BIBLE STUDY #87

BIBLE STUDY #87 FOURTH SUNDAY OF EASTER April 29, 2012 READING 1 ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 4:8-12 Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said: "Leaders of the people and elders: If we are being examined today about a good deed done to a cripple, namely, by what means he was saved, then all of you and all the people of Israel should know that it was in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead; in his name this man stands before you healed. He is the stone rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. There is no salvation through anyone else, nor is there any other name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved." The Word of the Lord READING 2 1 JOHN 3:1-2 Beloved: See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called the children of God. Yet so we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God's children now; what we shall be has not yet been revealed. We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. The Word of the Lord GOSPEL JOHN 10:11-18 Jesus said: "I am the good shepherd. A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. A hired man, who is not a shepherd and whose sheep are not his own, sees a wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away, and the wolf catches and scatters them. This is because he works for pay and has no concern for the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and I know mine and mine know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I will lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. These also I must lead, and they will hear my voice, and there will be one flock, one shepherd. This is why the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own. I have power to lay it down, and power to take it up again. This command I have received from my Father." The Gospel of the Lord Reflection The idea of ‘shepherd’ is not original with Jesus. Shepherd imagery was used to define leadership and salvation for humanity. In Genesis 48:15, God is described as “my shepherd from my birth to this day”; in the book of Exodus, God ‘shepherds’ the people by bringing them out of Egypt, feeding them, giving them water, and leading them to the Promised Land; Psalm 23 and Ezekiel 34 portray God as one who protects and cares for a helpless flock; and the kings of Israel were thought to be shepherds, to be people leading, guiding, and protecting their people (i.e. King David). Jesus carries on in the tradition of being a shepherd in his mission of bringing the people to God and God to the people. He is the final and definitive revelation of God to us; therefore he shepherds us to God. Like a good shepherd, he feeds us with his body and blood that nourishes and strengthens us on our pilgrim journey through life and he brings us to the promised land of eternal life. He ‘lays down his life for us’: he lays down his life on the cross and rises from the dead to conquer sin and death. He ‘protects’ us from evil, sin and death because these things no longer have control of our lives; we can always be forgiven of our sins and receive the strength to be part of the fold. Jesus is the good shepherd, as opposed to the hireling, who will flee at any sign of trouble. Here, Jesus is being compared to other leaders who do not do God’s will for the people and fail to be good shepherds. Other leaders are more concerned about themselves than their flock, and will let them be scattered, as opposed to Jesus, who is ready (and does) die for us. Once we have an experience of the risen Christ (hear his voice) we do not follow other leaders because we know that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. We know that he is the one to follow and we resist all attempts to be swayed by other voices. When we follow Jesus, we participate in his love for the Father. If we know Jesus, we know the Father. There is a communion of life and love between Jesus and his disciples in which we come to know the Father and share his life. The other sheep that do not know him seems to refer to the universal scope of Jesus’ mission. Jesus mission is not just to Israel, but to the whole world. He says that they will hear his voice; they will, but through us. We are sent to assist Jesus in bringing others to the fold. We are called to be good shepherds in our own right. The mission of our church (and us) is to continue the mission and ministry of Jesus. This Sunday is the World Day of Prayer for Vocations, so we have an appropriate gospel. Since we are called to be good shepherds in our own right, I think that there are 3 things we can do to promote vocations: 1. We can encourage young people (or not so young, also) to consider a vocation to the priest hood and religious life. Several years ago, CARA (Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate) from Catholic University in Washington surveyed young people on vocations. The biggest reason given by young people as to why they didn’t pursue a vocation was that no one ever asked them. I found that to be incredible. Parents, especially, need to put the idea of a vocation in the minds of their children. But, we all share that responsibility. I am asking that if you know someone whom you think would make a good priest or religious to mention that to them and see what they say. You never know. 2. Pray for vocations. Ask God to send more workers to the fields, to be good shepherds. 3. Keep working to make your parish the liveliest, most faith filled parish you can. This provides the milieu that will foster vocations. Who would be inspired by a dull, boring parish where nothing is happening? When people are inspired and are touched by God to grow in their faith then there will be some of this group who will consider a vocation. One basis for Anti-Semitism is that the Jews caused Jesus’ death. To combat that, some people will tell you that it was really the Romans who killed Jesus. In reality, Jesus freely laid down his life for us. He says “I have power to lay it down, and power to take it up again.” No one took Jesus’ life: he freely laid it down for us. We don’t blame the Jews or Romans; instead, we thank Jesus for his generosity. In the first reading from Acts, Peter and John had just cured a crippled man and are being questioned by the Sanhedrin as to how this was done. They give all the credit to Jesus; he was the one who cured this man, and they were just his instruments. These 2 apostles had gone from being people who had faith in Jesus to ones who had the faith of Jesus. In imitation of Jesus, they came to the realization of his divinity, but also to realize who they were: as St. Paul says, we are the body of Christ. In the second reading from 1 John, we learn that our faith is always evolving. We don’t know where God is leading us, but if we are faithful, we will grow to be more like him. We should never think that we are finished products. There is much to learn and many more ways to grow. Never be close minded. When we are, we just might be closing off avenues of God’s grace in our lives. Fr. Phil

