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Fifth Sunday of Easter [A]

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  FIFTH SUNDAY OF EASTER [A] Once upon a time there were three “baby” trees, growing at the top of a high mountain. They would pass the time by dreaming about the future; the kind of contribution that each of them would someday make. The first tree foresaw a day when it would be fashioned into a treasure chest. Valuable coins could be stored within it, along with precious gemstones and exquisite jewelry. The second tree envisioned itself as being part of a great sailing ship. It would carry expensive cargo and visit exotic locations. As for the third tree, it had no wish to ever be harvested. It wanted to remain on the high mountain, extending itself higher and higher, pointing everyone upward, toward the kingdom of heaven.  What about these dreams? Will they be realized? Actually, it looks for all the world as if these dreams are destined to be squashed, rather than fulfilled. Yes, the first tree will find itself being harvested—but not so that it can be formed into a treasur...
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Fourth Sunday of Easter [A]

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  FOURTH SUNDAY OF EASTER [A] We will begin by noting that the word “follow” appears twice within this set of readings. It shows up in this passage from the First Letter of Peter (2:21), and it also turns up in this selection from the Gospel of John (10:4). Who is it that we are supposed to be following? The answer, of course, is Jesus. Why should we follow him? What do we know about him? We know, at least in part, that he has been identified as our Shepherd (Ps. 23:1; John 10:11). We also know that he has been revealed to us as The Suffering Servant (see Isaiah 52-53).  So if you follow Jesus, what will it mean for you? It means, first of all, green pastures. You will be allowed to settle in green pastures. After all, he’s your Shepherd (see Ps. 23:1,2). Additionally, in the course of following Jesus, you can likewise expect some measure of adversity. After all, he is The Suffering Servant, along with being our Shepherd (see 1st Peter 2:21-25). Therefore, appreciate that th...
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Third Sunday of Easter [A]

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  THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER [A] Do you remember a band called Katrina & the Waves ?  They were a band that sort of  “came and went.”  The mid-1980s would represent their peak; that’s when they scored with a hit song titled “Walking On Sunshine.”  The 1985 song climbed its way into the top ten and remained there for a period of several weeks. It is worth mentioning the song because we hear something about the subject of walking in this weekend’s Gospel selection. Jesus joins up with a pair of travelers as they walk along a road that’s taking them to the village of Emmaus. They are heading to Emmaus and, as a consequence, they are heading away from the city of Jerusalem.  Curiously, they fail to recognize Jesus for who he is. This perhaps has to do with the fact that he is in his newly resurrected form. Mary Magdalene struggles in a very similar way when she has her encounter with the resurrected Jesus (see John 20:11-18). In any case, Jesus will reveal ...
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2nd Sunday of Easter [A]

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  SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER [A] Christianity represents something new within the Roman Empire. It’s new and it’s also growing very rapidly (see Acts 2:47). When you join a movement like this, it means that you are being born anew (see 1st Peter 1:3). But what about the period that follows? Is it going to be all glory, all the time? Will the momentum be completely positive? Or will the positive, at some point, switch to negative? Actually, it depends. Do you have good people around you? Do you spend time engaged in the practice of prayer? If so, then your momentum will be primarily positive. Still, it’s always possible that you might drift into a pattern of isolation. You’re isolating yourself and you’re no longer dedicating time to the discipline of prayer.  One wonders: could this have been the root problem for Thomas? Typically, we focus upon the issue of doubt. The problem with Thomas is that he is such a doubter!  Be careful, however, not to overlook what is being descr...
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Easter Sunday

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SERMON FOR EASTER SUNDAY  It’s referred to as “The Lost Squadron.”  How do you lose something like a WWII Air Corps squadron? We will have to blame it on the weather. The objective is to fly from North America to Great Britain, following a northern Atlantic pattern. A storm, however, takes them off-course. Fuel levels become critical, and as a result, this 1942 mission will end prematurely. The six P-38s and the two B-17s are forced to land on a relatively flat section of the Greenland ice-cap. The crew members are rescued three days later, leaving the planes behind to be written off as “lost.”   After fifty years have passed, these planes will begin to receive a renewed measure of attention. A WWII enthusiast named Roy Shoffner decides to team up with an aviation specialist named Bill Cardin, in an effort to locate and potentially recover one of the lost aircraft. It’s a tall task, considering the fact that fifty years have gone by. Each year would see a period of m...
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A Holy Week Reflection

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  A HOLY WEEK REFLECTION Primarily, we tend to emphasize the second half of Holy Week. The plan of salvation reaches its climax as we observe Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil . Nevertheless, we do have liturgies that mark the earlier half of Holy Week. Note especially the Gospels for both Tuesday and Wednesday. Each one centers around the person of Judas Iscariot . On Tuesday, we hear about Satan “entering into” the heart of Judas (John 13:27). Meanwhile, the Gospel for “Spy Wednesday” outlines the arrangement that Judas initiates with the chief priests (Matt. 26:14-16). It’s an arrangement that will lead to the arrest of Jesus. And we know what happens once the authorities have Jesus in custody.  To what extent should we hold Judas accountable? Perhaps he deserves a healthy measure of sympathy. After all, he’s not responsible for his actions; he’s under the influence of Satan. It brings to mind a refrain from the 1970’s: “ The devil made me do it!! ”  We...
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Passion Sunday [A]

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  PASSION SUNDAY, CYCLE A On Palm Sunday we will be hearing Matthew’s version of the Passion. Last year we heard from Luke’s version, and next year we will hear from Mark’s version. If you’re wondering about John’s version, we hear from his narrative every time we gather for the Good Friday liturgy. With each evangelist you will notice some unique element; something particular to that individual Gospel. In terms of Matthew, we can say that he’s the only one who follows through on the story of Judas. The others mention his betrayal, but they don’t say anything about his ultimate fate. Matthew is the only one who describes the regret and the subsequent suicide (see 27:3-10).  Exactly how much sympathy should we be extending to Judas? Some novelists and some screenplays portray him as having good intentions—or at least intentions that stop short of being completely evil. It’s a strain , reconciling these sentiments with passages that reflect a tone of condemnation . For example, ...
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