Today’s Thoughts: In our Gospel today, John, the disciple whom Jesus loved, the Evangelist, testifies to Jesus. He calls us to believe in person of Jesus, in the complete person, of Jesus the Christ or, as he refers to him in today’s Gospel, the Son.
If we believe in the Son, then our fears can be turned in faith and we see in our first reading today from the Acts of the Apostles. Peter and his companions not too long ago were people of fear yet in today’s reading they stand before the religious leaders with great faith. Placing our trust and faith in Christ’s turns fear to strength. It enables us to navigate our way through difficult times and situations. The entire Gospel of John focuses on this act of faith, for in John’s Gospel Jesus offers very little in the way of specific moral teachings or insights. He indicates that we must cling to Jesus and entrust ourselves to the love that God has revealed by sending his Son to be one of us. John’s Gospel calls us to a letting go of self. It calls us to a trust that places us in the Father's heart and hands right along with Jesus even if it leads us to death to this world. This letting go of self is not a matter of earthly wisdom: "The one who is of the earth is earthly, and he speaks on an earthly plane." The one who comes from above calls us to something beyond earthly values and reasoning. The one from above calls us to trust in love that leaves the merely reasonable far behind. It is a wisdom that calls us to allow the Spirit to fill us and to generously share the riches we have from the Father through the Son and his Spirit. Have a blessed, and holy Thursday everyone!
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Today’s Thoughts: In the readings today, we find the simple message - God saves us! However, it is only those who believe will be saved. Perhaps more importantly if we want to be saved, we need to acknowledge the need for God’s presence in our life in order to gain the gift of deliverance.
In the first reading from Acts, the Apostles are imprisoned, and the angel of God comes and releases them and sends them to the temple area to continue preaching. They are released from their imprisonment because God is with them. In the Responsorial Psalm we hear the echoes of God’s response to those in need - Lord hears the cry of the poor. All who believe in God and call out to God will be aided in their time of struggle. God does not abandon his people. But there needs to be a request – God needs to hear the cry of the poor. God’s responds may not always come as quickly or as directly as it did for the Apostles in jail but down through our faith story God has always responded to the cry of those in need. In the Gospel we encounter Jesus as the ultimate delivery of God’s response to those in need. God so loved us that he gave us his only begotten son. Out of this profound love God made the ultimate sacrifice for all of us. Only through Jesus can we truly understand God’s love and be welcomed into the Kingdom. Whether God instantly saves us, as he did the apostles from the prison, or whether it is through the Cross of Christ, God love for us ultimately will save us. It is through belief in Jesus that we have salvation, but we must be open to God’s love and not be afraid to ask for God’s help! Have a blessed and holy Wednesday everyone! Today’s Thoughts: “There was no needy person among them…” What a wonderful thought to begin the day with from our first reading today from the Acts of the Apostles. The reading paints a hope filled picture of life in the early Church. “The community of believers was of one heart and mind, and no one would claim any of his possessions was his own, but they had everything in common.”
The unfortunate thing is that if this were to happen today someone would probably call it “socialism.” The picture painted in our first reading is a far cry from our world and our church today. Nothing seems to be under control today and everything is a reason to take sides and join in a shouting match, whether in real life or the virtual life of the internet. This is true whether we are talking about our struggling life or our struggling church life. Yes, I fear that if someone would describe the scene in our first reading today our political leaders, political pundits, 24 hour news programs or ordinary people would immediately label it socialism or label the person a socialist as they have tried to do with Pope Francis as he talks about our responsibility as Christian to care for all in need. We somehow have it in our mind that everyone must make it themselves. Sure, if there is a disaster, people can be helped but we first must learn to stand on our own two feet. It is not socialism to care for all it is Christian! I truly believe that the spirit and presence of Pope Francis is a wonderful model of the early Christian community that we encounter today in the Acts of the Apostles. He connects us to the spirit of the early Church when the desire was to care for all. Pope Francis’ genuineness is that he doesn’t care what others think he is only concerned with those in need. He doesn’t care what it cost; he has hope in the presence of God and the community to make it work. He is not looking for riches and power, his reward is the community and each person in it. Pope Francis is a wonderful witness of unselfishness. Perhaps in the spirit of today’s first reading and being born of the Spirit that Jesus talks about in the Gospel is our challenge to make our present-day Christian communities places where we are open to the grace of the Holy Spirit and its transforming power so that we become communities who care and take care of all amongst us! Have a blessed and holy Tuesday everyone! Today’s Thoughts: Nicodemus seems a bit skeptical today, perhaps even a bit dismissive. “How can one be re-born?” he asks. His tone is certainly a skeptical one as he questions Jesus, “Surely, we cannot re-enter our mothers’ wombs and be born again, can we?” Perhaps this is how any of us would respond upon hearing Jesus’ teaching for the first time. Jesus message to Nicodemus on what it means to be a disciple, a child of God is a challenging one. What he asks of us is not only difficult, it is almost impossible.
