2020/05/10 — 5th Sunday of Easter — Year A

Better late than never, I hope, here are some thoughts about the Mass readings for May 10.

After two Sundays in which the first reading, from Acts, gave portions of Peter's address to the people on Pentecost, today we skip forward — past the healing of the cripple and Peter and John's subsequent run-in with the Sanhedrin — to the event which is generally regarded as the establishment of the diaconate. Acts 6:1-7. There are several elements to consider.

• The initial duty of the deacons was "to serve at table." Feeding the hungry is one of the "corporal works of mercy" which gain one entry into he kingdom of the Father, according to Matthew 25:35.
• The duty of overseeing the distribution is an item of control over community goods. In subsequent centuries, deacons came to be responsible for administering the goods of the Church. From their intimate knowledge of church administration, they were often considered ideal candidates to succeed deceased bishops (including popes).
• But the first deacons also had to be "reputable men, filled with the Spirit and wisdom." These qualities led Stephen to proclaim the gospel of Jesus as Messiah boldly and irrefutably, leading to his martyrdom Acts 6-7. Philip also evangelized, and he baptized the Ethiopian eunuch. Acts 8:4-8, 26-40.

Eventually, the diaconate came to be treated as the final step of preparation for priesthood. When the Second Vatican Council called for the restoration of the diaconate as a permanent ministry, the primary focus was on the ministry of service (but not broader administration within the Church). The ministries of word (including proclaiming the gospel at Mass and at least occasional preaching) and sacrament (baptizing, ministering Communion, serving at the altar during Mass, and presiding at weddings and funerals outside Mass) were also part of the restored diaconate. It is tempting to read "serve at table" expansively to include serving at the altar table.

For the other readings, I'll quote what I wrote about the three years ago.

In the second reading — 1 Peter 2:4-9 — we have a metaphor of stones. Christ is a living stone, and we too are to be living stones built into a "spiritual house," the Church, with Jesus as the foundation. As parts of the Church, we are not inert. Being living stones, we are to be a priesthood, offering sacrifices to God. Of course the most important sacrifice is the one in which we join with the Church as the Church unites with Jesus in offering the sacrifice of Calvary. Beyond that, through Christ we can offer our personal sacrifices to the Father by enduring sufferings and obeying God's will as we understand it.


The gospel — John 14:1-12 — presents a scene at the Last Supper. First,  Jesus promises that he will prepare a place for the disciples (and us) in his Father's house and he will take us there. He tells Thomas that he is the only way to the Father, the truth, and the (eternal) life. He assures Philip [not the deacon we read abut in acts, but the apostle] that his identification with the Father is so close that to see him is the same as seeing the Father.

Although Jesus is the sole way to the Father, we are told in Matthew 25:31-46 that explicit faith in him is not required. Works of mercy toward his least brothers are sufficient.

The Father is in Jesus and Jesus in the Father, so that he is the image of the Father. In the same way, the parable of the vine and the branches, John 15:1-10, tells that Jesus is in us and we are in Jesus, which makes us images of him and, by extension, of the Father, which is what imposes on us the duty of loving one another and letting our love overflow in service to our neighbors.

2020/05/03 — 4th Sunday of Easter — Year A

Three years ago, on the 4th Sunday of Easter, I posted an overview of "Good Shepherd Sunday" and the readings assigned for the Mass. I think it's still worth reading, and I invite you to do so. Beyond that, I want to share some of what I heard via livestream from St. Anselm Abbey this morning. Fr. Mathias, O.S.B, gave the homily at the monks' Mass. In it he mentioned the Mass as the place where Jesus is shepherd and gate. We hear his voice in the scriptures, and through him we come to the pasture where we are fed.

The pasture has a deeper dimension than we generally realize, and Fr. Mathias illustrated it with a quote from Scott Hahn. As an Evangelical, Scott snuck into a Catholic Mass to see what went on. He was amazed to hear all the scripture quoted, not just in the readings but at other points. It culminated for him when the congregation addressed Jesus three times as "Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world." He knew that the Book of Revelation calls Jesus "the Lamb 28 times. Then the priest held up the Host and said, "Behold the Lamb of God," and he realized that this was equivalent to the scene in Revelation 4-8. He wanted to jump up and shout, "Do you people know where you are? You're in Heaven right now!"

2020/04/16 — 3rd Sunday of Easter — Year A

We are still celebrating the resurrection of Jesus with its consequences for us.

The first reading — Acts 2:14a, 22-33 — gives an excerpt from Peter’s address to the people on Pentecost. After reminding the crowd of the death of Jesus, Peter goes on to proclaim his resurrection, using Psalm 16, with its promise of deliverance from death, to support his testimony. Since David, believed to be the author of the psalm, has died, the promise must be a prophecy about his promised descendant, the Messiah; and it is fulfilled in Jesus. At the conclusion of Peter’s speech, as later verses tell us, his testimony with its scriptural support proves persuasive, and 3,000 people were baptized.

