to save the world!
Jesus does not ration the gift of the Holy Spirit. John's Gospel brings us these consoling words of Jesus today to remind us that though we are physically isolated from the Sacraments, we are never spiritually isolated from the Holy Spirit beyond our will.
We all at different times in our lives experience aches and pains. During this pandemic any ache or pain brings the added concern of, "could this be the coronavirus?" Yet there is one ache that we have always had and one that no earthly doctor or medicine can cure. The ache for Jesus!
"My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?" We are an Easter people and we are in the Easter season so why does it feel like we are still on the cross with Jesus?
Divine mercy experienced through the essential connection between the sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Eucharist. We console our Savior when we come regularly to the sacrament of Reconciliation. Thus preparing us for a more intimate communion with Jesus in the Eucharist.
The Easter A-word is back! A truly glorious word and now we don't have to worry about saying the forbidden word. Yes the A-word, or Alleluia, has returned and we can say it again with liturgical correctness and without correction!
Why are you weeping? Perhaps we weep because of this lock-down, or because people we know are suffering and sick, and many are dying. This certainly gives us good reason to weep...and yet we must rejoice, but why?
The resurrected Jesus came immediately after His resurrection to those who believed in Him. He desires to come to us, today, who also believe in Him. Are we joy-filled at this wonderful news? Are we ready to encounter our Risen Lord? Come let us prepare our hearts to receive Him!
"No one has greater love than this than to lay down one's life for one's friends". Jesus our model, our guide, our friend and Savior, strengthen us to have the courage to lay down our lives for you and others.
I spy with my little eye somethings silver. Perhaps this was a version of the I spy game that we see happening in the Gospel account today. Judas's interior eye spying money and allowing it to lead him to betray the Lord. What is our interior eye spying for as we prepare for these holiest of days?
Poor Judas gets all the attention and negative criticism for his betrayal, yet he was not the only one to betray our Lord. Peter the leader is also guilty along with nearly all the rest. We also know that at various times we betray Jesus. So what do both Peter and Judas teach us?