For, when we encounter God, we encounter God as we are. And that means we encounter God filled with our own limits and prejudices, talents and restrictions. So much has made us who we are. Families, friends, education, background, and beliefs. These things are seen as irreversible. And they have a significant impact on us, shaping us, directing us, forming us. Changing them is just as realistic as climbing back into our mothers’ wombs and be re-born. No wonder Nicodemus is so incredulous. How then, are we to be re-born, restored to our destined life as children of God? It is through the Spirit. Re-birth is something outside of our control, it is Spirit and water. We cannot change ourselves, but we can trust in the power of God to transform us. Water washing over us cleanses us. This is the power of baptism, we are bathed and washed clean by the power of God. We are, truly, “born again.” This can be an unsettling idea, perhaps even troubling and uncomfortable. Maybe this is why Nicodemus points out the absurdities of the situation. No longer of this world, but from above. No longer flesh, but Spirit. And this Spirit is wild, untamed. We cannot see it, we cannot know where it is going. However, Jesus promises us that it will take us where we need to go! Jesus here invites Nicodemus and us into a new world, the world that is above, a world infused with the Spirit of God. It won’t be the same. It will be liberating and transformative. A new way of living, even. But that also means an unknown way of living. And a way of living that will be strange, unfamiliar, and perhaps even dangerous. For, all those around us may not understand why we are living this new way. We can invite them into the life of the Spirit, true, but they will be just as challenged and uncomfortable as we were at first. Yet, the Spirit blows where it wills, taking us with it, so that we might find new life in the Kingdom of God. Have a blessed and holy Monday everyone! Today’s Thoughts: In our Gospel today, John offers us three diverse, yet united encounters. First, Jesus appears to the frightened apostles, minus Thomas. He offers them peace, then invites them to take on his mission, a mission he received from his Father, and then breathed upon their fears and confusion the gift of the Holy Spirit sending them forth with the mercy of God to offer the forgiveness.
Next it is now a week later, Jesus appears to the same group of apostles, this time including Thomas. As we have learned from the time in between the two visits by Jesus, Thomas, needs to see signs and wonders. So, Jesus invites him to see and touch the signs and wonders of his Passion and believe. Thomas’ simple respond is, “My Lord and my God!” Perhaps in other words, “I believe.” Jesus then asks Thomas to not depend on signs and wonders anymore but to have faith, to see differently. Good old Thomas is such a good friend to us and so are the apostles gathered together in fear and separated by their individual shame at having abandoned their teacher, friend and Lord. They are living our doubts, our fears, our shames, and our desires to see just a little bit more so that our faith will be strengthened. It seems that God knows us better than we know ourselves. A little bit more would always be just a little bit more of what we would want. Thomas wanted to see more than what he had heard his companions had seen. Jesus reminds Thomas, the others and us that seeing is not believing, but rather believing is a way of seeing beyond what can blind us. Finally, at the end of today’s Gospel, John tells us that he has written enough for us to believe without seeing. Yes, there were other signs and wonders after the Resurrection, but these which have been recorded are offered so that all who read and all who pray with them might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God and through faith, they will have true life in his name. Our first two readings from the Acts of the Apostles and the First Letter of Peter also offer us some food for thought. In the first reading we get a glimpse of the early Church, a Spirit filled community of faith. We might say an extraordinary community of faith. A community devoted to the Spirit of the Risen Lord. However, we know that over time this community was not able to maintain this extraordinary spirit. The reality of life and perhaps even of doubt entered the living of life. But through our first reading we are reminded what can be. In the First Letter from Peter, we are reminded of the great mercy of God, the Divine Mercy of God given to us through our risen Lord. Peter tells his community and us, that because of God’s Divine Merch we rejoice, although at times we struggle with through various trials and difficulties so that the genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold that is perishable even though tested by fire, may prove to be for praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Although we have not seen him we love him; even though you do not see him now yet believe in him, we rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, Peter reminds how we are to live as people of faith! With this gift of merch and faith we are to see beyond, which in itself is a gift of the Holy Spirit, and it leads to us being sent out beyond ourselves as well. We are sent, as the Holy Spirit was sent to us, to attract others to Christ by how we live. Using St. Paul’s words, our scriptures today remind us how we are to live – by faith and not by sight which becomes a grace filled challenge in this “I need to see to believe world.” If we walk by faith and not by sight, then we will make the world around us uncomfortable. If we try to live by faith and not by sight, we can become a sign and wonder to the world of God’s wonderful and awesome mercy and love. Our struggles to live faith filled, hope filled, and loving lives by going out, being sent, is the miracle of our times. By our life of faith, we become reminders that there is a beyond and what we see is the creative mercy and love of God. As reminders we give new life to this creative mercy and love. Easter is our time for walking by faith, for going out beyond ourselves to bring God’s mercy to the world. Have a holy and blessed Second Sunday of Easter everyone and may you truly be blessed with God’s Divine Mercy this day and always. May the Passion of Jesus Christ be always in our hearts. Today’s Thoughts: Today in Mark’s Gospel we encounter what is called “the long ending.” Most biblical scholars agree that the ending that follows 16:8, which was the original ending, was added to the Gospel. Rather than having the Gospel end with the women finding the empty tomb and running away telling no one because they are afraid today’s ending has Mary Magdalene report to the disciples and the two disciples on the road to Emmaus reporting to the disciples but in both cases they will not believe. The disciples only believe when Jesus comes to them personally.