The responsorial psalm quotes some of the same verses we heard in the first reading. The congregation’s refrain, “Lord, you will show us the path to life,” accepts the prophecy of overcoming death as applying to believers as well as to Jesus himself.

The second reading — 1 Peter 1:17-21 — speaks of the “futile conduct” (another translation has “futile way of life”) handed on by the hearers’ ancestors. I see two senses for this phrase. It can be understood as referring to the entire way of life of the Gentiles before their conversion. Rather than continuing in that way of life, sinful in a number of ways, those redeemed by the precious blood of Christ are to live virtuous lives, “with reverence.” In another sense, the futile conduct can be considered the pagan sacrifices and rituals invoking nonexistent deities. By contrast, Jesus’ sacrifice is offered to the true God and thus can truly save us from sin, so that we have faith and hope in God, who raised Jesus from the dead — implying that we look forward to a like resurrection.

The account in today’s gospel of the disciples’ encounter with the risen Jesus — Luke 24:13-35 — can readily be understood as a primitive witness to the general form of the Mass. The “congregation” gathers, and Jesus is with them. The scriptures are explained. We have readings and a homily. After that comes the breaking of bread: bread and wine are prepared and blessed, with Jesus’ words being central to that blessing. Then the body and blood of Jesus are distributed to the people. The disciples’ zeal to share the good news about Jesus should also be reflected in our desire to share that good news.

As I was looking over this gospel passage, one word struck me in a way it never had before: “all.” Jesus rebukes the disciples for being “slow … to believe all that the prophets spoke.” This suggests that they believed some of what the prophets spoke. They had hoped he would be “the one to redeem Israel,” that is, the Messiah. But in this hope, they believed the elements of the Messianic prophecies which fit the commonplace expectations about the Messiah, which they (and the apostles) shared — namely, that he would be a great military leader and ruler, like David, and would drive out the Romans and restore Israel to the glory it had under David. This image failed to include other prophecies of the meekness, suffering, and death of God’s servant. So Jesus had to explain all the passages that referred to him. No doubt we see this explanation reflected in Peter’s speech on Pentecost, as well as in all the other references to scripture found in the New Testament and in the writings of the Church Fathers.

Now, we need to be careful not to let our belief become partial. We should not let ourselves become so focused on one part of doctrine, worship and devotion, or right conduct, that we ignore other elements of Christian faith and life. Care for the poor and sexual morality and right to life. Mass and sacraments and private prayer. Scripture and tradition and responding to the “signs of the times.”

2020/04/19 — 2nd Sunday of Easter (Divine Mercy Sunday) — Year A

I wrote extensively about this Sunday in 2016. I began with an introduction to the Sunday, and you can read that at the link. The gospel reading  is the same every year. Here is what I wrote then:

The gospel — John 20:19-31 — tells of two appearances of Jesus after his resurrection. The first takes place on the evening of the first Easter Sunday, and the second a week later, which would be this Sunday. Thomas’ absence on the first occasion, his doubting of what he was told, his subsequent presence and vision of the Lord, with his enthusiastic proclamation of Jesus as not only his Lord but also God, serve as an encouragement to hearers of the gospel to believe. Beyond that, it is an instance of God’s mercy. When Thomas doubts, God does not condemn him or dismiss him from the company of the apostles. He mercifully calls Thomas to faith, just as he mercifully forgives Peter for his denials. So it is with us: God mercifully calls us to repentance and forgiveness — a forgiveness which the conferral of the Holy Spirit on the apostles enables the Church to extend on God’s own authority.

It is also worth noting that Jesus gives his disciples the power to forgive (or retain) sins. Clearly, this is not something they have in their own right. Jesus' sacrifice is what obtains forgiveness, and he has the power to extend that forgiveness. Now he indicates that he will exercise that power through them, sacramentally. We believe that in the Sacrament of Reconciliation (also called Penance or Confession) this power is exercised. Of course God can forgive sins at any time apart from this sacrament, but we have the promise that he does so when the sacrament is received.

One other point worth noting is that the other apostles are no better than Thomas. Like him, they came to believe when they saw Jesus, a week earlier than Thomas. But it is Thomas who acknowledges Jesus as God.

I had intended to write a little something about the first two readings for April 19 — Acts 2:42-47 and 1 Peter 1:3-9 — but rather than delay this any further, I'll just post this about the gospel. You're always free to look up the other readings and see what they say to you.

2020/04/12 — Easter Sunday

The readings for Mass on Easter Sunday are the same every year, and I gave a synopsis of them in 2016. Perhaps you'd like to review that post. Now, I just want to consider a couple of points which struck me as I listened to them today.

