In this paragraph there is a change which is typical of Christianity. Immediately before this all things were in an exalted atmosphere. There were great thoughts of God, there were prayers for the...
The Center of All Things
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Friar Reflection
God’s Spirit
The Hebrew word for spirit is ‘ruah’, which means “flowing air” or “wind”. The ‘ruah’ spirit of God blows where it will. God’s spirit is not confined by boundaries or limits. Its power is not...
Fishing, Eucharist
As today’s Gospel begins it seems all is over and the disciples are ready to go back to their “day jobs” as Peter says, “I am going fishing.” Of course, it is not over as Jesus instructs them first...
Questions and/or Answers
It is curious that these days we have come across questions such as: Who are you looking for? What are you talking about? What happened? Why are you scared? Why so many doubts? These questions...
On the Road
A young couple receives the wonderful news that they are pregnant. But their joy soon becomes a nightmare. Her severe morning sickness debilitates her; her doctor discovers the child is in...
Seeking Understanding
This is the year in which we primarily read from the Gospel of Mark – at least on Sundays. But since it is the shortest of the gospels, we supplement it with a lot from the other three gospels. Like...
The Empty Tomb
Many of the readings this week for daily Mass here in the Octave of Easter focus on the Word of God spreading out into the world -- a world where it meets resistance and disbelief -- a world where...
Together
There is a lot going on in the readings of Holy Week. Today is "Spy Wednesday" with Judas busy about his treachery and betrayal. As we move farther into the week, the story line seems to narrow from...
Betrayal, Denial
Someone was asking me after Mass, “Do we say happy holy week?” The answer is yes in spite of instances of betrayal and denial. In today’s Gospel we hear the deeply troubled word of Jesus: “Amen,...
The Truth
We hear the story this morning of Judas attempting to humiliate Mary in order to improve his standing with Jesus. He attempts this by ‘spinning the truth’. Unfortunately, we see too many examples...
Good Works
Is Jesus a doer of “good works” or is He guilty of “blasphemy”? Some of the Jews in today’s Gospel struggle to answer this question. They have to acknowledge that Jesus does perform many signs and...
Freedom
The feast that we celebrate today is a wonderful example of God's way of acting in His relationship with people. The Annunciation marks the moment when the entire plan of salvation, God's will to...