In both our readings today, unbelief seems to be the order of the day. The religious leaders refuse to believe Peter and John and the disciples refuse to believe the women and the two ordinary disciples. Perhaps what our readings today are telling us is that faith begins with a personal encounter. For Mary Magdalene and the other women, for the two disciples on the road it was their personal encounter with Jesus. For the eleven and the other disciples hold up in the upper room it was their personal encounter with Jesus. If we remember the story of Thomas, it wasn’t until his personal encounter with Jesus that he believed. We might say that to be a true disciple of Jesus, to be a true person of faith, we must realize that our first task is directed to the person of Jesus. We are to love and admire, to consecrate ourselves to his sacred person, to place importance on prayer as well as action, to realize first what it means to be a disciple, a person of faith before we seek to spread the Good News. In other words, our readings today remind us to set a firm foundation in Christ before we can truly proclaim the Good News to all the world! Have a holy and blessed Saturday everyone! Today’s Thoughts: Periodically you hear people asked the question, “If you could meet, have dinner with, spend time with anyone in history whom would you chose?” I am sure there is a different answer for every person asked. As we listen to our Gospel today we might ask the question, “If you could have breakfast with anyone from history who would be your choice?”
I know what my answer would be – Jesus! First of all, I would choose Jesus because he brings and prepares breakfast which is always a plus in my book. But more importantly I would choose Jesus because having breakfast with him means my day could not start any better! Even though they have encountered the Risen Christ a few times since Easter Sunday the disciples find themselves back in Galilee trying to figure out what to do next. Peter believes getting back to his usual routine is the best way to put life and the events of Jesus’ Passion, Death and Resurrection into perspective. So off he goes, to do some fishing, with the others tagging along. However, the night doesn’t go as planned. No fish after a long hard night’s work. Enter Jesus. “Have you caught anything to eat?” “No!” is the rather tired answer. “Well then try dropping your nets again but do it on the other side of the boat.” What do you think went through the disciples’ minds? Probably some resistant thoughts to what the man on the shore proposed or a few choice words muttered under their breath toward the man on the shore. Perhaps they were just too tired and said what have we got to lose. Whatever they felt or thought they at least went with the flow and cast their nets one last time and the rest is history. They encountered a catch so big that it was now a struggle of joy to get it to the shore. They encountered a catch so big that it could only be one person, “The Lord!” Yes, if I could have breakfast with one person from history it would be Jesus because when he enters our life whether it is breakfast, lunch, dinner or anytime in between good things have a chance to happen. The struggling disciples learn that the Risen Christ will enter their lives at any moment and is always willing to nourish them for the journey; they just have to be willing to have faith and trust that all things are possible. As an Easter people this story is a good reminder to us that in the midst of our struggles, our unsteadiness in life, at those times when we feel our nets are empty all it takes is for us to recognize the presence of God to steady us, fill our nets and make all things possible on this journey through life. Perhaps as we begin this day or any day, for that matter, we should consider inviting Jesus to breakfast. And as we enjoy his company we might ask his advice as to where we should cast out nets. Because as our Gospel story reminds us great things are possible especially when Jesus makes breakfast! Have a blessed and holy Friday everyone! Today’s Thoughts: Pope Francis in an address on April 1, 2013 said the following: "The grace contained in the sacraments of Easter is an enormous potential for the renewal of our personal existence, of family life, of social relations. However, everything passes through the human heart: if I let myself be touched by the grace of the Risen Christ, if I let him change me in that aspect of mine which is not good, which can hurt me and others, I allow the victory of Christ to be affirmed in my life."
