3rd Week of Easter 2025 - Tuesday - "What sign can you do that we might believe?"

 

What sign can you do, that we may see and believe in you?

In today’s Gospel the people were asking for a sign so they could believe that Jesus was really sent by God.

And Jesus said, I’ll give you a sign: bread. But not just any bread. Bread that is my flesh. Bread that is my body and blood and soul and divinity.

Pope Benedict XVI wrote about the Eucharist that “The Eucharist means God has answered:  The Eucharist is God as an answer, as an answering presence.”

In the Eucharist, God answers our prayers to know that He is with us in our challenges, crosses, temptations, doubts, and disappointments. He is with us in our struggle to love our enemies, forgive those who hurt us, give to those who ask of us. The Eucharist is God’s answer to man’s question “where can I find God, now, and believe in him”. 

In the Eucharist, the Word become flesh has made his dwelling among us, and we can see his glory. In the Eucharist, the Lord’s teaching is fulfilled that, “behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age”. In the Eucharist, we come to understand how Jesus is Emmanuel, God-with-us.

The Church’s use of John Chapter six during this easter season is so fitting, therefore, because it answers how the risen Christ, who appeared to the disciples, can now be glimpsed and approached and adored and received by us, by all people.

So many of our contemporaries are starving for God; they go from one unsatisfying pursuit to another, searching for God—even to the point of self-destruction in some cases. All the while, God is here, present on the altar, present in the tabernacle, able to be received by those who believe in Him. God has given the sign for all those able and willing to see.

During the Easter season we certainly pray for a deeper appreciation and gratitude for God’s answer to humanity’s longing, which is now such a source of strength and joy for the Church. But we also  consider how our Easter mission is to lead souls here—how God’s grace impels us into the world, to help souls find Christ in the Eucharist—so they like us can find the answer to desires and longing for God, for wholeness, and peace, and joy, and the promise of eternal life, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

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Trusting in Christ’s true presence among us in the Eucharist, we present our prayers and petitions to our Heavenly Father.

That the Church around the world may be a visible sign of the light of the Risen Lord calling all people to new life and communion with Him, and for the Holy Spirit’s guidance for the college of Cardinals as they prepare for the conclave and the papal election.

For leaders of nations, that they may be guided by the wisdom and love revealed in Christ’s Eucharistic sacrifice, promoting justice, peace, and dignity for all people.

For priests and those preparing for priestly ministry, that their hearts may be strengthened and their lives continually transformed by the Eucharist, the source of their joy and priestly identity, and for an increase in vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life.

For married couples and families, that the self-giving love of Christ made present in the Eucharist may inspire and sustain their love and fidelity to one another.

For those experiencing spiritual hunger, loneliness, or despair, that they may encounter Christ, finding in him nourishment, peace, and fulfillment for their souls.

For those who suffer in body, mind, or spirit, that they may draw comfort and strength from Christ’s presence in the Eucharist and from the charitable giving of the Body of Christ.

For our beloved dead, especially Pope Francis, that they may share in that eternal life promised to those who ate and drank the body and blood of Christ.

Gracious Father, hear our prayers. Nourish us continually with your Son’s presence in the Eucharist, and grant us the grace to lead others to this divine source of eternal life. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

3rd Week of Easter 2025 - Monday - Do not work for food that perishes

“Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life.”  The word used for “work” in this passage is the Greek word, ergon, a word that denotes hard labor and physical exertion.  Here Jesus is saying that the way of righteousness is no easy matter; Christian discipleship requires more than merely emotional or intellectual assent.  Daily we are called to the ergon—the hard work—of the Gospel—of turning away from our sins and embracing Jesus' commands.  Daily, we are called to the hard work of bringing our hearts, which so love independence and self-reliance, before the throne of God to submit to his will.

This command to work for food that endures is a reversal of how we normally think and act. The unconverted soul exerts tremendous effort—the entirety of his effort—pursuing his own aims—worshipping his false gods. 

The Bishop who ordained me a deacon and priest, Bishop Lennon once wrote that when our lives are focused on false Gods of prosperity, prestige, or the pursuit of what our secular world calls the good life, we will likely reap a harvest of unhappiness and exhaustion.  Yet, when God is at the center of our lives, when we fulfill all of our responsibilities as ways of serving Him, when He is included in our meals, chores, conversations, parenting, work, vacations, civic responsibilities, decisions, problems, crises, accomplishments, and losses—then the whole of our lives become charged and changed with God's presence.  

Food that perishes ultimately leave us unsatisfied, but the food of eternal life—the food of eternal life—the nourishment of mind and heart and soul that comes from God—will not only sustain us in this life, changes us, transforms us, converts us, and opens us to eternity.

Working with all of our hearts to serve God does not bring exhaustion and unhappiness, rather it brings new life and joy.

