Christ indeed from death is risen, our new life obtaining. – Easter Sequence Alleluia! Jesus is risen! Happy Easter! This Sunday we celebrate the feast of the victory of Jesus over the powers of death. Death seems so frightening and final, like nothing can stop its grip on us. On the surface, seeing only with worldly eyes, it seems like death has the final word. But Jesus’ resurrection from the dead is the true victory.…
Have you ever been lonely? Have loved ones abandoned you in your greatest need? Sit next to Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane, with drops of His precious blood falling on the ground as His disciples sleep outside (Luke 22:39-46; Mark 14:32-42). Have trusted ones betrayed you? Your dearest friends denied you in their selfishness? Stand next to Jesus, betrayed with Judas’ kiss and looking on as Peter curses Him (Luke 22: 46; Luke 54-61;…
…when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself. – John 12:32 All people belong to Jesus. Everyone. Not just Christians, all of mankind. He is King of the Universe, after all! In our Gospel passage for this Sunday (John 12:20-33), notice Jesus’s curious reaction after Andrew and Philip told Him that some Greeks wanted to speak with Him: “Jesus answered them: ‘The hour has come for the Son of…
For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. – John 3:16 Surely this is a Bible verse to commit to memory if ever there was one. But why is this verse so famous? I believe it’s because it reveals some very important truths in one succinct sentence. It tells us why Jesus came to us and…
Jesus “did not need anyone to testify about human nature. He himself understood it well.” – John 2:25 In the last line of our Gospel passage this Sunday*, St. John tells us that Jesus knows our human nature. What does he mean by this? For one, Jesus knew how fickle the crowds in Jerusalem were. They were coming to believe in Him because of the signs He was doing (John 2:23). Because He is God…
Jesus took Peter, James, and John and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves. And he was transfigured before them… -Mark 9:2 The Transfiguration of Jesus (Mark 9:2-12) is an astonishing event to consider. It might seem so fantastical that it’s difficult to get your mind around what happened that day on Mt. Tabor. Or maybe you’ve heard this passage so many times that some of the wonder and awe have worn off,…
Beloved: Christ suffered for sins once, the righteous for the sake of the unrighteous, that he might lead you to God. – 1 Peter 3:18 When I think of a desert, I imagine a desolate place with no clear paths marked out for traveling. Just a wide expanse of sand or rocks without water or many plants or wildlife. It’s a place one could easily get lost. The desert of Lent can feel the same…
He shall dwell apart, making his abode outside the camp. – Leviticus 13:46 Our healing theme from last week continues this week as Jesus heals a man with leprosy (Mark 1:40-45). This disease was so contagious that those who suffered from it were forced to live by themselves and endured social and religious exclusion. Our first reading from Sunday shows this clearly: “As long as the sore is on him he shall declare himself unclean,…
He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. Psalm 147:3 This time of winter is always a little “low” for me. Can you relate? The weather is often cold and dreary, although we’ve had some really nice days lately. Illnesses, stress, and grief seem to weigh on our hearts a little harder in February. It leaves me wondering what happened to all that Christmas joy from just a few weeks ago? It seems to…
He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him. Mark 1:27 There are many accounts in Mark’s Gospel where demons or unclean spirits obey Jesus. Mark 3:11 tells us that “whenever unclean spirits saw him they would fall down before him and shout, ‘You are the Son of God.’” Chapter 5 shows Jesus commanding the many demons called “Legion” out of the Gerasene Demoniac (Mark 5:1-20). As we travel through Mark in this year’s…