Memorial of Saint Charles Lwanga and Companions, Martyrs
I was delighted when I opened the scriptures for today and found our first reading! I’ve been praying it for the past couple weeks leading up to Pentecost, asking God to fan into flame the gifts of the Holy Spirit in myself and in others. Just as Paul laid hands on Timothy and prayed for a particular anointing, so we received the gifts of the Spirit through the laying on of hands and anointing with the holy chrism at our Confirmation. Those fiery gifts remain within us; sometimes the flames grow dim and we need to fan the embers so that the gifts will reignite. Today is a great day for each of us to reflect upon our spiritual life and look for any embers that need to be stirred so that we can walk more confidently as followers of Christ.
Tuesday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time
Today’s Gospel reading is a familiar one. The Pharisees and Herodians are trying to trap Jesus by asking him a difficult question: is it right or wrong to pay taxes? In our minds, paying taxes doesn’t seem like such a controversial thing at its core. But for Jesus’ time, paying taxes actually meant giving money to the Roman state, who understood their leader to be divine. The trap, then, is to get Jesus to either encourage sedition (don’t pay taxes) or get him to sanction idolatry (pay taxes).
Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church
When taken as a whole there is a tension between Mary and Eve in today's readings. This is nothing new. Since the earliest centuries of the church, writers have discussed the connection, but it is still fruitful to reflect upon.
Saturday of the Seventh Week of Easter Mass in the Morning
In today’s Gospel reading I find an excellent guide for how we are to live our lives. John tells the reader how he had been asking about “the one who would betray you.” Jesus’ response: “What if I want him to remain until I come? What concern is it of yours? You follow me.” I don’t know if others struggle with this, but I am often guilty of judging others - for not acting, thinking, living or behaving how I think is appropriate. I judge them for betraying Jesus in some way - betraying his Gospel of love and goodness. Yet, I betray Jesus in many ways all of the time.
Friday of the Seventh Week of Easter
“Do you love me?”
“Do I what?”
“Do you love me?”
“... For twenty-five years, I’ve washed your clothes, cooked your meals, cleaned your house, given you children, milked the cow. After twenty-five years, why talk about love right now?”
Thursday of the Seventh Week of Easter
As I write this, it is Tuesday, the day after the Memorial Day holiday. And I am simply dumbfounded by the disregard for public health that so many people across this nation displayed yesterday. Many beaches, lakes, pools, and bars were jammed with people elbow to elbow with at most perhaps a few people bothering to wear a mask to protect their loved one, friend, acquaintance, or stranger. And while all those people were partying it up, another (at least) 2,000 Americans died from the disease.
Wednesday of the Seventh Week of Easter
A former pastor once made a great statement that has stuck with me ever since. He said, “you can’t go wrong by praying scripture.” This comment was in reference to a question about prayer. A person had lamented that sometimes he just doesn’t know how to pray. I have that experience sometimes when I simply feel at a loss for words as I come before the Lord in prayer. This pastor suggested taking a passage of scripture or even a single verse and praying it back to God. In prayer, you can alter the wording in order to make the verses more personal or specific to a situation. Today’s Gospel is part of a longer prayer that Jesus prays for his disciples (us included). I feel led to take Jesus’ prayer to God and adopt it as my prayer to God today. Perhaps you’ll join me.
Memorial of Saint Philip Neri, priest
Have you even needed to leave a project behind before it felt ‘finished?’ One of the realities of being mortal and finite human beings is that we do not always control when we have to leave a job or a volunteer position, or even our life here on Earth. Perhaps it seems too soon when your child is headed off to her first day of school, or away to college. Maybe you need to move before you finished all the projects you had in mind for your house. Sometimes, we just have to go.
