You are witnesses
Third Sunday of Easter – B Today’s Gospel passage ends with Jesus saying to his disciples (and to us), “You are witnesses of these things.” This is not a hope or desire. It’s not a premonition or an invitation. It … Read More
Resurrection does not erase suffering
Second Sunday of Easter – B On my travels, I often receive many requests from concerned parents asking me to pray for one or more of their children who have lost faith. Their sadness is tangible and free of anger … Read More
The Lord in their midst
Fifth Sunday of Lent – B “We would like to see Jesus.” That is the opening request given to the disciples in today’s Gospel by those from the outside of Jesus’s circle of followers. Throughout John’s Gospel, to see and … Read More
Faith is not a neutral act
Fourth Sunday of Lent – B From the beginning of this Lenten cycle of readings, we have heard a consistent message: faith in Jesus will convict us. Set against the Gospels we have heard this Lent, faith can no longer … Read More
Mercy is the face of Christ
Second Sunday of Easter It’s true that “seeing is believing.” But it depends on what you’re looking for. Before he would believe, Thomas needed to see concrete evidence of what the other disciples attested, “We have seen the Lord.” Seeing … Read More
Embodied Mercy
Body and Blood of Christ In the Gospels, we often see Jesus put word and action together, where his action embodies his words. We see this most clearly in the Johannine Gospels whenever he said, “I am,” such as when … Read More
Why you should personally invite your liturgical ministers for the Triduum
The Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time It’s less than four weeks to Lent, but don’t let that distract you from your long-term advance planning of this year’s Triduum because what you do during Lent can become part of your Triduum … Read More
What are you hoarding?
Readings for the Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time I hate to admit it, but I am a bit of a hoarder. I’m nowhere near the level of hoarding you see on reality shows where the health department and dump trucks … Read More
Be open to radical change
Readings for the Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time Before they are baptized, an adult celebrates the ephphatha rite. In it, the presider touches the person’s ears and lips and says, “Be opened that you may profess the faith you hear, … Read More
Music Ministry – Tip #2: Receive Communion with the Assembly
Here is one simple thing you can do to make your parish’s celebration of Mass even better: Share in Communion when the Assembly is sharing Communion. Long ago, when I was still a baby music minister, our choir would finish … Read More