In the first reading, Peter tells Cornelius and his household that after the resurrection Jesus was "visible, not to all the people, but to us, the witnesses chosen by God in advance, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead." None of Peter's hearers ask, "Why not to all?" but some people could, with the thought that appearing to all the people would be a stronger proof of the resurrection. But even that would not sway those who wouldn't believe. In the first place, who are "all the people?" Doubters could say it's just a double. They'd demand miracles, even though miracles hadn't persuaded everyone before Jesus' death. And once Jesus' Ascension took place, we'd basically be exactly where we are now. Faith is never a matter of compelled belief; it is a gift from God which one is open to accept.

The reading from Colossians, which is the one I heard today, reminds us to "seek what is above," and "think of what is above, not of what is on earth." Clearly, we can't simply ignore our earthly life and surroundings. so that can't be what it means. We have the physical necessities of life to which we must attend. We have our families and communities in which we are called to live lovingly as Jesus' followers. And now we have the coronavirus disrupting our lives in various ways, some small, some large, and in some cases tragic. I think St. Paul is telling us is that if we make this present life our focus, we'll rob ourselves of the hope which the resurrection of Jesus gives us: the promise of our own resurrection and everlasting joy.

So, like Peter and John in today's gospel, we may not completely understand every question that theologians ponder. But we can still believe that Jesus is risen from the dead, the Savior of the world.

2017/05/21 — 6th Sunday of Easter — Year A

As Eastertide enters its last two weeks, the readings turn our attention toward the Holy Spirit.

The first reading — Acts 8:5-8, 14-17 — tells of the reception of the gospel in Samaria. Philip was one of the seven who were appointed to "wait on tables" to insure equity in the daily distribution, as we heard in last week's first reading. In chapters 6 and 7 we hear of Stephen's works, preaching, trial, and martyrdom. Now another deacon is preaching the gospel. Despite the reason behind their selection for ministry (with an installation which has marks of ordination), they cannot refrain from proclaiming the gospel.

Stephen's activity was in Jerusalem, but Philip goes to Samaria. Up to this point, we have only heard of the Church in Jerusalem — the work and preaching of the Apostles there and the opposition from the Sanhedrin, culminating with the martyrdom of Stephen. Philip is the first to proclaim the gospel outside Jewish territory. The Church had to verify that this extension of the faith into foreign territory was authentic.

The apostles' prayer brings the Holy Spirit manifestly upon the Samaritans. Although Baptism brings the indwelling of the Holy Spirit which Jesus promises, there was with Jesus and the early Church an empowering anointing by the Holy Spirit which believers received. We can see this as corresponding to Confirmation.

The responsorial psalm — verses of Psalm 66 — speaks generally of our joy in the goodness of the Lord. Our joy is based on the Resurrection of Jesus, with all it means. The response, extending the call for joy to all the earth, can remind us of the extension of the gospel beyond Judea.


In the second reading — 1 Peter 3:15-18 — there is a "stream of consciousness" which calls us to good conduct of various sorts and concludes with a reminder of Jesus' saving work. This connects with the theme of the Holy Spirit in two ways. There is an explicit reference to the Spirit's place in Jesus' resurrected life. Beyond that, it is the Holy Spirit who empowers us to sanctify Christ, to give respectful explanations of our faith, and to keep our consciences clear by avoiding evil conduct and doing good.


The gospel — John 14:15-21— like last Sunday's is an excerpt from Jesus' discourse at the Last Supper. He is looking forward to the time after his ascension. He promises the sending of the Holy Spirit, here called Advocate and Spirit of truth. This promise was first fulfilled at Pentecost, again at Samaria and on other occasions recounted in Acts, and the Holy Spirit continues to be given to believers, to dwell in us.

Jesus then promises that his ascension will not leave us orphans: he will come to us. He will return at the end of time to gather those who love him to himself. It seems there is more to this promise than simply that. We will see him when the world no longer sees him. We see him in the sacrament of his Body and Blood. We see him in another way in the least of his brethren.

Next, Jesus tells us that he is in the Father and in us, and we are in him. Elsewhere he has told us the Father is also in him (John 14:10). Implicitly, then when we are in Jesus, we are also in the Father and the Father is in us — and as Jesus had just said, the Holy Spirit is in us. This reciprocal indwelling of the faithful and the Trinity is the form which our baptismal adoption takes. We participate in the life of God, which is eternal life.

An Italian Salesian daily missal I got many years ago draws this point out in a way that explains why Jesus' command at 15:12 is not "Love your neighbor," but "Love one another as I have loved you." The love which exists among the followers of Jesus is of a higher order that that which can exist with non-believers, since it is a  share in the internal love of the Persons of the Trinity. Nevertheless, we are also called to love all our fellow humans. It seems to me that this love is analogous to God's love. The love of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit was so great that it "had to" express itself in the creation of a loved universe, including humans with whom the love could be reciprocally shared. God loves all people and wants them to be saved, and the divine love in us must also overflow into to love for all and a desire for them to be saved. This love should motivate us as it motivated Philip's preaching in Samaria. We should not neglect opportunities to explain the reason for our hope; and our lives — keeping Jesus' commandments — should reflect God's goodness.