BIBLE STUDY #86
THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER
April 22, 2012

READING 1
ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 3:13-15, 17-19

Peter said to the people:
"The God of Abraham,
the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob,
the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus,
whom you handed over and denied in Pilate's presence
when he had decided to release him.
You denied the Holy and Righteous One
and asked that a murderer be released to you.
The author of life you put to death,
but God raised him from the dead; of this we are witnesses.
Now I know, brothers,
that you acted out of ignorance, just as your leaders did;
but God has thus brought to fulfillment
what he had announced beforehand
through the mouth of all the prophets,
that his Christ would suffer.
Repent, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be wiped away."

The Word of the Lord

READING 2
1 JOHN 2:1-5A

My children, I am writing this to you
so that you may not commit sin.
But if anyone does sin, we have an Advocate with the Father,
Jesus Christ the righteous one.
He is expiation for our sins,
and not for our sins only but for those of the whole world.
The way we may be sure that we know him is to keep
his commandments.
Those who say, "I know him," but do not keep his commandments
are liars, and the truth is not in them.
But whoever keeps his word,
the love of God is truly perfected in him.

The Word of the Lord

GOSPEL
LUKE 24:35-48

The two disciples recounted what had taken place on the way,
and how Jesus was made known to them
in the breaking of bread.

While they were still speaking about this,
he stood in their midst and said to them,
"Peace be with you."
But they were startled and terrified
and thought that they were seeing a ghost.
Then he said to them, "Why are you troubled?
And why do questions arise in your hearts?
Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself.
Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones
as you can see I have."
And as he said this,
he showed them his hands and his feet.
While they were still incredulous for joy and were amazed,
he asked them, "Have you anything here to eat?"
They gave him a piece of baked fish;
he took it and ate it in front of them.

He said to them,
"These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you,
that everything written about me in the law of Moses
and in the prophets and psalms must be fulfilled."
Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.
And he said to them,
"Thus it is written that the Christ would suffer
and rise from the dead on the third day
and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins,
would be preached in his name
to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
You are witnesses of these things."

The Gospel of the Lord

Reflection

Today’s gospel passage is the second half of the appearance of Jesus to the 2 disciples on the road to Emmaus. The first half of the story we heard last year in the cycle A readings.

These 2 disciples were leaving Jerusalem after the resurrection of Jesus, not understanding the significance of what just happened in the previous few days. They had a different vision of the mission of Jesus. They thought he was the one to ‘redeem’ Israel in the earthly sense. He did redeem the whole world with his death and resurrection, but in a different way: Jesus paid the price for our sins and conquered sin and death. This is not what they expected.

They are walking not only to Emmaus, but also away from Jerusalem. They are giving up their hopes and dreams in Jesus, and it looks like they are going back to their former way of life. Jesus tried to explain everything that pertained to him in scripture, but they didn’t understand (see Luke 24:27). If you can’t convince other people to believe in Jesus by your words, don’t be discouraged: neither could Jesus!

As they reach Emmaus, these disciples invite Jesus to stay with them. After they enter the house, “And it happened that, while he was with him at table, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them. With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him, but he vanished from their sight (Luke 24:30-31).”

These 2 sentences have obvious Eucharistic overtones. The words are very similar to the words we use at the consecration of the hosts at Mass. But what is interesting here, is that they recognized Jesus in the breaking of the bread, not in the bread itself. In the early church, there were no tabernacles to reserve the Blessed Sacrament. Karl Rahner, an eminent Catholic theologian around the time of Vatican II, once said that he was convinced that the early church believed that Jesus was present in the bread and that as long as the community was together. The early church was very community oriented.

