Gospel Reflections for Challenging Times

  Easter Sunday Gospel – John 20:1-9 Alleluia Moment! Church of the Transfiguration – Mt. Tabor Let’s be honest here!   We take so many things for granted, at until they disappear from our lives or they become too difficult to do on our own.   Case in point!   The simple (or not so simple) act of getting out of bed (rising up in the morning) or getting up out of a chair!   Some days we manage on our own, although perhaps a bit slowly.   Other days we need that helping hand, that boost to get things started (often followed by that long loving hug)!   Either way, we RISE!   And we begin a new day with excitement, with anticipation, with hope and a big dose of love!   Alleluia, a new day begins! Alleluia!! It is a word we have not heard for 40 days.    A word missing from any liturgy for the entire season of Lent. In point of fact, it is actually 2 words, not one.   And it comes from Hebrew.   The first word HALLELU m...

  Holy Saturday /Easter Vigil Gospel – Luke 24:1-12 Waiting and Hoping Cookie Jar   I am guessing here that, for most of us, one of our fondest childhood memories was the simple cookie jar.   Whether it was at home or perhaps at Gramma’s house, it seemed to provide us with a never-ending supply of yummy goodness.   It was the treasure chest that we all enjoyed.   Countless times we would sneak into the pantry while no one was looking and grab a fistful of cookies and stuff our mouths!    Source of great joy in childhood!    Knowing the jar was full and finding ways to sneak into the pantry, grabbing a fistful of cookies and trying not to leave any crumbs, evidence, behind.      Even today, while the cookie jar has disappeared, whenever I go home to visit my mom, I still sneak into the pantry numerous times, and dig into the bags of cookies sitting on the shelf. But as much as a full cookie jar was a delight and jo...

  Good Friday     Gospel – John 18: 1–19:42 Nails! SRB Church There once was a young boy with a very bad temper. The boy’s father wanted to teach him a lesson, so he gave him a bag of nails and told him that, every time he lost his temper he must hammer a nail into their wooden fence. On the first day of this lesson, the little boy had driven 37 nails into the fence. He was really mad! Over the course of the next few weeks, the little boy began to control his temper, so the number of nails that were hammered into the fence dramatically decreased. It wasn’t long before the little boy discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence. Then, the day finally came when the little boy didn’t lose his temper even once, and he became so proud of himself, he couldn’t wait to tell his father. Pleased, his father suggested that he now pull out one nail for each day that he could hold his temper. Several weeks went by and the day finall...