2017/05/14 — 5th Sunday of Easter — Year A

The past three Sundays have given us readings from Acts and 1 Peter. Two of the gospels have been from John and one from Luke. The pattern continues, with some changes of scene.


In past weeks, we've been hearing from Peter's speech to the crowd on Pentecost as recounted in Acts 2. This Sunday's first reading — Acts 6:1-7 — takes us forward to the situation in which the first deacons were appointed to ensure fairness in "the daily distribution." In the gospel we will hear Jesus tell us that he is the image of the Father. Here, the deacons become the image of Jesus, who came to serve, not to be served. This passage is an example for us. We too should be images of Jesus, and thus of the Father, by our service to others through performance of the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. We should also note that it is a well ordered community that enables attracts others to the faith and experiences growth.


The responsorial psalm — verses of Psalm 33, with v. 22 as the refrain — calls us to trust in God, foreshadowing Jesus' exhortation to the disciples to have faith in him.


In the second reading — 1 Peter 2:4-9 — we have a metaphor of stones. Christ is a living stone, and we too are to be living stones built into a "spiritual house," the Church, with Jesus as the foundation. As parts of the Church, we are not inert. Being living stones, we are to be a priesthood, offering sacrifices to God. Of course the most important sacrifice is the one in which we join with the Church as the Church unites with Jesus in offering the sacrifice of Calvary. Beyond that, through Christ we can offer our personal sacrifices to the Father by enduring sufferings and obeying God's will as we understand it.


The gospel — John 14:1-12 — presents a scene at the Last Supper. First,  Jesus promises that he will prepare a place for the disciples (and us) in his Father's house and he will take us there. He tells Thomas that he is the only way to the Father, the truth, and the (eternal) life. He assures Philip that his identification with the Father is so close that to see him is the same as seeing the Father.

Although Jesus is the sole way to the Father, we are told in Matthew 25:31-46 that explicit faith in him is not required. Works of mercy toward his least brothers are sufficient.

The Father is in Jesus and Jesus in the Father, so that he is the image of the Father. In the same way, the parable of the vine and the branches, John 15:1-10, tells that Jesus is in us and we are in Jesus, which makes us images of him and, by extension, of the Father, which is what imposes on us the duty of loving one another and letting our love overflow in service to our neighbors.

2017/05/07 — 4th Sunday of Easter — Year A

As I wrote last year, "In all three years of the lectionary cycle, the Fourth Sunday of Easter is “Good Shepherd Sunday.” The opening prayer of the Mass (the same all three years) prays that the flock may follow where the shepherd has led, namely, to heaven. Each year’s gospel is taken from chapter 10 of the Gospel of John, in which Jesus calls himself both the gate of the sheepfold and the good shepherd.: Year A, verses 1-10; Year B, 11-18; and Year C, 27-30. The first two readings do not directly relate to the theme of the sheep and the shepherd. The title of Good Shepherd was popular with early Christians. Images of the shepherd with the sheep on his shoulders (Luke 15:5) were common as depictions of Jesus, and the logo for the current Jubilee Year of Mercy develops the image, substituting a human for the sheep."


The first reading — Acts 2:14a, 36-41 — gives the conclusion of  Peter's address to the people on Pentecost. Peter's testimony proves persuasive and the hearers come to faith. The first thing for a believer is to be baptized. We learn two things about the effects of baptism. It brings forgiveness of sins and confers the Holy Spirit. Peter follows this with an indication that the salvation Jesus brings extends beyond the people of Israel: it will include Gentiles. The remainder of the Book of Acts will tell the story of the work of the apostles, including Paul, in spreading the gospel to Jews and Gentiles.


The responsorial psalm — Ps 23 with the first verse as the refrain — is the Good Shepherd psalm, anticipating the gospel reading.


The second reading — 1 Peter 2:20b-25 — tells of Jesus' patient acceptance of his sufferings and death. This is an example for us: we are called to accept suffering which comes to us as a consequence of our good lives. But more fundamentally, Jesus' suffering and death, patiently borne, have freed us from our sins — the forgiveness which we receive at baptism, as we heard in the first reading, as well as access to forgiveness of sins committed after baptism. The reading concludes with another foreshadowing of the Good Shepherd theme.


The image of the shepherd is familiar from many passages of scripture: King David had been a shepherd; psalms refer to God as shepherd of Israel and the psalmist's shepherd; Ezekiel tells of God describing himself as a shepherd who judges between sheep, much like the king in Jesus' parable of the judgment of the nations in Matthew; Jesus tells of the shepherd who seeks the lost sheep. In today's gospel — John 1:1-10 — there are two images Jesus uses for himself. the shepherd and the gate of the sheepfold. In both of them he makes a contrast with the thieves and robbers. There may be a tendency to ask, "Well, which is it: shepherd or gate?" but these are just different ways of illustrating Jesus' care for us. Like the shepherd, he leads us to nourishment and safety. Like the gate of the fold where he gathers the sheep for the night, he protects us from thieves and predators — whatever would take us away from our life in God. Jesus promises us abundant life, eternal life, if we listen to his voice and follow him. Implicit in this is the requirement for us to be careful not to be led astray by voices other than his, by the temptations which come from the devil, from elements of culture which are contrary to the gospel, and from our own appetites and propensities which St. Paul calls "the flesh." But the central message today is one for redemption and eternal life thanks to the saving work of our Good Shepherd.