Like many of our beliefs that we take for granted today, they were developed over time. For example, it took centuries for the church to profess that Jesus was fully human and fully divine. It took centuries for a firm belief in the doctrine of the True Presence, that once the bread and wine were consecrated, that Jesus was always present. Then came the need for tabernacles, and the rise of different forms of worship of the Eucharist.

In the early church, it was the community that was emphasized, that Jesus was present in the community; now we have more of an emphasis on the priest and his actions with the community for Jesus to be present in the bread and wine.

This is not an either/or proposition. We believe that Jesus is present in the bread and wine through the actions of a priest and the community during Mass, and that he is also present in the community and in each of us. We also believe that Jesus is present in the proclamation of the Word at Mass.

These 2 disciples became believers when they had an experience of the risen Christ. That should be our mission as evangelizers: to lead people to an experience of the risen Christ. We do this not by words, but by actions. We lead others to Christ because we are Christ-like. Seeing Christ in us may just be the way Christ leads others to himself. The brighter the light of Christ is in us, the more people will see Christ in us.

As the 2 disciples were discussing all that had happened to them with the apostles in Jerusalem, Jesus appears in their midst. Like John’s gospel of last week, Jesus has a transformed body: he has a body, but it isn’t bound by space and time or the laws of physics. He eats, but he doesn’t need to.

Jesus bestows his peace on them, which reminds us of 2:14 from the birth of Jesus: “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” This peace is wholeness and fullness of life promised in 2:14, and is the permanent gift of the risen Jesus.

The disciples don’t recognize him at first, they think it is a ghost. Who could fault them? This is a first; no one has ever risen from the dead like Jesus has. Showing them his hands and feet reminds us of doubting Thomas of last week’s gospel: he and the disciples today believe when they recognize that it is really Jesus who has risen from the dead.

Jesus asks them for something to eat. He is renewing the table fellowship begun at the Last Supper, continued at Emmaus, and now here. Jesus is present in the community, in table fellowship, a gift that strengthens us and nourishes us spiritually (just as food and drink nourish our physical bodies) as we continue our journey through life to eventually feast at the eternal banquet table in heaven.

Jesus fulfills the Law and the Prophets: he is the final and definitive revelation of what God wants for us. Scripture finds it’s fulfillment in the risen Christ. Opening minds to understand scripture is a continuous theme Luke uses for coming to faith.

This last paragraph is the last words of Jesus to his followers in Luke’s Gospel prior to the Ascension. It is a summary of Christ’s mission as well as our own mission. He came to suffer, die, and to rise so as to conquer sin and death. He took on our sins and paid the penalty for them. Our job is to continue Jesus ministry of forgiveness by preaching repentance for the forgiveness of sins to all the nations. We are sent out as witnesses to the Good News. This is the great hope that we have. No matter the severity of our sins, if we sincerely repent, we will be forgiven. Some people feel that their sins are so great, that they feel God wouldn’t forgive them and so they feel abandoned by God. We need to preach that God loves everyone with an unimaginable love and is willing to forgive everyone. We all have the hope of salvation given to us through forgiveness. The only unforgiven sin is the one not confessed.

In the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles, Peter has just cured a crippled beggar, and the crowds think he did it by his own power. He gives all the credit for the healing to Jesus, whom they handed over in their ignorance to be crucified; but that Jesus suffered and died, as predicted in scripture, but also rose from the dead for the forgiveness of sins. Peter uses this cure as a way of trying to get people to repent of their sins and be forgiven by the risen Christ.

In the second reading from 1 John, we are told that if we have sinned (and who hasn’t), that Jesus is our Advocate with the Father who paid the price for our sins. When I hear this verse, I always think of someone facing God after they die, having to take responsibility for their mistakes, and Jesus stepping in between that person and God saying, “I’ve taken on his sins; let him in heaven.”

In response to God’s forgiving love, we are asked to keep his commandments, which should be the best way to live since God gave us those commandments. If we love God and try to follow him, we will keep his commandments. We can’t say we love God if we don’t keep his commandments.



