Monthly Archives: April 2013

The Upper Room

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2nd SunSt-thomas5day of Easter – Year C: John 20:19-31 – Jesus Appears to the Disciples in the Upper Room

Something to consider. We have come to know this passage as the story of “Doubting Thomas.” Yet among all the Greek words for “doubt” [diakrinomai, dialogismos, distazō, dipsychos, aporeō, or aporia] none of these appear in the gospel text. Thomas is described as apistos, that is, without trust, lacking assurance, or questioning. What, if any, difference is there between “doubting” and “questioning?” Continue reading →

The second turning

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In the first turning, a Christian experiences the transformation from a natural person to a spiritual person. Instead of “self” being the center of life — exploring, cultivating, adoring it — God becomes the center. This miracle is brought forth by the Holy Spirit giving us new life in Christ. It is a necessary, indispensable, basic step. But it is only a first step. The work of the Holy Spirit should not stop here but lead to a second turning in which the spiritual person again becomes natural.

Walter Trobisch

The Light of Christ Has Come Into the World

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tn_2013 Easter 2At my first Easter Vigil, years ago, I brought with me all the sense of confusion that had been building throughout Holy Week.  A Holy Thursday Mass that did not seem to end in the usual manner but just silently ended with a procession and the stripping of the altar.  A Good Friday liturgy of the Lord’s Passion that ended with the gathering darkness of the sky and Jesus breathing his last upon the cross.  Lost. Our savior had died – everything seemed dark. Continue reading →

Connecting the dots

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he_qi_road_to_emmaus

Road to Emmaus by He Qi

The daily Mass readings for the Wednesday in the Octave of Easter includes the well-known account of two travelers on the road to Emmaus. Earlier this week I included a commentary on the passage. This morning in Mass I offered a few thoughts on the passage.

It seems to me that we all have plans. It is my experience that those plans never unfold quite as we had planned.  Some are side-tracked, some laid aside for other plans, others fall away forgotten or unused, and some are part of disappointment, discouragement, or a life slipping off the rails. Continue reading →