Lenten Resources

  Baptism into Christ When James and John asked to sit on either side of the glorious reigning Jesus, he asked them, “Can you drink the cup that I drink or be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” (Mark 10:38) This Easter, Jesus asks us the same: “Can YOU drink the cup…

  We reach the end of Holy Week with what has been called the “Mother of all Vigils.” By its very nature, the ancient and unfolding power of the Easter Vigil begins with its own light show. A blazing new fire pierces the evening darkness, and the regal Paschal Candle is lighted. The solemn procession…

  The movement began with the journey to Jerusalem, leading down the palm-strewn streets of Jerusalem, the festive upper room, the garden of Gethsemani, the torture chambers, and the mocking judgment seat of Pontius Pilate, has finally come to the ultimate marker, the sign of the Cross. We can choose to follow this journey as…

  As we listen to the liturgical readings for today, Holy Thursday, I suggest that there is a connecting theme. The theme is movement with a purpose. Notice how the Israelites are called to prepare to move in the Old Testament Passover story. After gathering as families for the ritual meal and its special food…

  We can hardly imagine the task of the early Christian liturgists of the Second and Third centuries. They had to attempt to collect and arrange the citations from the Old and New Testaments for the Holy Week liturgies. Certainly, no cut-and-paste possibilities in those days! Setting aside the question of “how” these readings were…

  The tension of Holy Week continues to build as the opposing poles of good and evil produce sparks that flash in the darkness. Historically, this Tuesday of Holy Week was often called “Spy Tuesday” in reference to Judas taking the step to leave the table and his fraternity to betray Jesus, his rabbi and…

  Modern pictures of outer space continue to amaze us, but no longer shock us. Today, with modern astronomy, we can see both the birth and the death of a star. Today, in the first reading, the Prophet Isaias provides an inspired long-distance look at the future Servant of God. This inspired vision describes in…

  When making a long road trip with little ones in the back seat, you can almost bet that sooner or later, the all-important question will come flying up to the front: “Are we there yet?” Apart from typical preschool curiosity and impatience, it could easily be one of the most foundational questions asked at…

  The prophet Ezekiel speaks to a people whose national life has been shattered. Israel has been scattered, divided, and weakened. Yet God promises something remarkable: “I will gather them from all the lands… and make them one nation.” What was broken will be restored; what was divided will be made whole again. This promise…

  The prophet Jeremiah gives voice to a familiar human pain: being falsely accused. He says, “I hear the whisperings of many: ‘Terror on every side! Denounce him! Let us denounce him!’” His enemies hope to trap him and bring him down. Yet amidst this suffering, Jeremiah makes a remarkable confession of faith: “But the…

  In today’s Gospel, Jesus makes a striking promise: “Whoever keeps my word will never see death.” Those listening immediately object. Abraham died, the prophets died—so how can Jesus say such a thing? But Jesus is speaking about a deeper kind of life. Throughout this week, we have heard how life comes through hearing and…

  Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Annunciation, the moment when the angel Gabriel appears to Mary and announces that she will bear the Son of God. At the center of this scene is a simple but decisive moment: Mary’s response. After hearing the angel’s message, she says, “Behold, I am the handmaid of…

  In today’s Gospel, Jesus makes a striking and mysterious statement: “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will realize that I AM.” To those listening, this was not simply a phrase. It echoed the divine name revealed to Moses at the burning bush—the name of God himself. Jesus is revealing something…

  In today’s Gospel, a woman caught in adultery is brought before Jesus. The accusation is public, humiliating, and seemingly final. The scribes and Pharisees believe the case is already decided: the Law says she should be stoned. Her sin has defined her, and in their eyes, there is no future for her. But Jesus…

  In today’s Gospel, we hear one of the most moving moments in the life of Jesus: the raising of Lazarus. By the time Jesus arrives in Bethany, Lazarus has already been in the tomb for four days. Martha says it plainly: “Lord, by now there will be a stench; he has been dead four…

  Today is a great day in the Benedictine world! Today, our dear Holy Father St. Benedict left this world and went to be with God whom he loved and served! Today, if my dear grandmother lived but one more year, she would have been 100 years young today! Plus, this is a Name Day…

  “They tried to arrest Jesus, but no one laid a hand upon him, because his hour had not yet come.” Jesus knows when the hour will come, when he is to be lifted from the earth and finally recognize who he truly is. They say he is from Nazareth, thinking he was born from…

  Today, on my mother’s side of the family (the Italian side), is a big day—St. Joseph Day! Italians value family. But with an Italian family, it is all about blood. My great-grandfather, Salvatore (Sam), always wanted a big family. He and my great-grandmother ,Mary, had four children. At the time of my mother’s birth…

