Month: April 2019

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The Mercy of the Risen Lord

Divine Mercy Sunday:  John 20:19-31

 

Once we reach this day, also known as the Second Sunday of Easter, we have completed the Octave of Easter: the eight days when we celebrate, in a most special way, the victory that Christ has won for us through His Passion, Death and Resurrection. Sin and death no longer have ultimate power over us. They can do their worst, but God in His merciful love comes down to us and saves us.

During the Octave of Easter, the Church – so to speak – invites us to take a victory lap with Christ. Sin is overcome. Death is defeated. The way is now open for us to receive the very life of God and to know a peace and joy and love beyond all understanding. As St. John Paul II once remarked, “We are an Easter People, and Alleluia is our song!”

So. Ready to take that victory lap with Christ? Continue reading “The Mercy of the Risen Lord”

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“Stop Holding On To Me!”

Tuesday of the Octave of Easter: John 20:11-18

 

It is easy for us to sympathize with Mary Magdalene in this Gospel story today.

From the time she first encountered Jesus – when He freed her from those seven demons that tormented her (Luke 8:2) – she loved Him with a love that was at once chaste and passionate. A combination that people, past and present, would dismiss as impossible – which is why rumors persist in some quarters about Mary Magdalene and Jesus having had some form of relationship, perhaps marriage.

It was her love for Our Lord – at once chaste, passionate, and insatiable – which led her to follow Him all the way to Calvary, to be near the Cross with Him, to see where He was buried, and then to come with two other women on that first day of the week to finish anointing His body. Even when they encountered an empty tomb and were filled with amazement, not knowing what to make of it, Mary Magdalene remained. Peter and John came and went, but she remained. She would not stop looking until she had found Him. Continue reading ““Stop Holding On To Me!””

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The Cross of Autism

Palm Sunday (C)

The Lord said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness”. I will rather boast most gladly of my weaknesses, in order that the power of Christ may dwell with me. Therefore, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and constraints, for the sake of Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong.  – 2 Corinthians 12: 9-10

For this post, I am doing something different. I offer you a post by Aimée O’Connell, the founder of The Mission of Saint Thorlak, called “The Cross of Autism”.  Although her post focuses on the experience of people on the autism spectrum, it can also apply to anyone seeking to follow the Lord more faithfully in their lives. I include this not only because I find it quite well-done, but mainly because it is an example of how autism ministry is not only about what the Church as a whole can offer to those with autism, but also about what those with autism can offer the Church as a whole.

And so, without further ado, here it is! Continue reading “The Cross of Autism”

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Social Sin, Social Healing

Fifth Sunday of Lent (C):  John 8:1-11

 

At first glance, this Gospel story may seem like last week’s Parable of the Prodigal Son. A person appears who is guilty of a serious sin. This person is shown mercy, much to the consternation of those who claim to uphold the Law of Moses.

It is tempting for us to explain such stories by pointing out a contrast between the compassion of Christ and the apparent harshness of the Law of Moses. Law versus Gospel. But the reality is not so simple. The Law is not as harsh as some believe it to be. The Gospel is often quite demanding, if we take it seriously and try to live it out sincerely. Continue reading “Social Sin, Social Healing”