Monthly Archives: March 2024

Act 4

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There are lots of ways to tell a story. Just start at the beginning and move ahead to the end. That’s one way. One you see used a lot in television is to show a scene where the protagonist is in mortal peril with the outcome uncertain. For example, the scene opens, Jesus is standing before Pontius Pilate and the crowds are shouting “crucify him, crucify him”, then Pilate washes his hands, and the screen fades to black with the on-screen title, “Five Days Earlier.” There are lots of ways to tell a story. Continue reading →

Easter Sunday According to John

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Up until now, I had never written a commentary on the gospel for Easter Sunday. Perhaps it was left undone by all the activities leading up to Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion, Holy Week, and Easter itself. But now it is done. This Easter Sunday the gospel reading is taken from John and describes the scene at the empty tomb:

1 On the first day of the week, Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early in the morning, while it was still dark, and saw the stone removed from the tomb. 2 So she ran and went to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them, “They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don’t know where they put him.” 3 So, Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb. 4 They both ran, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter and arrived at the tomb first; 5 he bent down and saw the burial cloths there, but did not go in. 6 When Simon Peter arrived after him, he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there, 7 and the cloth that had covered his head, not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place. 8 Then the other disciple also went in, the one who had arrived at the tomb first,
and he saw and believed. 9 For they did not yet understand the scripture that he had to rise from the dead. (John 20:1-9) Continue reading →

Being Hopeful

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There are no Scripture passages that describe Holy Saturday. There are no accounts of disciples huddled in the Upper Room wondering how the life of Jesus came to an end on Calvary. There are no stories of what the disciples were thinking… or not thinking. Their world had been torn asunder. But were they hopeful? Were they well grounded in the meaning of the word “hope“? Are we?

Image credit: Pexels

Gallicantu

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There have been many a Good Friday in the course of my life. I have heard the Passion narrative. I led the Passion narrative during Good Friday liturgies. Over the many years of Bible study I have covered the Passion narrative more than a few times. And now thru the gift of my friends Jerry and Maureen, I experienced Good Friday in a way not to ever be forgotten. Continue reading →

The Long Way

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A few years ago, William J. O’Malley wrote about “taking the long way home.” It was a wonderful “musing” on the classic movie, “The Wizard of Oz.” We were reminded about the archetypal scene when Dorothy’s house lands on the Wicked Witch and then Glinda, the good witch, shows up and magically transfers the ruby slippers to Dorothy. As the ending of the movie makes clear, all Dorothy had to do was click her heels and proclaim, “There’s no place like home. There’s no place like home.” Why didn’t Glinda tell Dorothy that at the very beginning? Continue reading →

A Play in 3 Acts

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A reflection for the Readings on Spy Wednesday: Holy Week is a story told in three acts.

Act 1: Love Portrayed.  All Lent we have seen Love Portrayed:  Jesus transfigured on the mountain top. The glory of God revealed and yet what would seem to be the final scene of the play is but the beginning. We’ve more to hear, more to see. Especially in the daily gospels we have acts of love. A man born blind who now sees. Lessons on unlimited forgiveness. Teachings on the great commandments of loving God and neighbor. And so many more scenes of love portrayed.  The disciples believe because they have seen and heard the power of God in the world. Continue reading →

The Death of Jesus

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This series of posts considers, in detail, the gospel reading from Mark for Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion. This is the fourteenth and last post in the series.

33 At noon darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. 34 And at three o‘clock Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which is translated, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 35 Some of the bystanders who heard it said, “Look, he is calling Elijah.” 36 One of them ran, soaked a sponge with wine, put it on a reed, and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see if Elijah comes to take him down.” 37 Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last. 38 The veil of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom. 39 When the centurion who stood facing him saw how he breathed his last he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!” 40 There were also women looking on from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of the younger James and of Joses, and Salome. 41 These women had followed him when he was in Galilee and ministered to him. There were also many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem.  Continue reading →

The Passion of the Christ

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This series of posts considers, in detail, the gospel reading from Mark for Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion. This is the thirteenth post in the series.

16 The soldiers led him away inside the palace, that is, the praetorium, and assembled the whole cohort. 17 They clothed him in purple and, weaving a crown of thorns, placed it on him. 18 They began to salute him with, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 19 and kept striking his head with a reed and spitting upon him. They knelt before him in homage. 20 And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple cloak, dressed him in his own clothes, and led him out to crucify him. 21 They pressed into service a passer-by, Simon, a Cyrenian, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross.  Continue reading →