Gospel Reflections for Challenging Times

4 th Sunday of Easter Gospel – John 10:1-10 Mary Had a Little Lamb Mount of Beatitudes on the Sea of Galilee Mary had a little lamb……….. you know the rest. We hear a lot about sheep/shepherds in today’s readings:   the very familiar Psalm response – the Lord is my shepherd and the Gospel where Jesus calls Himself the Good Shepherd and the Gatekeeper. But unless we grew up in the country or worked on a farm, our experience of sheep is probably limited to nursery rhymes and petting zoos. Sheep, especially from a child’s perspective, are cute, cuddly.   They seem so innocent and trusting.   But in a word, sheep are DUMB!    Without any guidance, they will wander anywhere; they will eat anything.   They have no natural defenses and, without a protector, they are food for any predator. They need a shepherd, someone who watches over them full-time.   There is no such thing as a day off for a shepherd; he lives with them day in and day out.   He feeds them, guides them, an

  Saturday – St Catherine of Siena Gospel – John 6:60-69 You Can’t Handle the Truth Chapel at Magdala We have all faced moments like this in our lives.   Maybe it was Mom and Dad sitting us down to hit us with the hard truth, the stark reality of life.   Maybe we messed up and now it was time to come clean and face the punishment.   Maybe it was having to deal with a harsh reality: sudden death or illness, the breakup of a family or a relationship, or the boss sitting us down for a performance review that does not go well.   Many of Jesus’ disciples, in today’s Gospel, also have a difficult time with the truth.   Jesus is offering them His Body and Blood; He is offering them eternal life.   And they can’t accept it; they refuse to believe it.   In fact, many of His disciples walk away and go back to their former lives.   Instead of moving forward in life and in faith, they choose to go back to the way things used to be.   They turn their backs on life eternal and head hom

  Friday 3 rd Week of Easter Gospel – John 6:51-58 It’s the Real Thing! Along the Via Dolorosa My watch stopped working a couple of weeks ago. That may not seem like such a big deal but that watch is 53 years old; it belonged to my Dad and since his death, I have worn it faithfully every single day.   I also wear a ring on my right hand, a class ring.   But again it is not mine; it was also my dad’s for his 1939 high school graduation.   It is 84 years old. Both of them are a constant reminder to me of my dad, our relationship and all the memories I have of him.   They give me a feeling that my dad is still here with me, guiding me and encouraging me. But in the end, the watch is not my dad; the ring is not my dad.   They are reminders; they are symbols, memories of the past.   But it’s not the same as having him right here beside me. I’m holding an unconsecrated host, simple unleavened bread, nothing more.   But in a few moments at Mass, it will be transformed into

  Thursday - Third Week of Easter Gospel    John 6:44-51 Soul Food Mass at Cana One of my ministries here at St. Robert’s is a Bible Study group affectionately known as “Soul Food.”   For the past 6 years, a small group of faithful and dedicated individuals have gathered on Thursday mornings to reflect on the Sunday Scripture readings, that is until March 15, 2020 when the pandemic shut everything down. Throughout that difficult time, we managed with simple emails and Facebook posts to continue the tradition.   But it was certainly not the same as gathering together as a community of faith.   Thankfully after 14 months of separation and sickness, we met in May of 2021.   You can imagine the joy we shared together as we came together after such a long time apart.   And I think it says something important directly related to the dedication of our group and especially our ‘name.”    Jesus today continues His discourse on the Bread of Life!   Bread!   And not simple bread

  Wednesday – 3 rd Week of Easter Gospel – John 6:35-40 Bread of Life Mass at Gethsemane So what’s your favorite bread?   White, wheat, rye, sourdough, marble rye, English muffin, Irish soda bread, scone, pita, rice cake, naan, tortilla, sesame, peasant (my favorite to bake), pumperknickel, banana bread, Italian, French, chabati, Challah, unleavened, matzo, baguette, focaccia, brioche, bagel, ciabatta, cornbread, potato bread, Injera?   So many choices!   Such variety!   And I didn’t even mention zucchini bread!   Wow, I am getting hungry! I am sure I missed a lot of other options but you get the picture.   There is an endless variety of breads, some cultural, some geographical and some religious in nature.   And yet, in spite of all the differences in appearance and taste, they are all the same; they are all BREAD!   And that sameness unites us all, no matter our culture, our religion or our citizenship. Bread!   It truly is the staff of life!   But it only satisfi