We began the vigil of Easter with fire. As the prayers reminded us fire provides light and warmth. As a pillar of fire it banished the darkness of sin. Fire illumines the candle of hope and serves as the appropriate introduction to Easter. But as the recent devastation of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris demonstrated… Read More »

In Genesis we read: “And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it.” From this Biblical account comes the practice of Sabbath rest, of resting from our… Read More »

Each of the gospel writers tells the story of the passion, the suffering and death of Jesus. On Good Friday every year we proclaim the passion according to St. John. Each evangelist describes Pilate interviewing Jesus. The Fourth Gospel has a particular emphasis in that exchange. Pilate is trying to find out if Jesus is… Read More »

What would you do if you knew you were going to die tomorrow? The stereotype is that people fall on their knees and pray in order to get right with God when they are at the moment of death. However, we heard many stories at September 11 which tell of a different response. Here were… Read More »

During Holy Week the readings are taken from that part of the Book of Isaiah known as the Hymns of the Suffering Servant. These are four poems which speak of how the suffering servant brings about God’s plan for Israel. The Church found in those hymns an echo of the suffering of Jesus. They helped… Read More »

St. John’s Gospel is a profound telling of the story of Jesus. One thing to notice are the seeming throw away lines which actually contain a deeper meaning. For example in the telling of the story of the Last Supper after Judas leaves the meal the Fourth Gospel says, “And it was night.” The evangelist… Read More »

When the prophet Isaiah describes the chosen servant of God he describes him as “not crying out, not shouting, not making his voice heard in the street. A bruised reed he shall not break, and a smoldering wick he shall not quench.” The servant (usually called the Suffering Servant) does not show superior strength but… Read More »

The switch in mood during the liturgy of this Sunday from the triumphal entry at the beginning of Mass to the cry of despair in the gospel proclamation is enough to give you whiplash. We move from “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord” to “Crucify him. Crucify him” in… Read More »

The prophet Ezekiel encouraged the people in exile with an idealized vision of the future. They would be brought back to the land from wherever they were scattered; they would be one nation under one king, a descendant of King David; they would offer true worship in the restored sanctuary; they would live in peace.… Read More »

Are you glad the election season is over? The ads are so negative. The candidates don’t talk about their plans if elected but rather how terrible a person their opponent is. This tendency to criticize goes back to Cain and Abel. When you look at the Bible we find that Jeremiah was criticized in his… Read More »