Daily Reflections

  In today’s gospel passage, Jesus says to us, “Amen, amen I say to you, no slave is greater than his master nor any messenger than the one who sent him.” Jesus is speaking to us disciples, reminding us that we are not greater than he is. We should note the context in which Jesus…

  Today we celebrate the feast of the Apostle Matthias. St. Matthias is unique in that he was not listed among the original Twelve. Rather, he was chosen to fill the spot among the Twelve left vacant when Judas Iscariot chose to betray the Lord with a kiss. The first reading, from the Acts of…

  During the season of Easter, the first reading for weekday masses are taken from Acts of the Apostles. We basically read straight through that book during this liturgical season. Last week, on Monday and Tuesday (May 5th and 6th) we read about the ministry and martyrdom of St. Stephen, which stirred up what was…

  Today’s gospel ends with Jesus saying, “I came that [my sheep] might have life and have it more abundantly.” This is similar to a phrase attributed to the 2nd Century Doctor of the Church, St. Irenaeus, “the glory of God is a human being fully alive.” A constant theme throughout scripture is that sin…

  In today’s brief gospel passage, Jesus is speaking about his sheep. In this midst of this, he asserts, “No one can take [my sheep] out of my hand.” The implication is that he has a tight grip on us. He makes a similar assertion about the Father’s hand, that no one can take them…

  There is a difference between a pick-up basketball player and an NBA player. A person who tickles the ivories from time to time will never become a concert pianist. One merely dabbles at something; the other devotes the time and energy necessary to know a thing thoroughly. Many of Jesus’ disciples were having difficulty…

  Today’s reading from the Acts of the Apostles recalls two of the most famous conversion stories ever. Although Saul was born in Tarsus, he was raised in the city of Jerusalem. He was an intelligent and ambitious young man, trained in the Jewish faith under the famous Gamaliel. No doubt he was aware of…

  Good things can come from bad situations. Phillip, one of many Christians who left Jerusalem following the persecution and death of Stephen, went into Samaria, an area and a people looked upon with disdain. (That is why the story of the good Samaritan made such an impression.) However, through the work of the Holy…

  Stephen’s murder caused panic among the small community of believers. Several of them escaped Jerusalem and headed north toward Samaria. Their fear did not prevent them from speaking of Jesus, however. The Holy Spirit worked many miracles through Philip, in particular, who proclaimed Jesus to very receptive audiences. Jesus did the will of his…

  The martyrdom of Stephen is often compared with the passion and death of Jesus. Jesus’ prayer for his persecutors, “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do” (Luke 23: 34) is similar to Stephen’s prayer, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them” (Acts 7: 60). Likewise, Stephen’s plea, “Lord Jesus, receive my…

  Evangelization (the proclamation of the Good News of Jesus Christ and the response of a person in faith) has never been more necessary than today. The heart of evangelization is being centered on Christ so much as to want to learn about him (i.e., reading Holy Scripture), internalize what is learned (i.e., through prayer…

  Peter spoke before the Sanhedrin. The high priest then had him flogged and threatened him with imprisonment if he continued to speak in the name of Jesus. But what else could he do? Jesus had changed his life. Simon’s brother, Andrew, introduced him to Jesus. Before Simon could say a word, Jesus renamed him…

  Does doing something over time grow old? Yes, it does. That’s why many professionals in various fields have continuous education. It’s a way for them to firmly secure the work that they do. Now how about our faith? Do things in our faith get old? Does our faith get dry? Yes, it does. And…

  No excuses! Jesus performs one of his great signs in our gospel today by feeding the crowds of people who had been following him. Jesus turned a couple of loaves of bread and fish into enough bread and fish for thousands of people. It’s a great lesson for us to see the abundance of…

  King David in our Responsorial Psalm today proclaims, “Taste and see how good the Lord is; blessed the man who takes refuge in Him.” In the modern world that we live in today, everything we want is at our fingers. Anything that we need is easy to get. We fall prey to these things,…

  As young kids, what were we told when we did something wrong? Weren’t we told, “don’t do that again?” In our first reading today, the Apostles were thrown into the jail cells because the Sadducees said that the Apostles were doing wrong! God’s soldiers, the angels, freed the Apostles from their jail cells and…

  What is the easiest, shortest route to take? Isn’t that the question we ask ourselves when we go on a journey? It is for me. And when I’m giving driving directions to someone, it’s exactly what I consider. In our gospel, I think this is what Nicodemus is trying to look for. He’s basically…

  Jesus uses an expression with Nicodemus today in our gospel that Nicodemus finds puzzling. Jesus tells him that one must be born from above to the enter the Kingdom. This was an image Jesus was using to communicate the newness one will experience when they take on this new identity, this new form that…

  When a child does something wrong, and they know that they have done something wrong, what does the child do? They go and hide. Why does a child hide? Because the child knows what they did was wrong and they are scared of getting punished and being embarrassed because they’ve been caught red handed.…

  Jesus’ appearances to his disciples following his resurrection were very powerful and emotional moments. To have a loved one return from the dead would bring out in us reactions very similar to Mary Magdelene’s, the two travelers to Emmaus, and the disciples. But the long-term effect would be deeper and more meaningful. St. Paul,…

  Jesus frequently comes to persons through normal everyday events. A simple conversation while fishing. A suggestion to try something different to improve the chances for a catch. Breakfast afterwards. All of the senses (sight, touch, taste, hearing, and smell) combine to gradually unveil the truth: Jesus is in our midst. He has now appeared…

  News about the resurrection of Jesus spread very slowly. Mary Magdelene was the first to hear and then to see him. The realization eventually also dawned upon the travelers to Emmaus. The disciples in Jerusalem came to know of both events. Still they, too, were startled, terrified, and troubled when Jesus appeared to them.…

  The burial of a loved one is sobering. When the body is lowered into the tomb and earth covers it, reality sets in. Two men were still trying to make sense Jesus’ death as they walked to Emmaus. He was really gone. Why did all these things happen? And now there are rumors that…

  St. John’s telling of Mary Magdelene at Jesus’ tomb lacks some of the drama of St. Matthew’s version yesterday. In place of a great earthquake, Mary is simply weeping. The depth of her grief over the empty tomb is such that she is neither startled by two angels who are nearby, nor does she…

  The Gospel readings at Mass this week will be taken from each of the four Evangelists. Through them, we will relive what the followers of Christ experienced immediately after his crucifixion and burial. The first readings at Mass this week are all from the Acts of the Apostles, and they begin after the Holy…