Fr. Phil

BIBLE STUDY #85
SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER
April 15, 2012

READING 1
ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 4:32-35

The community of believers was of one heart and mind,
and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own,
but they had everything in common.
With great power the apostles bore witness
to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus,
and great favor was accorded them all.
There was no needy person among them,
for those who owned property or houses would sell them,
bring the proceeds of the sale,
and put them at the feet of the apostles,
and they were distributed to each according to need.

The Word of the Lord.

READING 2
1 JOHN 5:1-6

Beloved:
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is begotten by God,
and everyone who loves the Father
loves also the one begotten by him.
In this way we know that we love the children of God
when we love God and obey his commandments.
For the love of God is this,
that we keep his commandments.
And his commandments are not burdensome,
for whoever is begotten by God conquers the world.
And the victory that conquers the world is our faith.
Who indeed is the victor over the world
but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

This is the one who came through water and blood, Jesus Christ,
not by water alone, but by water and blood.
The Spirit is the one that testifies,
and the Spirit is truth.

The Word of the Lord

GOSPEL
JOHN 20:19-31

On the evening of that first day of the week,
when the doors were locked, where the disciples were,
for fear of the Jews,
Jesus came and stood in their midst
and said to them, "Peace be with you."
When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.
The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you.
As the Father has sent me, so I send you."
And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,
"Receive the Holy Spirit.
Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them,
and whose sins you retain are retained."

Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve,
was not with them when Jesus came.
So the other disciples said to him, "We have seen the Lord."
But he said to them,
"Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands
and put my finger into the nailmarks
and put my hand into his side, I will not believe."

Now a week later his disciples were again inside
and Thomas was with them.
Jesus came, although the doors were locked,
and stood in their midst and said, "Peace be with you."
Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands,
and bring your hand and put it into my side,
and do not be unbelieving, but believe."
Thomas answered and said to him, "My Lord and my God!"
Jesus said to him, "Have you come to believe because you have seen me?
Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed."

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples
that are not written in this book.
But these are written that you may come to believe
that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God,
and that through this belief you may have life in his name.

The Gospel of the Lord

Reflection

Today’s Gospel comes immediately after Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene on Easter morning, and it seems to indicate that Jesus appeared to the disciples on Easter evening (his reference to “that day” refers to Easter Sunday).

The doors were locked “for fear of the Jews”. If the authorities were able to have Jesus crucified, it would be possible for them to be treated as such. They are not yet the fearless disciples of Jesus until Pentecost.

Jesus didn’t knock on the door to be let in, nor did he bust the door open. He appeared to them through the locked doors. He has a resurrected body and is no longer bound by space and time as we are. He can appear where ever he desires.

He appears to the disciples; presumably there are 10 of them. Thomas is not there, and Judas hung himself.

Jesus gives them his peace, referring to John 14:27, part of the Last Supper Discourse, where Jesus promises to send the Advocate (the Holy Spirit). This peace, or “shalom” is a gift of salvation, and connotes the bounty of the messianic blessing. He is giving the kind of peace that only comes through faith in him. This peace also reflects rejoicing, as seen in John 16:22.

Jesus then sends his disciples (and us) on a mission: “As the Father has sent me, so I send you." Jesus was the obedient Son who perfectly obeyed the Father’s will for him. He sends all of us out on a mission to bring the good news of salvation to others. We also see this type of sending in Matthew 28:19, Luke 24:47, and Mark 16:15.

But they can’t do it on their own. They need his help. He breathes the Holy Spirit on them, which reminds us of Genesis, when God breathed life into Adam. Just as Adam’s life came from God, so now the new spiritual life breathed into the Apostles comes from God. This is John’s version of Pentecost.

The Apostles are sent out to preach forgiveness: “Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained." The Council of Trent defined that this power to forgive sins is exercised in the sacrament of confession. Forgiveness is one of the biggest themes in scripture, both in the Old Testament and the New Testament. Through his death and resurrection, Jesus conquered sin and death. He paid the penalty for our sins and wants all of us to feel that forgiveness. What is the one thing that can keep us from eternal life (or life in abundance now)? Sins that are not forgiven from people who are not repentant. There are a lot of themes in scripture, but this one seems like it should be near the top of the list in importance, and is why the apostles are sent to preach forgiveness.

