Sunday Reflections

Who is my neighbour?  This question often haunts followers of Jesus, as we realize more and more what it means to be brothers and sisters of one another, united in Christ.  The Samaritan was the last person expected to help the stricken Jew, since their tribes were not united.  There was dis-trust between them, but here is the Samaritan caring for the Jew.  He shows us what compassion looks like.  Compassion means ‘to suffer with’.  The other two, who as Jews were more obliged to help, had only pity, keeping their distance (so as not to be made unclean by conta

Today’s readings, as usual, are powerful and easy to understand.  Today’s readings are also very personal and speak to our baptized vocation in Christ.

Notice the very beautiful sentiment in today’s First Reading: “as a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you.” This is God our Father/Mother talking to you and me – we are God’s children!  Something we should really really celebrate! The Responsorial Psalm answers for us: make your joyful noise to God.

One might expect that the Scripture Readings for the first Sunday of Summer would leave us with notions of rest and relaxation however, if we do expect this, we would be sadly disappointed.  Quite the opposite!  There are strong aspects of Paschal Mystery in today’s Gospel: Luke 9:51-62.

The Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ, Corpus Christi, gives us an opportunity to reflect on what this great Sacrament means in the life of each of us.  In this Sacrament Jesus shares His life with us, as we receive His Body and Blood.  His power has transformed the bread and wine, and it now is a source of spiritual and eternal life for us.  Through this miraculous Sacrament, He takes up residence in us, making His ‘home’ in us.  What a beautiful and reassuring image of that intimate relationship with Jesus through His Body and Blood.   Unfortunately, in o

Today we celebrate the feast of the Blessed Trinity (God’s being three Persons in one God).  This is the most fundamental and most foundational doctrine of our Catholic Faith. It clearly is a mystery to us.  We cannot figure it out and it even is hard to grasp in any fundamental way.  How can God be so is beyond us.

St. John Chrysostom wrote, “He whom we love and lose is no longer where He was before; He is now wherever we are.” This quotation seems to articulate the experience of Mary of Magdala when she encounters the Risen Lord and hears that she must let go, for He will be ascending “to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God” (John 20:17).  It is difficult for her to let go of the one that she loves for she is experiencing the loss of a certain way of relating to Jesus. But, as she does let go, she is able to experience the Risen Lord in a new way through the Holy Spirit.

The Feast of the Ascension brings to an end the Paschal mystery, together with the suffering, death and resurrection.  Now, after significant appearances of the risen Lord to the disciples, Jesus ascends into heaven.  He leaves the disciples with a mission.

Today is the last Sunday of the Sundays of Easter.  Today there is also a collection for the Pope’s Pastoral Works: please dig deeply and give generously for these great works.  The Scripture readings today are very very rich and graced:  please do not rush through them but reflectively really digest them as you prepare for Mass.  At the Mass itself, please get there a few minutes earlier and pray to the Holy Spirit of the Risen Lord to open your ears and the ears of the others at Mass to really hear God’s Word today.

There were two important tasks for the Apostles in the early Church. The first was to build faith communities as they travelled from one city to another. We hear of some of those places in the Acts in this Sunday’s readings: Pisidia, Pamphylia, Pergia, Attalia and Antioch. The second was to offer encouragement and hope to these communities amidst the struggle of persecution. Paul and Barnabas were key figures in the building up of these communities and the encouragement and support they offered.

The Lord Jesus is our Shepherd.  He leads and guides us.  He protects us and cares for us in our need.  However, this leadership depends on following the shepherd, beginning with listening to the voice of the shepherd.  Jesus says that those who belong to him “listen to his voice”.  This may sound so easy, but it is a challenge.  Our independence and thought that ‘we know better’ are obstacles to this listening.  Jesus possesses all truth, and expresses unconditional love.  If we listen to him, he will give us that quality of life, as we follow our sh