Easter Vigil — 2017/04/15

The Easter Vigil is the central liturgy of the Church's year. It is a Mass, with the regular elements of liturgy of the Word, which is what I concentrate in in my posts for Sundays and major feast days, and liturgy of the Eucharist — with presentation of the people's gifts of bread and wine, and themselves; consecration of the bread and wine, making them the Body and Blood of Jesus; and Holy Communion. But at the Easter Vigil, some secondary parts are expanded into major rites, and the readings are more extensive.


Mass usually begins with a procession and introductory rite leading into the liturgy of the Word. At the Easter Vigil this rite is vastly expanded. First, a fire is lit; a large candle, adorned with various symbols of Christ, is lit from the fire; and the candle is carried in procession to a tall stand in the sanctuary. Meanwhile, the people's candles are lit with candles lit from the Easter candle. The Easter candle represents the risen Christ, and its flame the light he gives to the world. When the clergy and ministers have arrived in the sanctuary, an ancient chant, called "Exsultet" ("Rejoice") from its opening word in Latin, proclaims the praise of the candle as representing Jesus' work of our salvation.


Normally, the liturgy of the Word consists of three readings, with a responsorial psalm after the first and an acclamation before the gospel. At the Vigil, there are seven Old Testament readings before the (non-gospel) New Testament reading, acclamation, and gospel. Not all seven O.T. readings are required to be read, but Exodus 14:15-15:1, which tells of the Israelites' crossing of the Red Sea, is required. Not only does, it remind us of Passover, with the sacrifice of the Paschal Lamb (a type of Christ), which immediately preceded the Exodus, but it also foreshadows baptism, which liberates us from slavery to sin by our passage through the water.

The first reading is the account of creation in Genesis 1:1-2-2. God creates the universe and it is very good. In Jesus, God recreates humanity, making it very, very good, and ultimately he will recreate the universe — a new heavens and new earth promised in Revelation.

Second is Genesis 22:1-18, the sacrifice of Isaac by Abraham. At the end, God stops Abraham from killing his son, but God did not spare his own son in order to reconcile humanity to himself.

Third is the reading from Exodus.

Next is Isaiah 54:5-13, in which God presents himself as the redeemer of Israel, promising reconciliation, "enduring love," glory, and peace. We see Jesus as the one who brings these about, beginning in time, and fulfilled in eternity.

The fifth reading is also from Isaiah — 55:1-11. There is a promise of abundance. Gentiles will come to the Lord. God is forgiving, and his word — Jesus, in our understanding — sent to the earth, will accomplish his mission.

The sixth reading is Baruch 3:9-15, 32-4:4. God, the creator of the stars that rejoice before him, calls Israel back to his wisdom, his peace, which we understand are in Jesus.

Seventh is Ezekiel 35:16-17a, 16-28. Our sinfulness has caused our exile among the nations. For the sake of his own glory God will bring us back to the promised land. He will cleanse us of our sins by sprinkling clean water (baptism) on us and putting his spirit in us, enabling us to live according to his will.

In an ordinary Mass, the first reading is followed by a psalm, and then the second reading. In the Vigil, each of these readings has its psalm, but then there is a prayer recited by the priest before the next reading. It alludes to the preceding reading, asking God to deal kindly with us as indicated by the reading.


When the Old Testament readings, with their psalms and prayers are completed, the hymn "Glory to God in the Highest" is sung. This usually concludes the entrance rite, before the liturgy of the Word, so we might expect it to be placed before the first reading, rather than in the middle of the liturgy of the word. I suspect the reason for its current placement is that when Pope Pius XII revised the Vigil into its current form, Sunday Mass had only two readings, epistle and gospel. The Gloria came immediately before the first of the two readings, so the idea was that epistle and gospel were a separate unit and the Gloria should precede them. The Old Testament readings were probably seen as separate, not part of a continuum with the final two readings. At any rate the Gloria is sung, and then the prayer which would normally follow it to conclude the opening rite is said.


The epistle — Romans 6:3-11 — tells us that our baptism is a baptism into the death of Jesus, bringing us newness of life in union with his resurrection. Our baptism is thus also a death to sin.

The gospel this year, Year A, is Matthew's account of the resurrection — Matthew 28:1-10. As the women approach Jesus' tomb on that first Easter morning, there is an earthquake and an angel rolls the stone from to stone covering the entrance to the tomb. The angel tells the women that Jesus has risen. They are to tell the disciples to go to Galilee to meet Jesus. On their way, the women see Jesus, who gives them the same message for the disciples.

