Sunday, April 27, 2014

What do Aspirin and the Eucharist have in Common?

What do aspirin and the Eucharist have in common?   

Unfortunately, most of the time, not much.

You see, we take aspirin consciously thinking about the effect it will have on us.  We have great confidence that it will change something within us.  Ease pain.  Reduce fever.  Etc. Etc.

But how often do we think about the Eucharist with that same confidence and expectation?

How often do we truly think about how it will cleanse our soul, strengthen our spirit, and fill us with Christ?


God Bless you.

Monday, April 21, 2014

Post-Easter Smile

Post-Easter let down?

Here is a quick joke to put a smile on your face:

A friend of Joseph of Arimathea asked him why he gave his new tomb to that man called Jesus.

Joseph replied "Oh it wasn't an problem ... He only needed it for the weekend."



God Bless you.

Sunday, April 20, 2014

Easter Light

At our Easter Vigil Mass, we have a tradition where the Church is kept dark to start.  

The new Paschal Candle is lit outside, and brought into the Church.  The priest lights his candle from that, and then lights the deacon's.  The deacon lights the alter servers' candles, and they in turn light the candles of the folks in the first pews.  Those folks light the candles near them, and so forth and so on.  One by one you can see the light being passed from one parishoner to the next.  Within five minutes, the previously dark church is aglow in beautiful light.  

It is a powerful symbol of the joy of Easter.

Much like the earliest disciples (Mary Magdalene included) learned of Jesus' resurrection and passed it on, we too are called to do the same.  

In fact, it is an important reminder that Easter is just the beginning of our year-long calling to spread God's word.

I wish you and your families a very Blessed Easter!  Please pray for the conversion of many today.

God Bless you.

Sunday, April 13, 2014

Two words in the Passion that say quite a bit

There are two specific words in the Matthew's Passion that speak volumes.

The first is Rabbi.

Matthew tells us in one of his earlier gospels (Mt 23:7-8) that Jesus is not a fan of the term Rabbi.  And yet, Judas calls Christ this twice in today's reading.  

First, Jesus tells his Disciples that one of them will betray Him.  Matthew tells us that they all begin to ask "Surely it is not I, Lord?"   Only Judas asks Christ, "Surely it is not I, Rabbi?"  Perhaps the weight of what he was about to do was so great, that he could not bring himself to use the term Lord. Or perhaps it was his way of showing that, in the moment, he was no longer a believer. 

The other time Judas uses this term is later that night, in the garden. Just before he betrays our Lord with the kiss, he proclaims "Hail, Rabbi!"

And here is where the second specific word is used.

In response to this, Jesus says something unbelievable. 

He says, "Friend, do what you have come for."

Jesus was just betrayed by Judas - to the point of a horrific death.  And He still greeted him with the word friend.  Not Judas.  Not traitor.  Not a word unfit for this blog. 

Friend.

It is a word we glance over as we read the pivotal pieces of the Passion.  But it speaks volumes to the love and forgiveness of our Savior.

I hope you have a very Blessed Holy Week.

Sunday, April 6, 2014

God's Time ≠ Our Time

There was one sentence in John's Gospel about Lazarus that stood out at me today.

Mary and Martha find Jesus and tell Him that Lazarus is very ill.  Yet, despite the fact that Jesus' friend - one He loves - is about to die, John tells us that Christ "remained for two days in the place He was".  

Another reminder for us that God will work His miracles, and reveal His story, on His timeline.  Not our human one.    

I hope you are having a Blessed Lent.