The Easter season is certainly the time of the Church year when we consider how we are being called to serve God, to witness to the Gospel in our words and deeds. Our Easter mission entails hard work, and we should not shy away from that hard work because it ultimately sustains and fulfills us. But that hard work is a personal responsibility—it requires each of us to assess our gifts, to prayerfully consider how those gifts can be utilized for the work of the kingdom, and to put those gifts into action.

“Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life” for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.  

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Trusting in God's strength as we strive to labor for food that endures to eternal life, we bring our prayers and petitions before our Heavenly Father.

That the Church around the world may be a visible sign of the light of the Risen Lord calling all people to new life and communion with Him, and for the Holy Spirit’s guidance for the college of Cardinals as they prepare for the conclave and the papal election.

For world leaders and those in authority, that their efforts and decisions may reflect a commitment to truth, justice, and service to the common good for a society that values the pursuit of holiness and eternal life.

For families, communities, and workplaces, that they may be transformed and sanctified by placing God at the center of daily responsibilities and interactions.

For those who experience spiritual dryness, fatigue, or discouragement, that the Eucharist—the food of eternal life—may refresh their souls and renew their commitment to Christ, we pray to the Lord.

For our beloved deceased, especially Pope Francis, that their faithful labors on earth may lead them to everlasting rest and joy in God's eternal kingdom, and for N.

Father of all goodness, hear these prayers and strengthen us in our daily labors to serve you wholeheartedly, seeking always the nourishment that endures forever. We ask this through Christ our Lord. 

 

2nd Week of Easter 2025 - Wednesday - For God so loved the world

 

The Gospel of John is often times referred to as the Gospel of Love. The theme of love lies at the heart of the Fourth Gospel, pervading every aspect of the book. John’s Gospel finds Jesus constantly teaching about love, speaking about love, commanding his disciples to love.

Jesus’ actions are manifestations of God’s love for us, he tells us to love one another as He has loved us. He makes known the love of God and directs his disciples to love God and our neighbor. Jesus himself tells us that he loves us. “I love you” are on the very lips of Jesus himself: “as the Father loves me, so I love you.”

Today, we heard the very first instance of the word love in John’s Gospel. In the conversation with Nicodemus, in Chapter 3, verse 16, we read the verse: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.”

This verse is treated by many as a sort of summary of the Gospel of Love. God desires our salvation because he loves us, and salvation is found in Jesus Christ. God sent his Son because God wants eternal life for us because he loves us.

During the Easter Season we consider how we are called to witness to God in our words and deeds. But we are not witnessing to some abstract notion of God—a faceless, nameless, cosmic force. We witness to the love of God made manifest in Christ Jesus risen from the dead.

This is a God who desires the salvation of even the most debased of sinners because he truly loves. He wants what is best for each of us: the flourishing of our minds and souls and our salvation.

But love is not forced. So, the question posed by the Gospel of John is: will you allow yourself to be loved by God by following where he leads, by believing in the Truth he reveals, by changing those behaviors and ideas that cause you to be less than what you were made to be.

Answering that question in the affirmative, we begin to love what God loves, and we recognize that we have a role to play in spreading the kingdom of his love in word and deed by witnessing to the one who offers eternal life and sets souls free.

The experience of Easter is to be immersed in the love of God, to be transformed by the love of God, to become instruments of the love of God for the glory of God and the salvation of sous.

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Rejoicing in God's boundless love revealed in Christ Jesus, we offer our prayers and petitions to our Heavenly Father.

For all Christians, that we may experience deeply the love of God and courageously witness to it in our daily lives.

For peace in our families and communities, that the love of Christ may inspire reconciliation, forgiveness, and unity among us.

For the Holy Spirit’s guidance of the College of Cardinals as they prepare for Conclave and the next Papal election.

For the sick, the suffering, and all who feel forgotten or unloved, that they may experience the comfort and healing touch of Christ’s compassion.

For our beloved dead, that they may fully experience the eternal life promised through God's infinite love.

Heavenly Father, your love for us is eternal and unfailing. Hear our prayers, and help us to be living witnesses of that love to all we encounter. We ask this through Christ our Lord.

 

Easter Octave Tuesday - 2024 - To share in God's life is to share in His work.

The Easter Octave, the eight-day celebration beginning on Easter Sunday is a period deeply imbued with the joy and triumph of Christ's Resurrection. We read the various Gospel accounts of Easter Sunday, and our first readings are taken from the Acts of the Apostles, particularly from Pentecost Sunday.

Why do we read about Pentecost on Easter?

Reading from the Acts of the Apostles during the Easter Octave connects the celebration of Jesus’ Resurrection with the mission of the Church.  

The Lord’s resurrection is God’s victory over sin—the mission for which Jesus was sent, the salvation of souls, succeeded. And during Easter we consider how the Lord’s mission of salvation continues through us—who share in his life through baptism. 

