The joy of conversion, Christian community, and the Catholic faith
Acts 5:27-32, 40b-41; Psalm 30:2-6, 11- 13; Revelation 5:11-14; John 21:1-19 The gospels record that Jesus appeared eight times from Easter Sunday until his Ascension. However, the last sentence of St. John, 21:25 says: But there are also many other things that Jesus did, and if every one of them was recorded, I do not think...
Isaiah 35:4-7a; Psalms 146:7-10; James 2:1-5; Mark 7:31-37 We shift gears again this week. Last week for me was difficult. Our brain is wired at conception as male or female. Yet there are influences that also come from our parental ancestral lines. The brain has not developed yet from that first cell. It continues to...
I Kings 19:4-8; Psalms 34; Ephesians 4:30–5:2; John 6:41-51 Again this week we continue reflecting on God providing us with his bread from heaven. The first reading dealt with Elijah fleeing from Jezebel’s forces that wanted to kill him. In his flight, he fell asleep under a broom tree. An angel woke him to eat...
Exodus 16:1-4, 12-15; Psalms 78:3-4, 23-25, 54; Ephesians 4:20-24; John 6:24-35 This week we continue reflecting on God providing us with his bread of life. Last week’s first reading dealt with a man who offered God and Elisha his firstfruits in the form of twenty barley loaves. Elisha ordered the loaves to be given to...
Acts 4:8-12; Ps 118:1, 8-9, 21-23, 26, 28-29; 1 John 3:1-2; John 10:11-18 My dear friends in Jesus Christ, peace and all good! In these Sundays after Easter we are reflecting on special images of Jesus, our Lord and Savior. We think of his resurrected presence on Easter until the Ascension. These special themes come...
Acts 8:5-8, 14-17; Ps 66:1-7, 16 and 20; 1 Peter 3:15-18; John 14:15-21 The readings this weekend give us a “snapshot” of the early Church development. The apostle Philip went north Samaria bringing good news about Jesus our Savior. When they heard him and saw the healings and deliverances from evil spirits Philip was doing...
Isaiah 58:7-10; Ps 112:4-9; 1 Corinthians 2:1-3; Matthew 5:13-16 God’s light is a major theme throughout our Bible. It is mentioned 77 times from Genesis to Revelation. As God was creating the universe and our earth, he said in Genesis 1:3, “Let there be light,” and there was light as opposed to darkness. Light on...
Acts 2:1-11; Ps 104:1, 24, 29-31, 34; 1 Corinthians 12:3b-11; John 20:19-23; John 14:15-16, 23b-26 Pentecost is the completion of the Easter celebrations. Jesus had finished his work of personally showing us God’s love and dying to take away our sins. Our Father showed us that he accepted the sacrifice of Jesus by raising him...