Daily Reflections
Our Gospel readings this week are framed by two pivotal questions. The first question comes from the conclusion of Monday’s Gospel: “What can we do to accomplish the works of God?” It is asked by the crowds upon finding Jesus, and it shows a certain receptivity within them and a desire to do God’s…
In today’s reading from the Acts of the Apostles, we are told the story of the Ethiopian eunuch. He is reading from the prophet Isaiah, who is speaking of the Messiah to come. He does not know how to interpret Isaiah’s words, and Philip offers to explain them to him. He willingly accepts Philip’s…
In today’s Gospel, Jesus begins by stating, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.” His words are an echo of invitation. The same invitation he offered to the Samaritan woman, he now offers to the Jewish people who follow him.…
In the Gospel, we see a crowd of people asking Jesus for a sign. They are thinking about the manna in the desert, bread that filled their ancestors’ stomachs for a day but left them hungry again the next. Jesus challenges them to look higher, offering Himself as the “Bread of Life” that satisfies…
“Amen, amen, I say to you, you are looking for me not because you saw signs but because you ate the loaves and were filled. Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.” What made you go looking…
Did you notice that all the verbs the two disciples use to describe Jesus are in the past tense? They say: Jesus of Nazareth was a prophet, we hoped he’d redeem Israel, we found an empty tomb…. In a short three days, the movement that was their whole life became ancient history. Yet what…
“It is I. Do not be afraid.” These words of Christ to His disciples should give us strength. This is something that we hear often in the bible. Jesus’ words “Do not be afraid” have important implications for our daily lives. We are not called to live in fear, but called to live in…
“We humbly entreat you to dispose our hearts to offer you worthy prayer and ever extol you.” These words from today’s Collect (the prayer before the Liturgy of the Word) proclaim the reason for our joy in the resurrection. In the first reading, we hear that the apostles, after being flogged, rejoiced that they…
Today’s readings tell us that God is our priority, and the Gospel must be heard. It also tells us to take heart and trust God. We begin in Acts with the court officers questioning the apostles. They say, “We gave you strict orders, did we not, to stop teaching in that name.” And their…
In this reading, we hear that the Jewish Sanhedrin became jealous of the apostles’ popularity with the people. They haul the apostles into the public jail and prepare to convene a trial against them. In the night, the angel of the Lord frees the apostles and says, “Tell the people everything about this life.”…
Nicodemus comes to Jesus at night, and this simple detail already speaks to how many of us also approach in this manner. As St. Thomas Aquinas explains, Nicodemus is a man of faith, yet hesitant and cautious, approaching Christ with curiosity but also with uncertainty. Many of us can relate. We may seek God…
Today’s Gospel presents us with a puzzling dialogue between Jesus and Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader. The Pharisee comes to Our Lord and acknowledges His divine origins: “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one can do these signs that you are doing unless God is…
When Jesus appears in the locked room to the Eleven to show His victory over sin and death in bodily Resurrection, He brings about a re-creation. Notice what He does: He imparts His peace, breathes the Holy Spirit upon them, and then sends them in peace. Often in John’s gospel, we’re meant to see…
From Doubters to Evangelists. Peter and John were filled with zeal and faith as they stood before the Sanhedrin. They spoke boldly of Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, as they did on Pentecost. But shortly before, according to Mark’s gospel, they did not believe Mary Magdalen and the disciples returned from Emmaus when…
Jesus is the Cornerstone. Jesus is the stone rejected by the builders. Peter applies this commonly quoted passage from Psalm 118 to Jesus, and the meaning is clear. As with masons who reject a large ill-formed stone for building the wall of the building and yet find it perfectly suited for the more essential…
We are His Witnesses! Even though Jesus stands before his disciples as proof of the resurrection, he is not content to let their faith rest strictly on what their eyes can see and their hands can touch. It is important to him then, as it was on the road to Emmaus, to explain how…
God Raised Him Up! The reading from Acts today depicts Peter and John raising up a man crippled from birth. Peter is quick to say that it is “in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean” that this miracle is possible. That man’s lifelong physical disability represents our lifelong spiritual disability: we cannot progress…
We are Responsible for Christ’s Death. Peter repeats in this continuation of his Pentecost speech the accusation that his listeners have crucified the person whom God made both Lord and Christ. Peter knows full well that he denied Jesus and is as responsible for his death as any of his listeners. And so are…
God Sent His Son to Us. During this Octave, that is, eight days following Easter, the gospels at Mass express the amazement of the first witnesses to Christ’s resurrection, and the readings from the Acts of the Apostles record their spreading the Good News of our salvation after the coming of the Spirit at…
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…