The new life of Easter involves a new share in the work of God. You can’t share in the life of God without sharing in his work.  Christians are called not only to a personal relationship with God, but also a sacramental relationship, a communal relationship through his Church, and also a share in the missionary life of the Body of Christ. Christ came as a missionary to the human race, and his church continues that missionary mission.

And we read from the Acts of the Apostles, to show us what that missionary life looks like. 

Yesterday, we heard Peter declare, “Jesus the Nazorean was a man commended to you by God with mighty deeds, wonders, and signs… This man…you killed… But God raised him up.” Sharing in the life of Christ involves proclaiming the resurrection of Jesus—sharing the good news men need to hear.

And today, Peter’s speech not only proclaims Christ risen, but also invites those guilty of crucifying Him to repent and to enter into life. “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

All those guilty of crucifying Christ, that’s all of us—God wants baptized in order to bestow signs of that living relationship through the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

The call to repentance and baptismal faith that we hear in Peter's speech is not just a historical event 2000 years ago but an ongoing invitation to each of us. 

Baptism, which some of us received decades and decades ago, involves an openness to the unfolding and increase of God’s grace. Continuous dying to our old selves in order to rise to new life. Life can always be renewed, if we are 2 weeks old or a 102. There is always something to new, there is always new life, new gifts, God wishes to bestow for the sake of the mission. 

Like Mary in the Gospel, tears, shed over losing sight of Jesus, are meant to make way for proclamation. “Why are you weeping…Go and tell my brother…” Okay you found me, now get up and get to work. Don’t just stay here at the tomb, this is a place of death. Get up and prove that you are alive through action, through the work of the Church. 

May our easter celebrations continue to open us to the joy of the gospel, the joy that comes through active participation in the good work of the Church for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

2nd Week of Easter 2021 - Friday - Abundance of Spiritual Food

 Having read through the entirety of Jesus' discourse with Nicodemus from chapter 3 of St. John's Gospel over the past four days, we now begin a week long reading of John Chapter 6.  St. John's sixth chapter is comprised of two miracle stories and a teaching: the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and Jesus walking on the water and the great Bread of Life discourse.  I encourage you to read and reflect on the entire chapter to get a sense of what's coming over the next 8 days.

For the past few days we've heard Jesus talk about the importance of believing in Him that we may have eternal life.  This miracle story seems to answer the question, “what kind of life does Jesus offer?”.  “What kind of life does Jesus offer?” Abundant life.  In the miracle of the multitude he takes the little that is possessed by the few and transforms it into a feast for the multitude.  What is brought to him, is multiplied into an abundance. 5 loaves are not only enough to feed five thousand, but there are twelve wicker baskets left over.

Similarly in the miracle at the wedding at Cana. The Lord doesn’t just transform a mug of water into wine. He transforms 120—150 gallons—of water into wine, more than they would need for the remainder of the wedding celebration.

Finding enough food for sustenance is not easy for a lot of people on this planet. And the Lord provides not only enough for sustenance, but abundance. This is particularly true in the spiritual life. 

Many souls wander around this planet trying to find something to sustain them—to give them courage, to give them inner strength, to give them what they need to make it through this vale of tears. They turn to the new age, they turn to popular psychology, modern philosophy, or the pharmaceutical industry. These may satisfy for a time, but in the end they always leave us exhausted and unhappy. 

But in Christ, we are finally able be fed spiritually in a deep and last manner; and not just with enough nourishment to satisfy us, but with more than we will ever need. The Christian life is an infinite mine in which the more one digs and explores the more one finds. This is evidenced in the life of the saints: abundant means for sanctification are available for those who seek it out. And the reason we are not holier than we are isn’t due to a lack of spiritual food, but because of our refusal to eat it.

“If you remain in me you will bear much fruit. (Jn 15:5)” “I have told you these things that my joy might be in you and your joy might be complete (Jn 15:11)” “The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it in abundance (John 10:10).”

Through prayer and good works may we dispose ourselves—open ourselves—to be fed by the Lord, sanctified by the Lord, who desires to perfect us and complete us by his abundant grace for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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Filled with Paschal joy, let us turn earnestly to God, to graciously hear our prayers and supplications.

For the shepherds of our souls, that they may have the strength to govern wisely the flock entrusted to them by the Good Shepherd.

For the whole world, that it may truly know the peace of the Risen Christ, especially we pray for the conversion of those who refuse belief in God and Jesus the Christ, His Son.

For our parish, and for the newly initiated, that we may bear witness with great confidence to the Resurrection of Christ.

For our brothers and sisters who suffer, that their sorrow may be turned to gladness through the Christian faith.

That all of our beloved dead and all the souls in purgatory may come to the glory of the Resurrection.

O God, you know that our life in this present age is subject to suffering and need, hear the desires of those who cry to you and receive the prayers of those who believe in you. Through Christ our lord.