It was only this time hearing that gospel that I realized that Matthew implies that Jesus had already risen before the angel rolled back the stone. Possibly the earthquake was the moment he rose and left the tomb, or possible it had happened earlier, but in any case, Jesus (unlike Lazarus) doesn't have to wait for the stone to be removed before he can leave the tomb. Just as he can enter the upper room through locked doors, in his glorified body, he leaves the tomb while it is still sealed.

Another point that occurs to me is that the reason for the angel's message is that it prepares the women for encountering Jesus himself. Without that preparation, they would have been overwhelmed by meeting the resurrected Jesus, but ow they could accept it.


It may be expected that the liturgy would focus on Jesus' death and resurrection. The heavy additional emphasis on baptism in this liturgy is because in ancient times, the Easter Vigil was the occasion on which people were baptized. This leads to the next difference from normal Sunday Masses. In place of the recitation of the Nicene Creed, which normally follows the gospel, there is a blessing of water for baptisms (or for sprinkling the people if there are no baptisms). Adults are then baptized, and then the people renew their baptismal renunciation of sin and profession of faith, following which they are sprinkled with the water, in  commemoration and renewal of their own baptism.

After this, the Mass continues as usual.

Easter Sunday — 2016/03/27

Regrettably, I didn't have time to write a post about the Easter Vigil celebrated on Saturday evening. It is the central liturgy of the whole year. I hope I'll be able to write something in time for next year's vigil. But now, as the Sunday comes to a close, hear are some thoughts about the scriptures for the Mass for daytime Sunday.


The first reading — Acts 10:34a, 37-43 — is taken from a sermon by Peter in the house of a gentile centurion named Cornelius. Up to this point, Jesus' followers were all Jews. But now a series of visions had caused Cornelius to send for Peter and Peter to accept Cornelius' request that Peter visit him. Peter was speaking to a number of Cornelius' friends and relatives. He gives a synopsis of Jesus' ministry and then testifies to his death and resurrection and to his status as judge of the living and dead and to the forgiveness of sins which comes to believers through Jesus. Following this passage, we are told that the Holy Spirit fell on those listening to Peter, and ordered that they be baptized. This definitively marks the admission of uncircumcised gentiles into the Church.

The passage witnesses to us of the belief in the resurrection and Lordship of Jesus already present in the early days of the Church.


The responsorial psalm — Ps 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23, with verse 24 as the refrain — contains verses used to support the idea that one rejected by the authorities could be the Messiah: "the stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone." This was read as a prophecy of Jesus' Lordship, and it must be God's doing. The resurrection is a powerful act by God, one which ultimately promises us life.  Our response is to recognize the day of the resurrection, and by extension, every Sunday — which is our holy day because it commemorates the resurrection of Jesus — as "the day the Lord has made," a day for rejoicing.



There are alternative second readings.
Colossians 3:1-4 refers to its hearers as having died and having been raised with Christ, which happens in baptism. This sharing in the death and resurrection of Jesus has consequences: we should care more about the things of heaven, our ultimate destiny, that about those of this earthly existence.
1 Corinthians 5:6b-8 spells out the consequences more specifically. Using the metaphor of the Jewish Passover rule of removing all yeast from the house in advance of the holy days (so that they would eat only unleavened bread), Paul calls on his hearers to remove malice and wickedness from their lives, which are now a perpetual Passover marked by sincerity and truth, with Christ as the paschal lamb.



In Jesus' time, belief in a resurrection at the end of time was common among Jews other than the Sadducees, but it was not easy for Jesus' disciples to grasp the concept of a resurrection happening before then. That is why the final verse of the gospel — John 20:1-9 — tells us that "they did not yet understand the Scripture that he had to rise from the dead." We see a similar incomprehension in the other gospels when Jesus predicts his passion and resurrection. This is the beginning of John's account of Jesus' appearances after his resurrection. At first, Mary Magdalen seems to suspect that the empty tomb was the work of grave robbers, but John comes to believe that Jesus was raised. The appearances of Jesus will make it clear to them all.



Jesus, our Paschal Lamb is risen and shares his life with us.


Our celebration of the Lord's resurrection will continue through the fifty days of the Easter Season to Pentecost. as we hear the gospel accounts of his appearances after his resurrection and consider the meaning of our participation in his life.

2015/05/03 — 5th Sunday of Easter, edited May 3.

Considerable time has passed and much has happened between last Sunday's reading from Acts and this Sunday's. (Acts 9:26-31) The Jerusalem community of believers grew under the leadership of the Apostles. The Apostles were arrested and tried a second time, but released. The first deacons were appointed. Stephen was martyred. Saul (who later called himself Paul) persecuted the Christians. Those who fled Jerusalem brought the gospel to other areas. Saul, on his way to persecute the Christians of Damascus had a vision of Jesus and became a Christian. Now we come to today's reading. A plot to kill Saul in Damascus leads to Paul's return to Jerusalem, where he is met with suspicion until Barnabas vouches for the authenticity of his conversion. Then the same group that had martyred Stephen wants to kill him, so he leaves Jerusalem. Finally, we are told that there was a period when all was well for the Christians both in Jerusalem and throughout the Middle East.