Being forgiven by God, whether from an act of contrition, or sacramentally through confession, is a wonderful way to grow spiritually. Sins that are not forgiven will eventually block the avenues of God’s grace. If God feels distant, it may be time to seek forgiveness. The sacrament of reconciliation gives us an opportunity to focus on the things we did wrong, be forgiven, and receive the grace to do better and grow as a disciple.

The Apostles are given the power to retain sins by Jesus, but I don’t know of any time that Jesus or the apostles ever refused to forgive someone. My experience is that those who are unrepentant do not seek forgiveness. Any one who comes to confession is seeking God’s forgiveness, and if they are not sure if something is a sin, they will ask.

One of the saddest things is when people refuse to believe that they sin and therefore need forgiveness. Unrepentant people are passing up an opportunity to live in God’s grace, peace, meaning, and happiness.

I do think that clergy need to preach on this topic without belaboring the point. It’s an important part of the message of Jesus. But we need to preach on it by stating that God loves us and wants us to participate in Jesus sacrifice on the cross and be forgiven, not so we won’t be punished, but that we can live in the peace of Christ.

The second part of today’s Gospel is commonly known as “Doubting Thomas” but it should be known as “Believing Thomas” because of his eventual profession of faith.

Thomas is typical of the other Apostles because they don’t understand until they have an experience of the risen Jesus. Thomas missed the experience of the other apostles when Jesus appeared to them, and he won’t believe until "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nail marks and put my hand into his side."

How many people nowadays are like that. They want “proof” that Jesus is risen. Arguments are not going to convince people to believe. You can argue until you are blue in the face and still they won’t believe. We have to lead people to have an experience of the risen Jesus because it is only God’s grace that converts people, not our words. It is through living like Christ and being a reflection of his grace and love that someone may see Christ in us and come to believe.

Well, Thomas gets his wish. Jesus appears like he did to the other apostles, through locked doors. I wonder what was going through the mind of Thomas when he saw Jesus? Notice that Jesus didn’t scold him, but showed him his hands and his side so Thomas would believe.

We never put people down because of the level of their faith or their lack of faith. Only people who need to tear others down to build themselves up and/or feel better about themselves do this. We accept people for who they are but
we also witness and minister to people to lead them to faith.

Thomas responds to Jesus with a supreme act of faith: "My Lord and my God!" Lord and God (Yahweh Elohim) are Old Testament names for God. Thomas is
expressing his belief in the divinity of Jesus.

John’s Gospel is now complete. In the first chapter (the Prologue) Jesus is the Word that is God who comes to offer himself for our sins, and now he his going back to the glory of the Father he had before the world began.

Jesus now praised those who come later who believe but have not seen. While we won’t see Jesus in his resurrected body and won’t have an opportunity to put our hands in the nail marks of his hands or put out hand into his side, I am convinced that those who believe hade had an experience of the risen Christ in some way, shape, or form. Or more likely, we have had more than one experience of the risen Christ. Most of us won’t have that tremendous personal experience of Christ like St. Paul. Ours is more an accumulation of experiences until one day we are so moved as to believe. One day there will be something, maybe through sacraments. prayer, people, or scripture that will so move us that we feel the risen Christ in our hearts. We won’t be able to explain it to others but we know and believe in our hearts. This is why we always need to keep our hearts open to Christ: to give him an opportunity to enter. If we are open, he will touch us.

The first reading is from the Acts of the Apostles. Each Sunday from Easter Sunday to Pentecost, we don’t have an Old Testament reading; instead, we hear from the Acts of the Apostles.

Today’s reading from Acts is our common image of the early Church: an ideal community of believers with no problems where everyone is loving.

Yet, when you read some of the letters of Paul, such as the second half of 1Corinthians, we find a much different community, one of selfishness. Which one is true?

Paul is writing about contemporary communities, where Luke in Acts is writing about what a community should be: he is writing about the ideal community, one that should exist somewhere down the road. It is an ideal to strive for.

Even though those in the early church didn’t attain this ideal, I believe that the reason that they were successful in their evangelizing is that they were striving to reach that ideal and they became so different, so much more peaceful, so much more Christ like that others wanted what they had. They may not have understood their theology, but they wanted to be like them.

In the second reading, John tells us that we can gauge our love for God by how we obey his commandments. Saying we love someone isn’t good enough. If someone told you that they loved you but didn’t show their love, would you believe them? Probably not. We can’t say we love God unless we love other people. The letter of James says, “So also faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead” (James 2:17).