Monday of the Seventh Week of Easter
When I read today’s Gospel passage I was reminded of a little book I read number of years ago entitled Sleeping With Bread (written by Denis, Sheila, and Matthew Linn). It talks about the spiritual power of gratitude and the benefits of the daily practice of reviewing one’s day in light of God’s grace. I initially picked up the book as I was intrigued by the title. It seems during WWII many young children were displaced from their homes or orphaned and were placed in refugee camps. These children had been deeply traumatized—abandoned, fearing for their lives and not knowing where their next meal would come from. Many of them experienced such fear at night they could not fall asleep. Someone came up with the idea of giving each child a piece of bread to hold on to as they went to sleep. In this way the child would go to sleep remembering they had had enough food to eat that day, at the same time knowing they would have food the next day as well. This simple act had a wondrous effect for those little children.
Saturday of the Sixth Week of Easter
In today’s scripture, Jesus tells his disciples that “whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you.” As I read this, I realize that Jesus is telling His disciples that He is the connection to the Father, and He shows us how to ask. When our prayers of intercession flow from a deep faith in Jesus, then when we ask the Father our petitions it is as if they are coming from the mouth of Jesus. The Father hears our words and responds in love.
Friday of the Sixth Week of Easter
Grief is a part of life, isn’t it? No one chooses to grieve. We can be open to it or try to block it, but either way it’s part of the human experience. It’s not a choice, it’s simply a reality. Jesus in John’s gospel today seems to know that. As we remain in the Easter season, we are again taken back to Jesus preparing his disciples for his death and resurrection. And we hear that he does not try to sugarcoat what they are about to experience: “You will weep and mourn.” Jesus understood what it means to be human, to feel the pains of grief and loss. He does NOT tell them that there is no need to weep and mourn “because I’m going to rise again and it’s all going to be OK.” He acknowledges that it will hurt for a while. They will be in anguish. Do we expect to be excused from that very human experience?
Thursday of the Sixth Week of Easter
In today’s first reading, we read of Paul’s travels from Athens to Corinth. As usual, Paul had begun preaching Christ in the synagogue, but was met with opposition. After multiple rejections from the Jewish community, Paul became angry. Perhaps in this moment he was convinced of his vocation to the Gentiles, who had been more receptive. After going to live with Titus Justus, a Gentile, Paul must have been surprised to learn that Crispus, the synagogue official, and his family wanted to be baptized. Contrary to Paul’s expectation, the conversion of a Jewish household became the seed of the church in Corinth. Clearly, the path that God has planned is not always obvious to us.
Wednesday of the Sixth Week of Easter
Pentecost is a couple weeks away. What a great opportunity to seek the Holy Spirit and pray for a fresh filling of the Spirit’s truth, power, and presence. In my experience, the Holy Spirit often becomes the forgotten Person in the Holy Trinity, as our tendency is to focus on Father and Son to the exclusion of Spirit. When was the last time you prayed specifically to the Holy Spirit? Perhaps part of our prayer today can be addressed personally to the Holy Spirit. In today’s Gospel, Jesus identifies the third Person of the Godhead as “the Spirit of truth.” Allowing the Spirit to be our guide today, let us seek God’s truth and ask for a reignition of the gifts and fruit of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
Tuesday of the Sixth Week of Easter
Why didn’t Paul and Silas flee the prison in the aftermath of the Earthquake? And what does this mean for believers today? If I was unjustly imprisoned and beaten, and then an earthquake allowed me to escape, I think I would take the opportunity, with thanks to God for divine intervention. But if they had fled, the guard would have killed himself, or been killed by the authorities for letting his prisoners escape. Instead, his life was preserved and his whole family became Christians. This kind of mercy changes hearts.
Monday of the Sixth Week of Easter
I’ve always thought of myself as a good listener but when I stop and think about it, I have to admit there are times during conversations or meetings, or even during church services, I find my mind has wandered. Maybe I presume to know already what I will hear or I am thinking about something else, in truth it means I’m not ‘actively’ listening. This day’s Scriptures perfectly demonstrate the importance of being open and engaged and actively listening. This way of listening is a gift and an art. There is nothing passive about it. Active listening requires work, attention, and perseverance.