Up to this point, the gospel had been proclaimed only to Jews. The Christians were Jews who believed that Jesus was the Messiah. Although there were prophecies that the Gentiles would also come to the Lord, and although Jesus himself had spoken of proclaiming the gospel to all nations (e.g., Matthew 28:19-20), it seems that at first the early Christians held to the Jewish mindset of being a people apart.


Once more, the second reading is from the First Letter of John. (1 John 3:18-24) The passage speaks of faith, action, and love. Our love must be manifested in deeds. Thinking back to the first reading, we can see love in action when Barnabas brought Saul to the apostles and reassured them about him. We see it again when the brothers send Saul to safety in Tarsus when they learn that his life is in danger in Jerusalem.

The reading from John tells us that we do not rely on ourselves. We have the Spirit of God, who reassures us when our hearts would condemn us for our sins. We still believe in God and we keep his commandments when we believe and love one another. Our reassurance is from God's Spirit, not from ourselves.


Scripture gives us several images of the relationship between Jesus and believers. Last week it was a shepherd and his sheep. Paul speaks of the Church as the Body of Christ. John says we are God's children, members of his family. In today's gospel (John 15:1-8), part of Jesus' discourse at the Last Supper, Jesus compares it to a vine and its branches. The branches live in unity with the vine. They share the life of the vine. The vine transmits its life to them. The whole plant grows as long as the branches remain connected to the vine. If a branch is growing in an unproductive way, it will be pruned to make it better. There is a difference between the Church and the vine and branches. Jesus notes the possibility of a person separating himself from Jesus, which branches of a plant can't do. But as humans we have that choice, to remain connected to the vine or not. We can separate ourselves from Jesus and the Church, to our own loss. But if we continue with Jesus, we have life and bear fruit. The vine grows.

Paul's visit to Jerusalem (and there were others to follow) shows that he wasn't trying to go on his own. His connection with Jesus implied unity with the apostles and disciples who were the original "branches." Despite occasional friction with Peter and others, Paul didn't set up a rival church. He remained connected to the vine.

This remains our task today as it was in the time of the apostles: to live the love for one another that will keep us together despite our disagreements and frictions that arise; to remain connected to Jesus, the source of our life. In doing so, we will bring the gospel of life to others.


Edited May 3 to add a couple of additional thoughts.

The Holy Spirit is mentioned in both the first and second readings. The Church as a whole grows with the consolation of the Holy Spirit, and each of us has that consolation as we grow in holiness.

We are to live productive ("fruitful") lives, and to do so we need to be in Jesus like branches of a vine — which means that we are also connected to one another through him. But if without him we can do nothing, this means that all those who bear fruit are connected to Jesus, whether they realize it or not — Karl Rahner coined the phrase "anonymous Christians." God's love and grace do not depend on our passing a theology test.

Easter 2015

Easter is the central celebration of the Christian year, because the central belief of Christianity is that Jesus died and rose from the dead. There is so much to this belief, and it is such a basis for celebration that we take three days to explicate it — from the evening of Holy Thursday through Easter Sunday (the Sacred Triduum). Through our baptism we participate in Jesus' saving death and are given a share in his resurrected life.


Holy Thursday  The triduum begins with a commemoration of the Last Supper. First, there is a reading from Exodus, telling of the Passover, with its sacrificial lamb and unleavened bread. (Exodus 12:1-8, 11-14) We see the lamb, whose blood protected the Israelites from the the destroying angel, as a prefiguring of Jesus; and the unleavened bread prefigures the bread of the Lord's Supper.

Next we hear St. Paul's account of the Last Supper (1 Corinthians 11:23-26) in which Jesus declares that the bread he shares is his body, that is for them, and the wine is the new covenant in his blood. They are to repeat his action in remembrance of him — proclaiming his death until he returns.

The third reading is from the Gospel of John (John 13:1-15). This is the account of Jesus' washing the feet of the disciples, and commanding them to serve one another, following his example.

Christians' participation in the Body and Blood of the Lord must lead to loving service. I think Pope Francis is re-emphasing this point for us.


Good Friday  We continue with a consideration of the trials, suffering, and death of Jesus. As on Holy Thursday, our first reading is from the Hebrew Scriptures. This time it's from Isaiah (Isaiah 52:13 — 53:12). This is a passage about a servant of the Lord who is led like a lamb to the slaughter — bearing our guilt as he is tortured and killed — but who ultimately has life and takes away the sins of many. Next, the Epistle to the Hebrews (4;14-16; 5:7-9) speaks of Jesus' obedience the the Father as the thing that makes him the source of salvation for all who obey him as well as our eternal high priest. On Good Friday, the gospel reading is the Passion according to St. John, which shows a Jesus who willingly goes to his death on the cross to accomplish the purpose for which he came into the world. (The synoptic Gospel accounts of the passion are read on Palm Sunday year by year.)