In its truest form, love is an action. The emotions come later: who could not feel emotional for someone when they are always doing something for you?

His commandments are not burdensome: “My yoke is easy and my burden light” (Matthew 11:30). God knows what is best for us, and his way of living should bring us the most peace, happiness, and fulfillment in life, and eternal life in the next.



Fr. Phil

BIBLE STUDY #84
THE TRIDUUM AND EASTER
April 5 – April 8, 2012

Readings:

Holy Thursday:
First Reading: Exodus 12:1-8
Second Reading: Corinthians 11-23-26
Gospel: John 13:1-15

Good Friday:
Isaiah 52:13-53:12
Second Reading Hebrews 4:14-16, 5:7-9
Gospel: John 18:1 – 19:42

Easter Vigil
Genesis 1:1 – 2:2
Genesis 22:1 - 18
Exodus 14:15 – 15:1
Isaiah 55:1 – 11
Ezekiel 36:16 – 17a, 18-28
Romans 6:3-11
Gospel: Mark 16:1-7

Easter Sunday:
First Reading: Acts of the Apostles 10:34a, 37-43
Second Reading: Colossians 3:1-4
or: 1Corinthians 5:6b-8
Gospel: John 20:1-9

Reflection

Reproducing all of the readings for the Triduum and Easter would be too cumbersome, so I have listed scripture references for each day. You can look it up. The readings for the Easter Vigil are the ones we chose from the options available.

We hear the word ‘Triduum’ a lot this time of year. What does it mean? It is a fancy word that means 3 days and it begins on Holy Thursday and ends on Easter Sunday. But, isn’t this 4 days? Yes, but it depends on when you begin and end. The Triduum begins with the Mass of the Lord’s Supper in the evening on Holy Thursday and concludes with evening prayer on Easter Sunday, which is actually only 3 days. The high point is the celebration of the Easter Vigil.

If you are fasting during Lent and wondering when Lent ends, it ends on Holy Thursday evening. However, there are some who continue their fast until the Easter Vigil.

We tend to split up all the events of Holy Week, from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday, into individual ‘events’, as if they were no connection between them. We also tend to think in the sense of history, that we are re-enacting these events. For example, we do this with the Living Stations of the Cross. Another example is having a Seder.

Sometimes we try to identify ourselves with a certain character. Am I like Judas? Do I betray friendships and those I love? Am I like Peter? Can I be trusted? Am I like the women and the Beloved Disciple who follow Jesus all the way to the cross? What would I do if I were in the Garden of Gethsemane with Jesus when the Romans arrived? Would I flee?

Instead of looking at the Holy Week events as history, or even placing ourselves in this history, I ask you to look at them as mystery. In my mind, it’s not enough to know what Jesus did in the past; more importantly, what is he doing for me now and what will he do in the future? How is God’s mysterious love changing and affecting my life?

HOLY THURSDAY

There are 3 principal mysteries contained in this celebration that should be included in the homily: the Eucharist, the priesthood, and love.

Eucharist

Jesus gave us this great gift of Eucharist the night before he died to strengthen us on our own pilgrim journey through life. He left us his body and blood, his soul and divinity in the form of bread and wine. We receive this special gift at communion. The Lord is also present in other ways at Mass: 1) we believe that God is present in the proclamation and hearing of God’s holy and living word in scripture; 2) we also pray that God touches the hearts of the preacher so that he brings God’s presence to others; 3) we believe that God is present in the community. Jesus says that where 2 or 3 are gathered in my name, he is present.

We need to accept and believe as a matter of faith that the bread and wine we receive at Mass is the body and blood, soul and divinity of Jesus. When we do this, I think we realize what a great gift we have in the Eucharist, and we come to a better understanding of God’s great love for us. Personally, I feel closer to God and strengthened in my faith and Christian commitment when I receive communion. While personal prayer is important, I think sacraments are the essence of our ongoing relationship with Christ. I have been to services in other Christian churches. They can be lively and faith filled, but as a Catholic, I prefer the Eucharist.

One of the reasons I like doing this internet bible study is that it puts me much more in contact with the meaning and the blessing of scripture. The more I study it, the more I see God in the words of scripture, and feel God in my heart. Scripture is a living word, and sometimes I am blessed to see passages in a different light. I hope this bible study opens you up to God’s presence in scripture, if only in a little way.

