Gospel Reflections for Challenging Times

  Thursday – 7 th Week of Easter Gospel – John 17:20-26 Can’t We All Just Get Along? Chapel of Tears, Jerusalem Today Jesus continues His prayer to the Father and He prays for one thing – Unity!   That we all may be one just as He is One with the Father! We have heard it before: one Lord, one faith, one Baptism, one church, Pardon me for saying this but I’m not seeing much unity these past few months (or even years).   We are so at odds with each other, politically, socially, spiritually.   Everyone seems on edge, ready to pick a fight or argue about anything.   We take sides and then dig in, to the point of demeaning the character of others.   We look for differences instead of appreciating what we have in common.   We lump people into groups instead of appreciating their uniqueness.   In short, we seem to be doing the exact opposite of what Jesus is praying for.   Boy, do we all need a good infusion of the Spirit! How can we ever reach unity?   The answer, I belie

  Wednesday – 7 th Week of Easter Gospel – John 17:11-19 The Big Picture! On Shores of Sea of Galilee You can’t see the forest for the trees!   You’re missing the BIG picture!   We have all heard it before, probably from our parents!   Sometimes we get so caught up in the minutiae and the details that we miss the overall point!   Don’t get me wrong; the details are important!   But we also need to reach some understanding with a wider view. Jesus’ words in today’s Gospel are directed toward truth, joy, our role in the world and the reality that the disciples will face rejection from the world.   But there is a bigger picture here! Jesus is praying to His Father for His disciples!   Let me repeat that.   Jesus is praying to His Father on behalf of His disciples!   He knows they are going to feel abandoned and lost, alone and fearful.   And He prays for them!   To His Father!   Does that sink in?   Haven’t we all felt lost or at sea?   Haven’t we all felt crushed a

  Tuesday – St. Matthias, Apostle Gospel – John 15:9-17 The Luck of the Draw Magdala Chapel There was a time when I was teaching World Religions where, instead of the students picking their partners for their major group project, I made the selections.   So I just threw all their names into a basket and randomly pulled them out.   I thought it would eliminate the pain of the kids having to choose which friends to pair up with and which friends not!   It was a horrible idea and I never tried it again.   Choosing by lots, by sheer chance, is not always the best option! We celebrate today the Feast of St. Matthias, Apostle.   And here is what we know about Matthias – he was selected by lot to take Judas’ place as one of the Twelve.   That’s it; that’s all we know.   No background!   No info on his missionary work or even his death, nothing!   All we have is a roll of the dice!   So was that all just a matter of chance?   Sheer blind luck?   Today’s Gospel tells us that

  Monday - 7 th Week of Easter Gospel – John 16:29-33 Deo Gratias Deacon Ordination, May 17, 2015 “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! 9 years ago this coming Friday, I was ordained a permanent deacon!   9 years ago I put on this stole (the one in the pictures) for the very first time!   It was a gift from my wife Ginger.   But it is also a reminder to me that, throughout the 4

  Sunday – Feast of the Ascension Gospel – Matthew 28:16-20 A Good Kick in the Pants Chapel of the Ascension, Jerusalem I am blessed to be not just a husband, but also a father and a grandfather to 2 boys, Tyler and Nate, 2 teenage boys, 2 typical teenage boys!   Need I say more?   Rise and shine happens anytime between Noon and 2.   And breakfast is really more of a late lunch than an actual concept.   But we also have to remember those days when we were teenagers and that bed felt so warm and cozy and how difficult it was to leave such a comfortable spot.   At least until Mom or Dad said – get up, get moving, are you going to sleep all day? Sometimes this lack of movement is not about a lack of motivation; it’s more about uncertainty of how to move forward.   It’s more about what do I do now?   We spend years in school with exams and projects and grades and then we graduate and, for some of us, we hit that point right after the ceremony where we ask ourselves – no