The first disciples did not have the gift of hindsight, as we do: “For they did not yet understand the Scripture that he had to rise from the dead” (John 20:9). Jesus said that He would rise again (Mark 9:31), but His disciples had to live through His crucifixion and those deathly quiet hours afterward without knowing what would happen next and armed with only their faith. We can use our Gospel imagination to suppose…
Our world is facing an unprecedented threat from the Coronavirus outbreak. We are facing our own mortality; we are witnessing how fragile we truly are. We are facing the possibility of death itself. We have been forced to let go of our own plans and instead trust in the Lord (Psalm 130: 5-6). It’s easy to hear frightening news and despair, and it’s natural to be afraid. But as Christians, we have hope in Christ.…
Spring is so close! If you look closely, you’ll start to see plants poking up through the late-winter ground: crocuses, daffodil and tulip greens, and garden mums coming to life anew. Gardeners sometimes call this time of year the “greening of the gardens.” It’s exciting to see spring changes, like longer days, the warmer sun, birdsongs returning, and signs of growth all around us. Lent is a wonderful time for our own spiritual change and…
Considering death is difficult; we may feel like pushing the subject away. But the Church, in her wisdom, sets aside November as a month where we can have a safe space to think about “the last things:” death, judgment, heaven, hell, the saints, the poor souls in purgatory, the death of this age, and Christ’s second coming in glory. In this Sunday’s Gospel reading, the Sadducees challenged Jesus about the resurrection of the body. What…
Scripture tells us that St. Mary Magdalen had a special devotion to Christ’s precious feet. She wept over and anointed His feet in contrition for her sins. She humbly sat at His feet, listening to every word of His teaching. She stood courageously at the foot of His cross, bearing the weight of His passion. What a humble devotion, to worship at the feet of our Lord. “How beautiful are the feet upon the mountains…
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,…