Questions to ponder: What do you believe about the Eucharist? When have I felt God’s love through the Eucharist? Am I fully committed to weekly Mass attendance? When at Mass do I fully participate? Do I pray with Scripture?

Priesthood

The night Jesus instituted the Eucharist, he also instituted the priesthood. He told his apostles to ‘do this in memory of me’. We priests stand in the place of Jesus to mediate God’s presence in word and sacrament. We not only bring God to people, I hope we also bring people to God. It is both a tremendous responsibility and a tremendous joy to be able to serve people in this way.

God will not be outdone in generosity. He promised to repay us 30, 60, and 100 fold for whatever we do. I certainly have felt God’s many blessings in this way, as priests usually do. I feel that I get back much more than I give. That’s why I’m astounded that there aren’t more vocations. I think if young men realized what a powerful and grace filled life comes with a vocation, there would be more vocations than we need.

We priests need all of you to pray for us so we can carry out our mission to spread the good news.

Questions to ponder: How has a priest touched my life in the past? Do I pray for priests? Have I ever encouraged someone to consider a vocation?

Love

This theme of love is dramatized in the washing of the feet. Imagine the Son of God, the Christ, the Messiah, getting down on his hands and knees and washing feet, which was the job of a slave. Jesus shows us that, in its basic and truest form, love is an action. What a great example to us: loving each other through humbly serving each other.

Questions to ponder: Do we grow in our love of God through prayer and sacraments? Do we let our inflated ego get in the way of loving each other? What are other ways I can ‘wash the feet’ of others? Am I a good steward of my time, talent, and treasure?

GOOD FRIDAY

Suffering is a part of everyone’s life; it just can’t be avoided. It’s not a matter of if, but of when, how much, and how long. Jesus certainly had his own share of suffering, his passion being the biggest of his sufferings. It also must have hurt when those closest to him didn’t understand him; when those who opposed to him tried to get him; and when people came for physical healing but ignored the spiritual healing.

But think about these things: Jesus had his own share of illnesses; it must have pained him to live in an occupied country; he must have suffered when work was scarce; and he must have suffered when those he loved became sick and/or died, like his foster father (and our patron) Joseph.

Even in the midst of life’s troubles, Jesus remained true to his vocation. He only asked for relief from suffering if it was his Father’s will. Even knowing the terrible death he was to endure, he kept going out of love for his Father and love for us.

One of the reasons Jesus is believable to me is because he understands. He has been through the same things as we have and then some. Faith tells us that all is not lost, that we can find hope in the midst of even great suffering.

When I was the catholic chaplain at Chilton Hospital, I had been visiting this one man whenever he came in for chemo and radiation. He would be in the hospital for a few days at a time to receive his treatment. I made it a habit to stop and talk for a few minutes.

As we became friendlier, he opened up to me about his illness. He told me one day that he was prepared for whatever lay in store for him, we prayed together for God’s will.

One day I went to visit him and his wife and adult daughter were in the room. His wife looked at me, smiled, and said, “We get to take him home today.” He looked at me, rolled his eyes, and said in a loud voice, “I’m going home to die.” It turns out that there was nothing further the doctors could do.

His wife and daughter were speechless. They looked to me for a reply. I said, “Well, when you get to heaven, would you pray for that priest who visited you all those times?”
He looked at me, smiled, and said, “OK.”

This man was facing the biggest crisis of his life in a calm and faith filled way. He looked to God in his trouble and was rewarded with God’s grace and peace. I have no doubt that this man is in eternal life. Not because of anything he did, but of what Jesus did for him and for us.

Whenever things get tough, I think of this man and his memory is greatly inspiring.

Did you ever think that the cross Jesus died on was meant for Barabbas? Jesus willingly took up that cross and Barabbas was set free. Barabbas represents all of us and all the sins we commit. Jesus willingly took up our crosses and died for our sins so that we can be set free from the power of sin and death.

When Jesus said “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do” from the cross, he said it for the Romans, for the Jewish leadership, for those who turn away from him, for Barabbas, for those who try and fail, for you, for me, for all. He is pleading with the Father to accept his sacrifice for the remission of our sins. He is suffering so we may live.