Jesus' sufferings and death, willingly accepted, bring redemption from sin to the human race.


Easter Vigil  On the night before Easter Sunday, the Church keeps vigil. It was believed that Jesus would return when he rose from the dead, at dawn on Easter.

The service of the Easter Vigil is focused on Baptism. In ancient times, it was when people could be baptized (with a make-up at Pentecost for those who for some good reason couldn't be present at Easter). So the readings explore the meaning of baptism. Central is the passage of the Israelites through the Red Sea (Exodus 14:15 - 15:1), which is seen as an image of our rescue from sin through baptism. Other readings tell of the creation of the world — with baptism being understood as a new creation — and of God's promises of life to his people. Then a reading from Romans (6:3-11) tells us that our baptism joins us to Jesus' death, bringing also a participation in his risen life. Finally, we hear one of the synoptic gospels of the discovery of the empty tomb of Jesus and the announcement by the angels of his resurrection.

The baptized have the promise of personal resurrection and eternal life.


Easter Sunday  John's Gospel (John 20:1-9) tells of the finding of the empty tomb of Jesus, first by Mary Magdalene,  then by John and Peter. The first reading (Acts 10: 34a, 37-43) gives us a homily by St. Peter in which he testifies to the death and resurrection of Jesus and says that those who believe in him have forgiveness of sins. Then we either hear Colossians 3:1-4, telling us that we have died with Christ and share his life, or a passage from 1 Corinthians (5:6b-8) which brings us full circle to the unleavened bread of the Passover and the Paschal Lamb.

Jesus, our Paschal Lamb is risen and shares his life with us.


Our celebration of the Lord's resurrection will continue through the fifty days of the Easter Season to Pentecost. as we hear the gospel accounts of his appearances after his resurrection and consider the meaning of our participation in his life.

Sacred Triduum, 2012

As I write this, we're in the middle of the Sacred Triduum, the three days that begin with the Mass of the Lord's Supper on Holy Thursday and culminate with the Easter Vigil's celebration of the Resurrection of the Lord. We recall that God is with us always, even in our suffering and pain, and that we have the promise of resurrection to eternal life, because Jesus has conquered sin and death for us.

Happy Easter to all my readers, whether you share my Christian faith or whether for you it's just another Sunday in April.

Happy Easter!

I realize the for many readers, even as I post this, Easter Sunday is past. That means, of course, that it is Easter Monday.

Indeed, in my Church, Easter Week is treated as if it were a single celebration. So it's Easter all week; and there's a 50 day period, a week of weeks in which we continue to live and worship in the glow of Easter. (Jewish readers may think at this point of Shavuot.) All this is by way of saying that the greeting in the title of this post is not belated.

For those of us who are Christian, this is the high point of the year. Christmas is joyous indeed, but the birth of Jesus occurred in order for him to be able to die and rise. And it is that death and resurrection which shows him as our Lord and Savior and promises us our own resurrection and everlasting life through faith in him. That is the central message of Christianity.

We do not deny suffering and death. We do not imagine that God will, or is obliged to, keep us from suffering — any more than he kept Jesus from suffering — but we have the joy, even in the midst of our suffering and troubles, of knowing that through Jesus, God shares his life with us — a liife that will never end, a life in which, after death and resurrection, there will be no more pain and sorrow.

This is a belief which we hold in faith. Non-Christians may raise doubts and objections. There are classic responses (apologetics) which we find satisfying, but no one is forced into belief. We are persuaded, and we believe that God gives us this belief as his free gift. We can recognize the questions and doubts, but we find that we still believe, that we cannot not believe.

For those who cannot believe in that core message of Christianity — that Jesus is risen and he is Lord — we invite you to believe that Life and Love can triumph over the "little deaths" of life — loss of love, loss of friendship, loss of job, loss of ability to do things we have enjoyed — that while there is life there is hope, and that there will be something which can give us a new joy, that the loss of one joy is not the end of all joy.

So happy Easter to all.

Happy Easter — 2010

The title says it all. I do hope you all have a great day, and I hope my Christian readers especially find their faith, hope, and love deepened through this Easter celebration.

He is risen. Alleluia.

Happy Easter

It's getting toward the end of Easter here, and it's already over in the eastern hemisphere, but I hope it is/has been a blessed day for all my Christian readers, and I hope some of the day's joy has reached everybody else as well.

It was a fairly busy time for me, as I helped at my parish's vigil mass Saturday evening, and at the "overflow" 9:00 a.m. Mass in the gymnasium of the former parish school, and also at the 11:00 a.m. in the church. Then I came home and heated up a boneless ham and boiled some potatoes and some beans for my brother and me. Now I'm able to relax for a bit.