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Our readings invite us to join Jesus in living his profound love for all creation… caring for the Earth, accompanying the sick, reaching out to the broken with a generosity that matches his own. On this first week of July, when summer invites us to relax and renew, we ask for the grace to let the word permeate and guide us, refreshing and energizing our intentions to practice the generous justice of the Lord. May we always follow Jesus and strive to imitate his infinite love!
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This weekend we celebrate the birth of the final prophet, John the Baptist, whose message was to prepare for Jesus in the context of repentance and promise. John was called by God from early on, just as we are called in baptism. His role was to point to something, someone, larger than himself. We, too, have been called to do this through the witness of our personal lives. Our calling is far less dramatic, but it is just as real. Let us always strive to point the way to Christ in our daily comings and goings.
Brothers and Sisters
For those of us struggling to make our way through life toward the fullness of the reign of God, perspective is everything. Stories from the past, and faith and hope in the future, help us to live in the present. It has always been this way for God’s people. Like them, “we walk by faith, and not by sight.” Though we cannot see the future, it is enough. Let us continue to plant our seeds, make our plans, and move forward toward the eternal harvest! Brothers and Sisters
The path to redemption is not without conflict, suffering, division or challenge. Let us always rely on God's mercy and the gifts of the Holy Spirit to overcome what is incomplete or fractured. This has been borne out throughout history, including in Jesus’ own life. When we encounter darkness or failure, we know this is not the last word. We know and believe in God’s unending love and mercy, and we are called to extend it to others. I pray that we continue to be bearers of our Lord's love and mercy always! Brothers and Sisters
Something unique happened at the Last Supper and happens whenever we share in the Eucharist. Jesus instituted a new covenant, sealed in his Body and Blood. The covenant between God and us means that we are deeply connected not only to God, but to one another. Our connections, and the commitments they imply, extend to all people everywhere. Participating in the Eucharist may be the most challenging thing we are invited to do. My prayer for all of you is that God may grant us the grace needed to be truly a Eucharistic People! Brothers and Sisters
This weekend we celebrate the relationships at the heart of our faith. As God eternally participates in the relationship of Father, Son and Spirit, we too participate in this sacred community and in the great historic sweep of God’s people past, present, future. Through baptism, we are called by God to become part of this deeply connected family. Let us commit to loving and serving not only members of this family, but all people. Then truly, we are disciples of our Lord. Let us continue! Brothers and Sisters
This powerful feast tells us about the early church, but it is also a clear and loud call for us as a community and as individuals. The images of fire, wind, breath, a cacophony of voices are meant to evoke a collective “fire in the belly” that motivates us to do what we are called to do. We are assured that the Spirit is with us, as it was with them on that first enlivening Pentecost. I pray that we always be "Pentecost People" ....alive in the Spirit! Brothers and Sisters
This feast is not about bidding farewell to Jesus, but about the hand-off of his work to us. It didn’t take long for the early church to figure that out, but the question is whether we got the message. The healing of our broken world is not yet completed. Others may do their part, but they can’t do the work that is uniquely ours. Each one of us is called to be his voice, hands, and feet in the world. On this feast of the Ascension, we remember that Christ’s ascension marks the definitive entrance of Jesus’ humanity into God’s heavenly domain (CCC #665). This feast reminds us that like the first disciples, we are not to dally “looking up at the sky,” but are to get busy proclaiming the glory of God’s kingdom by the witness of our lives! Brothers and Sisters
The more profound things are, the simpler they seem to be. The essence of the Gospel and this season coalesces in today’s focus on God’s love for us and the commandment to love one another. This may seem far too simple; but the reality is amazing and perhaps a little terrifying. If we are honest, we know both the impact and the cost of this kind of love from our personal experience. Let us always remember...it is so worth it! Brothers and Sisters
Our Sunday Gospel challenges the depth of our relationship to Christ, who calls himself the vine and us, the branches. The immediacy of this relationship was palpable and so easily understood among the early Christians. But what is it for us? We’ve been invited into something far deeper and more intimate than our relationship to our own family or someone we love. Let us stop for a moment and thank our good Lord for all He has done for us and then joyfully endeavor to accept this invitation! |
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