  In the gospel reading today, we hear, “Jesus answered the Jews: My Father is at work until now, so I am at work. For this reason they tried all the more to kill him, because he not only broke the sabbath but he also called God his own father, making himself equal to God.”…

  A very happy feast day of St. Patrick! Today, in our Burkhart family, our little saint was born back in 1965! It was VERY exciting for the Irish family! My grandmother had a baby girl named Mary Joel. She was lively, full of energy and love! On the night of January 4, 1966, when…

  Jesus goes into Cana of Galilee for the first time since his public ministry began. Coming from Samaria, he saw that he wasn’t wanted there since that is where he was from. They all thought he was crazy. Their hearts were hard and like stone, and there was no light in those hearts—nothing but…

  This is a great week, and I am very blessed to be giving these reflections this week! I like to think it is “party week” in Lent. First, we have today, Laetare Sunday, our halfway point to Easter Sunday. We have St. Patrick, then every Italian’s favorite saint, Venerable Father St. Joseph, then finally…

  Jesus’ parable of the tax collector and the Pharisee is designed to make us feel uneasy. It should; that was precisely his intention! Lent is the ideal season to hold a mirror to our inner lives and examine our true attitudes toward prayer.  As Catholics, we often take on the practice of good works…

  Today’s Gospel from Mark begins with the profound words of the Shema, the traditional prayer placed on the doorpost of every Jewish home: “Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with…

  “If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts” (Ps 95:8). This powerful psalm refrain acts as a central theme woven throughout today’s liturgy. In the first reading, the prophet Jeremiah delivers a clear, direct message from the Lord: “Listen to my voice; then I will be your God and you shall be…

  The Book of the Law (Torah) was the foundation for the faith of ancient Israel. God established a sacred covenant with His chosen people, setting them apart as His unique possession, promising them a land flowing with milk and honey, and offering divine protection. As their side of the agreement, the Israelites were pledged…

  Today, we hear the famous interchange between Jesus and Peter on the topic of forgiveness. “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?” (Mt 18:21). Peter probably thought he was being generous by suggesting that one should forgive up to seven times. After all,…

  Today’s opening reading shares the narrative of Naaman, a Syrian military leader afflicted with leprosy. Naaman, an outsider to Israel, reluctantly seeks out Elisha, the prophet, to find a remedy for his dreaded disease. Skeptical that the prophet’s simple directive to bathe in the Jordan River seven times could result in healing, he departs…

  As we enter the third week of Lent, the Church invites us on a journey, walking alongside the catechumens preparing for Baptism at Easter. The Sunday readings of Year A are designed to deepen our longing for the “living water” promised to them—and to remind us of the grace given to us in our…

  Jesus says: Celebrate… for this son of mine was dead and has come to life. This parable is probably one of the most familiar in all of Scripture. The younger son wants more. He wants his inheritance now. He wants to have a good time with the money that will come to him. The…

  Jesus says: “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone…” Today, Jesus can’t be clearer in his message to the chief priests and the Pharisees. The Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to others who will produce its fruit. From the beginning of his preaching, he will…

  Jesus says: Listen to Moses and prophets The people of Jesus’ time were eagerly awaiting the Messiah, the “Anointed One.” From the fall of Adam and Eve, God promised he would send a Savior, and the people throughout the intervening years were always looking, always wondering when it would happen. But they were like…

  Jesus asks: “Can you drink the chalice that I am going to drink?” One of the most difficult lessons the child has to learn is that he or she cannot have everything they want or do everything they want to do. In other words, NO is a hard word to understand and accept. That…

  Jesus says: The greatest is your servant. We have a saying at the Abbey: “If you want to know what’s going on, ask a novice!” Novices are not servants, not thought of as slave labor, but they often are expected to do some of the menial chores around the monastery: empty the trash, clean…

  Jesus says: Stop judging… I have noticed something about myself that I really don’t like. I tend to judge by appearances. I see somebody, and I immediately assume that I know something about them. Worse yet, I am the Monastery Porter, and I answer the phone. Someone calls, and just from the sound of…

  Lent has begun, and though the ashes may have faded from our foreheads, we are still a people yearning for God’s mercy. But there is something different about this Sunday and even about this week. We hear words from God the Father. Usually in the Gospels, we hear God’s silence; he seems to be…

  “You have heard that it was said, you shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you.” (Today’s Gospel from Matthew) G. K. Chesterton once wrote that, “The Bible tells us to love our neighbors, and also to love our…

  “Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift.” (Today’s Gospel from Matthew) In today’s gospel, Jesus tells us to reconcile with…