The Gospel speaks of the Trinity while sending forth the eleven as if they are now integrated into the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the breath that will restore trust, joy, and faith in God’s eternal love. The eleven went to the mountain of Galilee, even those who doubted. An ego-wounded community felt inadequate after…
As students complete another school year, we celebrate Pentecost, a time to reflect on the Holy Spirit, a kind of graduation gift given by Jesus to his disciples and to all of us. The disciples have travelled with Jesus many, many miles and have overcome countless obstacles, healed the sick, and spread the gospel. They…
This Sunday’s Gospel plays with impossibles. Jesus counts on only eleven frightened, confused men and a small core of faithful and courageous women. He didn’t give up on them. They followed him on the roads of Palestine. They did not understand much but loved him very much. Love is good soil for the Gospel, and…
We have many tools to help us navigate our spiritual journeys. We have books, videos, classes, bible studies, prayer groups, and finally retreats. The retreat is unique in that it takes us away from daily life to gain a new perspective on the journey itself. Last weekend two friends and I drove to the Jesuit…
Jesus, in his divine communication, presents God to us through the reflection of the most basic forms of creatures: He is the vine, and I, as a believer, am a branch; we are part of the same plant, sharing the same life, rooted in the same sap. And then the marvelous down-to-earth metaphor of the…
Today, we hear, “I am the good shepherd!” echoing God’s description of his name in the Old Testament: I am who I am. Seven times, Jesus introduces himself: “I am” – bread, life, way, truth, vine, door, good shepherd. He does not mean “good” in the sense of being patient and gentle with sheep and…
The Gospel brings the disciples of Emmaus back to the community. Now that they are all together, Jesus appears in their midst. Shocked and full of fear, they thought they were seeing a ghost. After three years with Jesus, they knew him well, preaching, healing, and breaking bread, but in this divine moment, they saw…
On this Divine Mercy Sunday, we read the very end of John’s gospel and receive an offer of mercy from Christ. It says, “Now Jesus did many other signs that are not written in this book. But these are written that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God,…
Hi, my name is Thomas, but truth be told, I don’t know who I am anymore. Once, I told my brother apostles to go together and die with the master while he mourned Lazarus (John 11, 16), but when I saw the soldiers arresting Jesus, I ran as if I never knew him. When I…
Mary of Magdala leaves the house when everything is dark in the sky and somber in her heart. She’s been restless all night, and the image of Jesus on the cross broke her heart. She has nothing in her hands, carries no spices like the other women, and has only her love rebelling against the…