Sunday Reflections

A pastor was invited to lunch at the home of a parishioner and the family. The wife worked very hard to put on a good meal for him and the family. As the meal was ending the pastor remarked that he had never had a meal like that in his life. The youngest child responded, “It’s okay Father, neither have we!”

We see the making of well-intended promises in the Last Supper in Mark’s gospel. Earlier in Mark (chapter 10), James and John have boldly asked Jesus for seats at His right and left when He comes into His glory. Lest we think that these two disciples are the exception to the rule, Mark reports that all the other disciples were “indignant” when they found out what James and John had done. They wanted these seats for themselves!

On this Solemn Feast of the Most Holy Trinity we celebrate the life with share with God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.  Just as we have a unique relationship with each member of our family – our father, our mother, our sibling(s) – so too, upon reflection, our relationship with each member of the Holy Trinity is unique.  Each person, united in their divinity, has its unique ‘personality’ and ‘function’ in the Trinity.  I came to a particular awareness of this in the Spiritual Exercises of St.

This weekend we celebrate an important Feast in the liturgical year – Pentecost.  We celebrate that the Holy Spirit, which Jesus had promised, came upon the first disciples, empowering them to go out and preach the Good News, and to BE the Good News.  We have all received the Spirit, in the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation, however for many this dynamic role of the Holy Spirit remains dormant and the grace of God unused because we have not opened ourselves to the Spirit.  This requires a risk on our part, because the Holy Spirit, active in us, will manifest itself in in

In William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Juliet says to Romeo, as they separate until the next day: “Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow….” Clearly, it is a sorrowful moment for anyone in love to be separated from the beloved for even a short time. The parting is sorrowful because there is something in the relationship that has come to an end.

With five words Jesus raised the bar in relation to what true love means, especially love inspired by Jesus.  When he said, “as I have loved you”, he gave each of us “the commission” to love as he loves – a love that is self-giving, forgiving, and thanksgiving.  Love can take many forms.  It can be selfish and self-serving, controlling and insincere.  But, this is not the love modeled and inspired by our Saviour.  In today’s gospel Jesus calls us to a deeper love, which will “make his joy complete”.  This is the love that Jesus has shown to us by his life, and

The readings today underline the importance of our relationship to Christ and how that can be transforming. Thus, as we read in Acts, Paul, because he was honest, embraced the truth about Jesus and, through the intervention of Barnabas, was embraced by the Christian community and began to boldly proclaim the truth about Jesus.

One of the most beautiful images that Jesus gives us of himself in John’s gospel is that he is the Good Shepherd who knows his sheep, calls them by name, and is willing to lay down his life for them (John 10: 11).

Many years ago I was involved in a car accident, when another driver drove into us.  I was relieved when an independent witness came forward and said that the other driver drove into us (not as the other driver alleged).  It was great to have a witness.  Jesus tells us that "we are witnesses".  But, to whom and to what?  If we are truly DISCIPLES of Jesus we have seen, heard and experienced things at his side.  If we are then truly an APOSTLE of Jesus we share what we have seen, heard and experienced.  How can we keep it a secret?  We are called to be

This weekend’s Gospel presents us with a scene of the disciples after Jesus’ death.  They are afraid.  They are on their own.  So, they do what seems natural—they locked themselves in a room for protection.  They surmise that this will keep them safe.  This will keep them secure.  But, how will they ever continue Jesus’ mission in such circumstances?  It is like the verses from the song The Rose: “It’s the heart afraid of breaking that never learns to dance; it’s the dream afraid of waking that never takes a chance.”  Left to their own insecu