Gospel Reflections for Challenging Times

  Tuesday – Visitation of Mary Gospel - Luke1:39-56 In Awe! Hill Country of Judea near Bethlehem Ever met someone famous, a moment that left you in awe, dumbfounded?   Maybe it was life-changing, life-altering.   Perhaps it was a movie star or sports legend or a religious figure like the Dalai Lama.   Most of you know how much of a sci-fi nut I am – movies, tv shows, books.   And my all-time favorite novel – DUNE – and all its sequels!   Written by Frank Herbert, it is a sprawling epic of science fiction, religious undertones and adventure.   I was lucky to meet Frank once at a book signing.   I brought along my first-ever copy of Dune and he signed it!   Wow!   And what did I say to him; what did I say to this master of the written word, to this sci-fi giant?   Not one word!   Nothing!   I was so in awe that I couldn’t even blurt out a simple thank you! We read today of another historic meeting, although one on a scale far beyond any book-signing encounter .   This is t

  Monday - 7 th Week of Easter Gospel – John16:29-33 Hope and Courage Church of Peter Primacy, Sea of Galilee By now, I think we are all just a bit afraid to turn on the news or open the newspaper, worried that we will be faced with another shooting, another massacre, another heart-wrenching tragedy.   “I have told you this so that you might have peace in me. In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world.”  Today’s Gospel offers all of us words of hope and comfort.   Jesus is sharing His final words with His disciples, His friends.   He knows what is to come.   In a matter of hours, He faces suffering and death.   And yet His focus is completely on the Apostles!   And He reminds them that, even when they are scattered, they are not alone; they never will be!   He will continue to guide them, encourage them and inspire them!   Whatever hardships they will face, they will find peace in Jesus! God knows we are all in great need of

  Sunday – Feast of the Ascension Gospel - Luke24:46-53 What Are We Waiting For? Chapel of the Ascension Throughout my 40 years of teaching, my tests have never really been considered ‘normal.’   There always seemed to be a bit of dread on my students faces wondering what crazy twist I would use to test their knowledge.   Most often it would be a group test.   I would randomly put them into groups of 3 and then spend the next 10 minutes of so explaining what they would do.   For example, here is the vocabulary list for the unit we were covering.   Now create a crossword puzzle, complete with the connecting grid, the clues and of course the answer sheet.   And then I want the groups to trade their crossword puzzles and then solve them!   Inevitably once I was done, there would be these minutes of utter silence and extreme inaction.   Is he crazy?   Seriously, we have to do this?     Then they would look at their group partners and hope someone else would take the lead and star

  Saturday - 6 th Week of Easter Gospel – John16:23b-28 I’ve Got a Better Idea Praying at the Wailing Wall My favorite sci-fi show of all time is Doctor Who.   It’s been around since 1963 and follows the adventures of an alien who travels throughout time and space in a British police box that he calls the ‘Tardis’.   Many times it is more a mis-adventure than an adventure.   And from time to time, he complains that the Tardis never takes him where he WANTS to go.   And the Tardis wisely responded to him “Yes, but I always take you where you NEED to go.” Jesus reminds us today that God truly is Our Father; He is the one we pray to when we need comfort, help or support. But since He is God, He does already know what we will ask Him.   Isn’t that just like a parent?   How often have we run to our parents to ask for something and they already knew what we were going to ask for?   And God does answer us but not always in the way we expect or want.   In many ways, God answers

  Friday - 6 th Week of Easter Gospel – John16: 20-23 Out of the Darkness Church of Holy Sepulchre   Irma Garcia, teacher   Amerie Jo Garza, 10   Eva Mireles, teacher   Xavier Lopez, 10   Uziyah Garcia, 9      Jose Flores, Jr, 10   Lexi Rubio, 10 Nevaeh Alyssa Bravo, 10   Eliahna Garcia, 10   Annabell Guadalupe Rodriguez, 10   Eliahana Cruz Torres, 10   Jacklyn Cazares, 10   Alithia Ramirez, 10   Rojelio Torres, 10   Jailah Nicole Silguero,10   Jayce Carmelo Luevanos   Alexandria Aniyah Rubio, 10   Tess Mata, 10   Makenna Lee Elrod, 10   Layla Salazar, 10   Miranda Mathis, 11 They were cheerleaders and baseball and basketball players, teachers and 4 th graders, happy children, intelligent, devoted to family and friends, they loved to dance and sing, some just made their First Communion, others their first honor roll, artists and tumblers, they had the biggest heart and were the best of friends.   And they are gone, too soon and to