Our opening reading today is from the 1st Letter of Peter. In just two short verses, the author provide a summary of the main themes and an outline of the whole letter:
(1) God gave us a new birth,
(2) this birth leads to a hope,
(3) which is based on Jesus’ resurrection from the dead, and
(4) Christians have a heavenly inheritance which is incapable of fading.
Today our nation celebrates Memorial Day. Lots of people confuse it or conflate it with Veteran’s Day. It is the latter which honors all the men and women who have served our nation in the military. It is the former that remembers and honors all those who have died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. It is a difference of which I receive weekly reminders as I am honored to serve veteran families during the internment of their loved ones at Quantico National Cemetery. Continue reading
This coming Sunday, The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ – is more popularly known as Corpus Christi, Latin for the “Body of Christ.” From one perspective, every Sunday is a feast of the Eucharist, because by participating in the Mass, and in receiving Communion, we are honoring and celebrating the Eucharist. Still, the celebration of Corpus Christi has its own history. Continue reading
This morning in the parish we are celebrating a school Mass in which we celebrate the children of 2nd grade who recently celebrated their First Holy Communion, the students being inducted into the Jr. National Honor Society, and the “Ceremony of Light.” The ceremony is where the soon-graduating 8th grade students “pass the light” of leadership and example to the current 7th graders, who next year will assume the example of moral and spiritual leadership among the student body. As such the gospel for this special Mass comes from Matthew:
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.” (Mt 5:14-16)
The first reading for today is from the Letter of James. It is a passage structured in three parts: the problem is identified (4:1–3), its incompatibility with God is described (vv. 4–7), and the cure of the vice is indicated (vv. 7–10).
In Jewish and Hellenistic thought all problems arise from four prime vices: desire, pleasure, fear, and grief. Earlier, James described “desire” as the root of temptation ever in conflict with heavenly wisdom: “Each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire conceives and brings forth sin, and when sin reaches maturity it gives birth to death.” (James 1:14-15) These conflicts stem from “desire,” which cannot yield anything good: “You covet but do not possess. You kill and envy but you cannot obtain.” This is James’ parallel saying to the well-known: “the love of money (desire) is the root of all evil” (1 Tim 6:10). Continue reading
WordPress and JetPack have released a new AI tool to generate images. I asked for the winter scene of New England fields during winter. The results is the featured image shown. Kinda’ interesting.
15 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” 16 He then said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” 17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was distressed that he had said to him a third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” (Jesus) said to him, “Feed my sheep. Continue reading
“Lifting up his eyes to heaven, Jesus prayed saying: “I pray not only for these, but also for those who will believe in me through their word,so that they may all be one.” (John 17:20)
Jesus does not stop at praying for himself and his disciples; his vision transcends the present, reaching beyond his immediate followers to those who will believe through their message. The vision of a unified people of God was expressed earlier in John’s Gospel in 10:16 (“one flock and one shepherd,” an allusion to Ezek. 34:23; 37:24) and 11:52 (“gathering of the scattered children of God into one”). In the present instance believers’ unity results from being taken into the unity of God, and believers, once unified, will be able to bear witness to the true identity of Jesus as the Sent One of God. Continue reading
In today’s gospel we read: “I have told you this so that you might have peace in me. In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world.” (John 16:33) The word “this” refers to all that Jesus has told his disciples in this and the previous 3 chapters of the Farewell Discourse. The wide range of topics, advice, admonitions, and commandments seem to center around remaining in relationship with God, doing what God commands, and living a life that receives and gives love abundantly. In several earlier passages Jesus promises that willingly adopting the life as a disciple is one that surely and relentlessly leads to joy, and not just any joy that the world would give, but a joy that is complete. Our verses today focus on peace – but not as the world gives, but as given in the Holy Spirit. What kind of peace is that? Continue reading
From time to time, Sacred Scripture contains verses that give us pause: “Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials” (Jame 1:2) I will admit that while encountering tests and trials, joy is not my instinctual response. Of course, that verse continues: “for you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.” (James 1:3) It is a good thing that through trials and testing we gain experience and come to an understanding of our ability to persevere, endure and hope. But I can’t say joy is in the mix. But then perhaps I am a bit confused about what joy truly is, at least in the Biblical sense and am more given to equate joy with the way I am feeling or responding to something in my life. Continue reading
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