Remain in me, as I remain in you. John 15:4 What does it mean to “remain” in Jesus? And what does it mean that Jesus “remains” in us? The word “remain” occurs eight times in our Gospel reading for this Sunday (John 15:1-8). In the allegory of the Vine and the Branches, Jesus teaches His disciples what it means to be in union with Him. We are called to be one with each other and…
I am the good shepherd. A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. John 10:11 Imagine a little lost sheep, all beat up and stuck in the brambles of the wilderness. She wandered away from the flock and now lost, hungry, hurt, and afraid, she is in need of someone to save her. She can’t save herself this time. Sheep are known for straying off like this. When we sin, our souls “stray…
Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you can see I have. Luke 24:39 These words should shock you: “God is dead.” Philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche wrote these famous words in criticism of morality and religion. He wrote, “the belief in the Christian God has become unbelievable,” and everything that was “built upon this faith, propped up…
Let those who fear the Lord say, ‘His mercy endures forever.’ Psalm 118:4 This week we celebrate the Sunday of Divine Mercy, God’s immense, steadfast love and compassion for His people. The word ‘mercy’ comes from the Latin word misericordia. You can break that word down into miseria, meaning misery, and cor, meaning heart. Mercy, then, is the compassion that we share with another due to their suffering–we suffer with them in our hearts. Here’s…
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;…
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 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…
Jesus said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Then they abandoned their nets and followed him. – Mark 1:17-18 Has God ever come along and changed everything in your life? Maybe it was a decision that caused you to move away from your home to take a new job in a new city. Or perhaps a family member needed your help, and you had to rearrange your life…
“Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.” -Psalm 40:8-9 The Psalm often gives us a hint at the “theme” of the readings during Mass. It is usually sung or simply chanted and allows us to meditate on the theme by engaging our bodies and hearts in a different way. When we sing sacred music, we use our body, mind, and spirit together to praise God. The Psalm should focus our hearts and…