Today we see Jesus at the Last Supper with the apostles in Jerusalem imparting his last catechesis, prayer, and blessings on them. Being a farewell message, you would think it would have to be a...
Sent With Joy And Truth
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Friar Reflection
The High Priestly Prayer
Over that last two weeks and more we have heard passages from the Gospel of John that together are known as the “Farewell Discourse.” The discourse covers four chapters and often seems to be...
Widows and Orphans
The words of today’s Psalm reveal something essential about the heart of God: “The father of orphans and the defender of widows is God in his holy dwelling. God gives a home to the forsaken.” This...
Do Not Be Afraid
In today’s first reading from the Acts of the Apostles God tells Paul: “Do not be afraid.” This phrase is found often in the Scripture and even in the hymn “Be Not Afraid” that we hear often at...
Choosing
In today’s Gospel Jesus calls his disciples to live in the joy of his love and he reminds them that he was the one who chose them. He was the one who broke into their lives interrupting the sadness...
Existence
St. Paul was an excellent evangelizer. He arrives in Athens and would have been identified by the locals as an immigrant, foreigner, outsider, tourist, and Jew. When he arrived in Athens, he took...
The Paraclete
“But now I am going to the one who sent me, and not one of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ But because I told you this, grief has filled your hearts. But I tell you the truth, it is better for...
Parting of Ways
Christianity roots are in Judaism. Jesus and all the apostles, including St. Paul, were all Jewish. As good Jews they would make the yearly pilgrimage to the Jerusalem Temple for the Feast of...
Burdens and Necessities
In the first reading today, the apostles and elders, after prayer and discernment, send a message to the Gentile believers. And at the heart of that message is this line: “It is the decision of the...
Joy
We have been listening to Jesus’ farewell words to the apostles at the Last Supper. These are his last catechesis. He speaks about his passion, death, and resurrection. It seems that at that moment...