In our first reading today from the Acts of the Apostles Peter and John challenge the people about not being open to the presence of God in their lives, about not being open to the Easter mystery, the Easter sacraments as Pope Francis put it. They ask those gather to open their hearts to the grace of the Risen Lord, to let it pass through their hearts and change them. In the Gospel the disciples at first are afraid of the presence of the Risen Lord but Jesus offers them peace and the assurance that he is really with them so that by the end of his visit they have opened their hearts to the grace and the spirit of the ultimate Easter sacrament, Jesus. Their transformation has begun. They have become the witnesses of this great sacrament and the power that it can be in a person’s, a community’s life. Our readings and Pope Francis ask us to be open to the awesomeness of Easter, to be open to the countless ways in which God becomes present in our lives each and every day. Openness to the grace of the sacraments of Easter, openness to the presence of the Risen Lord, openness to the awesome potential that God’s presence and grace offers us can make all the difference in our journey through life. Thus, the question or the challenge at the beginning of this new day is – Are we open to the grace of the Easter sacraments? Will we allow that grace to change us? A blessed and holy Easter Thursday everyone! Today’s Thoughts: “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?” We encounter two famous stories in our readings today. In Luke’s Gospel it is the story of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus and in the Acts of the Apostles it is the story of Peter and John curing the man at “the Beautiful Gate.” In some ways putting the two stories together on this Easter Wednesday can help us to enter the mystery and power of the Resurrection.
The story of the two disciples on the road, in my book, is a classic. It has all the elements of our faith life. The struggle with the things of the world, of life, the missed opportunities of encountering Jesus because we are so focused on our struggles; the moments in time when we sense God’s presence, when our hearts burn but we don’t realize it until the end of the experience and those instances when Jesus becomes present to us in the breaking of the bread. We have all been where these two disciples have been. We have been on that road in our life. We have been blinded by our own lack of hope, our own disappointments, our own struggles. The gift, the hope of this story is that God that Jesus never gives up on us. He is always trying to enter our lives to remind us of the story and open our eyes to his presence. Peter and John understood that as they entered Jerusalem through “the Beautiful Gate.” They opened the eyes of the crippled man who wanted silver and gold but ended up with much more. The power of the Risen Christ can transform our lives sometimes profoundly and sometimes simply but when that moment comes, we just need to be ready and not be blinded by our own lack of hope, our own disappointments, our own struggles. Let’s not be the only ones who do not know the story, who have given up hope especially during these difficult times in our world, our country and our Church. Let us be people of faith and hope today whose hearts are burning with the word and presence of God and through the living of life who proclaim – “Jesus is Risen, Alleluia!” Have a blessed and holy Easter Wednesday everyone! Today’s Thoughts: We find ourselves today standing between Easter and Pentecost. In the first reading we look ahead to the day of Pentecost and we encounter Peter and the others boldly proclaiming the Good News. All fear seems to be gone and thousands of people come to believe in a single day because of their preaching. In the Gospel we find ourselves at the tomb on Easter Sunday morning once again in one of the most beautiful scenes of the Easter Gospels – Mary Magdalene’s encounter of the Risen Jesus. It is from this profound encounter that Mary Magdalene becomes known as the Apostle to the Apostles.
It is through these two very different scenes that we are reminded of the transforming presence and spirit of the Risen Christ. On that Pentecost morning the Spirit descends upon all gathered in the Upper Room and pushes them out into the world proclaiming the Good News. It is a powerful Spirit, a life-giving Spirit, a Spirit on fire with the love and presence of God, it is a Spirit that cannot be missed or stopped. On Easter Sunday morning the presence and Spirit of the Risen Christ gently and lovingly invited Mary Magdalene into the Mystery of the Resurrection. St. Paul’s words from his First Letter to the Corinthians come to life in our readings today – “There are different gifts but the same Spirit….” We are reminded today of the many gifts of the Spirit. Gifts that push us forward in faith and gifts that comfort us and remind us of the gentleness of God presence in our life. Like Mary Magdalene we enter this day looking for the Spirit of the Risen Christ in our life and when we hear him speak our name we might want to just hold on to that moment. However, Jesus will send us forth like Peter and the others to boldly proclaim the Good News with joy! Have a blessed and holy Easter Tuesday everyone! |
Fr. Paul R. Fagan, C.P. "Preacher on the Run"Just a few thoughts to help you on your journey through life...let me know from time to time what you think... Archives
May 2023
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