May 15, 2011

Fourth Sunday of Easter: Acts 2:14a, 36-41; Ps 23: 1-3a, 3b4, 5, 6; 1 Pt 2:20b-25; Jn 10:1-10



There is an old story about a famous actor who after performing soliloquies for a dinner gathering read as an encore Psalm 23, “The Lord is my Shepherd”. The audience was very impressed and gave him a standing

ovation. When they finished he spotted an elderly priest in the crowd and invited him to come and recite the same psalm. With a weak voice and true heart the… Continue

May 22, 2011

Readings for The Fifth Sunday of Easter:

Acts 6:1-7: 1 Pt 2:4-9; Jn 14:1-12

Directions were always very difficult when I

was studying Spanish in Guatemala

twenty-three years ago. Not because I did not

understand the language, Izquierda, derecha, derecho (left, right,

straight). The problem was that when you asked for simple

directions people would often point with their hands and say,

“go that direction and turn left, then go down a way… Continue

May 8, 2011

Third Sunday of Easter: Acts 2:14, 22-33; 1 Pt 1:17-21: Lk 24:13-35



Today’s Gospel has the story of the road to Emmaus. I am always reminded of a poster I had in the confessional of my first parish of an idyllic autumn road with the inscription, “Happiness is not found at the end of the journey, but along the way.” The two disciples were definitely not on the road to happiness. They were walking away from

Jerusalem, confused and dismayed. Only one of them is named,… Continue

May 1, 2011

Acts 5:12-16; Rev 1:9-11a 17-19; Jn 20:19-31



If there is any passage that Catholics should put to memory I believe that it should be today’s Gospel, John 20:19-24. John’s Gospel has Jesus giving the sacraments of Holy Orders, Confirmation and Penance on the night of the resurrection. The disciples still do not understand the events that have taken place; they are in the upper room afraid with the doors locked. The gospel says that the doors are locked for fear of the… Continue

April 24, 2011

Easter Sunday: Solemnity of the Resurrection of The Lord

Acts 10:34a, 37-43; Col 3:1-4; Jn 20:1-9



Last August 5th, we remember the thirty-tree miners who were trapped in the collapsed mine in Chile. At first we believed this to be another tragic mining accident with no hope of survival. Miraculously, after seventeen days a note was retrieved from a probe dug deep in the mine with the words written by one of the trapped

miners in red letters, "All 33 of us… Continue

April 17, 2011

Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion:  Mt 21:1-11; Is 50:4-7; Phil 2:6-11; Mt 26:14—27:66

 

Today, Palm Sunday or Passion Sunday we enter into the Holiest Week of our Church Calendar.  We begin Mass today with a short procession to the center of the Church where we read the first Gospel and bless the Palms.  We remember that Jesus entered the City of Jerusalem with great acclaim. “The very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the… Continue

April 10, 2011

Fifth Sunday of Lent: Ez 37:12-14; Rom 8:8-11; Jn 11:1-45

 

Today at Mass we hear the story of the Raising of Lazarus.  On a surface level this is the story of Jesus raising to life a friend who had died. Jesus is notified about the illness and eventual death of a dear friend and after a short delay, decides to go to visit the family.  His…

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     In my first assignment as a priest I regularly visited an elderly man in his nineties, Jose Holguin. Jose insisted on playing a little jazz piano after I would give him communion. At his age he could not hit all of the proper keys on the piano, but you could still recognize the tune and understand that once this was a very good musician. One day, I was called to the hospital to anoint Jose before a serious operation. When I arrived he was being wheeled into the operating room. The…

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Third Sunday of Lent: Ex 17:3-7; Rom 5:1-2, 5-8; Jn 4:5-42

A new pastor was out visiting his parishioners one Saturday afternoon. All went well until he came to one house. Although it was obvious someone was home, no one came to the door, even after he had knocked several times. Finally, he pulled out his card, wrote,…

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