Archives for April 2018

Children, let us love not in word or speech but in deed and truth.  Now this is how we shall know that we belong to the truth and reassure our hearts before him in whatever our hearts condemn for God is greater than our hearts and knows everything. (1 Jn 3:18-20) In the Gospel this weekend Jesus speaks of being the vine, our being the branches, and the Father being the vine grower.  We are called to be attached to the vine and to bear much fruit.  But the Church also gives us the second reading from the First Letter of St. John, which helps us to understand what “bearing fruit” entails.  It’s in loving.  And loving is something that is more properly done in “deed and truth” rather than in “word or speech.”  This isn’t to say that telling people you love them is a bad thing, but love … [Read more...]

Jesus said: “Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever does not enter a sheepfold through the gate but climbs over elsewhere is a thief and a robber. But whoever enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice, as the shepherd calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.” (Jn 10:1-3) This week is the Fourth Sunday in Easter, and it is traditionally known as “Good Shepherd Sunday” because of the Gospel reading today in which Jesus describes Himself as the Good Shepherd. We’re all familiar with the images: Jesus standing, staff in hand, with the lamb across his shoulders. We have a beautiful stained-glass image of this in the stairway leading up to the choir loft. In fact, it’s the screensaver on my phone!  Or perhaps we think … [Read more...]

Peter said to the people: “The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus, whom you handed over and denied in Pilate’s presence when he had decided to release him. You denied the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. The author of life you put to death, but God raised him from the dead; of this we are witnesses. Now I know, brothers, that you acted out of ignorance, just as your leaders did; but God has thus brought to fulfillment what he had announced beforehand through the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer. Repent, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be wiped away.  (Acts 3:13-15, 17-19). A few years ago I met a lapsed Catholic who was somewhat … [Read more...]