Saturday of the Fifth Week of Easter
I think often of our parish motto, “Think like Jesus. Talk like Jesus. Act like Jesus.” These are powerful and intentional words to live by. They help give us guidance on how to form our moral compass and make decisions. It will not always be easy, but at least we have a path to follow. Today’s gospel takes this all one step further - if we are going to choose to think, live and act like Jesus, we are also choosing to suffer like Jesus.
Friday of the Fifth Week of Easter
Today’s Gospel is one of those readings that seems so simple and yet so challenging; so basic and yet so profound. “This is my commandment: love one another as I love you.” (Jn 15:12) The words are clear and direct, comforting and worth repeating again and again. Within the five verses, the word “love” is repeated four times and the command, “love one another” is emphasized twice. Love one another. I imagine Jesus’ words going on… love one another today, right here, right now, in this moment and with these people.
Feast of Saint Matthias, Apostle
Scripture Readings
Matthias is my confirmation name, so imagine my surprise when I sat down to write today’s reflection and found that it is the feast of St. Matthias. Even as a pubescent know-it-all I had some decent reasons to choose Matthias’ name. Sure, it caught my eye at first because it was the name of the hero in Brian Jacques’ award-winning Redwall novel. However, I truly chose him because I related to how Matthias was stepping into the rank apostle, and even though the others could be dunderheads at times, he had big shoes to fill. A feeling I can relate to as I admire the accomplishments and character of my three older siblings. But there is more to Matthias than I had ever considered. That is the direction I’d like to take the rest of this reflection.
Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Easter
My sister and her husband live in the Napa Valley of California. I always say that if you stand in their yard and throw a rock in any direction, you’ll hit a vineyard! Driving through that area, I’m awed and overwhelmed by the beauty of the vineyards – some in massive acreages on flat land, others growing up the gentle hillsides of the mountain foothills. Being present in any part of the Napa Valley, one cannot help but be taken in and captivated by the majesty and the fertility of the vineyards. For the people who live there, grape-growing and the wine industry form a central part of their culture. I can imagine if Jesus showed up there today to offer a parable that it would center around grapes and vineyards. The people of Jesus’ day had a similar understanding of this unique agriculture. In today’s Gospel, Jesus paints a vivid picture of our life in him and offers us hope and comfort through an invitation to abide under the loving cultivation of our Heavenly Father.
Tuesday of Fifth Week of Easter
Our first reading today sounds familiar; nearly the same passage was read this past Sunday. There must be something there worth repeating! It’s a very historical reading. Paul travelled here, did this, and then he went there, met with these people, etc. But between the itinerary, we read that Paul was thrown out of the city and stoned, but got up as the disciples gathered around him, and went right back into the city! This is a person without fear! Paul goes on to tell the disciples that “It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God.” This is what strikes me in the first reading. Paul and the disciples are not delivered from hardships and persecutions, but they are freed from the power that such coercive acts have over normal people.
In the second reading, Jesus promises Peace. But not as the world gives peace. What is the difference between the peace of Christ and the peace the world gives? Perhaps worldly peace is a calm and restful day free from conflict. It is a fragile peace. Christ’s peace is a deeper and sturdier. It is not the absence of conflict, but the freedom to speak love and truth to all people, no matter what their reaction might be. We Christians are freed from the power of peer pressure and persecution by our ability to endure many hardships. The result is a peace, rooted in Christ’s love and providence, which is unshakable. It is more powerful than anything this world can threaten us with.
This is the great power of the stories of Christian suffering throughout the world, today and in the past. Martyrs and saints teach us this: to find in our suffering the ability to endure hardships for the good of the Kingdom. When we walk next to Jesus in our trials, we have the opportunity to die and rise with Him as well.
May we find in our sufferings another pathway to Christ’s Love and Christ’s Peace. Amen!
- Chris Nieport