“For the Lamb that is in the center of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to springs of life-giving water” (Rev 7:17). On this Good Shepherd Sunday, we’re reminded of the loving care that Jesus provides for us. “We know that the Lord is God; he made us, his we are; his people, the flock he tends” (Ps 100:3). How do shepherds tend their sheep? They protect and defend them from harm. They…
In today’s Gospel, the disciples went fishing but caught nothing. Then, once Jesus directed them where to cast their net, they caught so many fish that they couldn’t lift it into the boat (Jn 21:5-6). Notice how Jesus addresses them: “Children, have you caught anything to eat?” (Jn 21:5). To whom do these children belong? To God, of course! When you were a very small child, you were completely dependent on your parents. You had…
How fitting that the first week after Easter Sunday is the Sunday of Divine Mercy. First we celebrate Christ’s powerful victory over sin and death, and then we celebrate His powerful mercy. Our call today is to accept and trust in God’s ocean of mercy and then pour it out for others. Divine Mercy means that God helps us when we are in distress: “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted, saves those whose spirit…
Alleluia! He is risen! Pope St. John Paul II said, “Do not abandon yourself to despair. We are Easter people and Alleluia is our song.” We are Easter people; hope is our Christian identity. We are not people of fear. We are courageous, hopeful, beloved sons and daughters of God. Our very identity is tied to the Resurrection. We are called to believe that Christ is truly risen, to feel it deep in our bones,…
What a beautiful Savior we have. God the Father didn’t send Jesus to appease His wrath and sentence us to death. Instead, Jesus came to save us: “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him” (Jn 3:17). Jesus holds the power of divine judgment (Jn 5:22-24). Dying for our sins to save us took more love and power than merely…
Imagine what the prodigal son must have looked like when he returned home. He wasn’t wearing his fine clothes or jewelry—he had probably pawned them off. He was dirty from tending the swine and walking for miles with no shoes. He may have even lost weight from lack of food. Even looking so unlike himself, his father recognized him “while he was still a long way off” (Lk 15:20). The son, who had once turned…
The Transfiguration of the Lord shows a powerful manifestation of the Holy Trinity. Peter, James, and John go with Jesus to Mt. Tabor to pray, and Jesus is transfigured: “his face changed in appearance and his clothing became dazzling white” (Lk 9:29). The glory of the Risen Christ was revealed. The veil of His humanity was lifted, showing His divine nature: “I am the light of the world” (Jn 8:12). The transfigured Jesus is light…
Jesus was “filled with the Holy Spirit” (Lk 4:1), which led Him into the desert. Are you ready to follow Him? The desert of Lent can seem a little overwhelming at the beginning. It’s hard to stare down forty mostly cold winter days. Most of us long for spring this time of year. We can’t wait to leave our coats at home, feel the sun on our faces, and see the daffodils cheerfully greeting us.…
“A good tree does not bear rotten fruit, nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit” (Lk 6: 43). What is this good fruit that Jesus speaks of in our Gospel today? Fruits of the Holy Spirit are “perfections that the Holy Spirit forms in us as the first fruits of eternal glory…[they are]: ‘charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control, chastity’” (CCC 1832). In the allegory of the Vine and…
We all know the golden rule: “Do to others as you would have them do to you” (Lk 6:31). Easier said than done, right? Notice that the rule is not, “Do to others as they deserve.” Thank goodness, because we don’t always deserve to receive mercy. We fail each other. We can be hurtful to others. We sin against God and each other. Even so, we’re called to “be merciful, just as your Heavenly Father…