In the book “The Messiah”, author Marjorie Holmes looks at Jesus life through the eyes of Judas. This is all speculation, but she writes that Judas believed in Jesus but mistook his mission as an earthly mission in the style of King David, and not a spiritual mission to free us from sin and death. Judas didn’t think he was betraying Jesus, but forcing him into action against the Romans. He was devastated by Jesus suffering and death, which is the reason he hung himself. His mistake is to presume that he knew Jesus mission better than Jesus. He let his ego get in the way of listening and following Jesus. He thought he knew better. It seems that the difference between a saint and a sinner can just be a matter or ego.

Questions to ponder: When things get tough, do I turn to God? Can I join my sufferings to those of Christ for the salvation of the world? Am I a faithful follower of Jesus regardless of the cost? Do I recognize my sinfulness and seek forgiveness? Do I listen to God or tell God what to do?

READINGS FOR EASTER:

READING 1
ACTS 10:34A, 37-43

Peter proceeded to speak and said:
"You know what has happened all over Judea,
beginning in Galilee after the baptism
that John preached,
how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth
with the Holy Spirit and power.
He went about doing good
and healing all those oppressed by the devil,
for God was with him.
We are witnesses of all that he did
both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem.
They put him to death by hanging him on a tree.
This man God raised on the third day and granted that he be 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.
He commissioned us to preach to the people
and testify that he is the one appointed by God
as judge of the living and the dead.
To him all the prophets bear witness,
that everyone who believes in him
will receive forgiveness of sins through his name."

The Word of the Lord

READING 2
COLOSSIANS 3:1-4

Brothers and sisters:
If then you were raised with Christ, seek what is above,
where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.
Think of what is above, not of what is on earth.
For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
When Christ your life appears,
then you too will appear with him in glory.

The Word of the Lord

OR 1 CORINTHIANS 5:6B-8

Brothers and sisters:
Do you not know that a little yeast leavens all the dough?
Clear out the old yeast,
so that you may become a fresh batch of dough,
inasmuch as you are unleavened.
For our paschal lamb, Christ, has been sacrificed.
Therefore, let us celebrate the feast,
not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness,
but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

The Word of the Lord

GOSPEL
JOHN 20:1-9

On the first day of the week,
Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early in the morning,
while it was still dark,
and saw the stone removed from the tomb.
So she ran and went to Simon Peter
and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them,
"They have taken the Lord from the tomb,
and we don't know where they put him."
So Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb.
They both ran, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter
and arrived at the tomb first;
he bent down and saw the burial cloths there, but did not go in.
When Simon Peter arrived after him,
he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there,
and the cloth that had covered his head,
not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place.
Then the other disciple also went in,
the one who had arrived at the tomb first,
and he saw and believed.
For they did not yet understand the Scripture
that he had to rise from the dead.

The Gospel of the Lord

Reflection

In all four Gospels, Jesus rises on the first day of the week, that is, on Sunday, which is why for us Sunday is the Lord’s Day and the day we celebrate the Eucharist. Mary of Magdala comes to the tomb “early in the morning while it was still dark” (signifying that the light of Jesus is absent); in Matthew’s Gospel “Mary Magdalene and the other Mary” come “at dawn”; in Mark, “Mary Magdalene, Mary, the mother of James, and Salome” come to the tomb “very early when the sun had risen”; and in Luke,” the women who had come from Galilee with Jesus” went to the tomb “at daybreak”.

In al 4 Gospels the women arrive at the tomb and finds the stone rolled back. Matthew’s Gospel is a little more dramatic, “there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, approached, rolled back the stone, and sat upon it”;

Notice in today’s (John’s) Gospel that Mary did not see the empty tomb just that the stone was rolled back. She runs away from the tomb of her own accord. The Synoptics have her sent by an angel or a young man.

Mary goes to Simon Peter, who is the recognized leader of the apostles. Notice that it’s Simon Peter, not just Peter. He hasn’t made the transition totally to being Peter yet, and doesn’t until Pentecost.

Mary tells Simon Peter that "They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don't know where they put him." The noun ‘We’ indicates that probably other women went to the tomb with Mary. This statement also shows their lack of understanding in the resurrection. They think someone has taken the body of Jesus; this is perfectly understandable, because who would believe until Jesus appeared to them (see the last verse)? There is also a profound sense of sadness that the Lord has been ‘taken away’.

Peter and the ‘other disciple’ (whomever that is, maybe John?) ran to the tomb. The other disciple arrived first and waited for Simon Peter, showing his deference to Simon Peter’s leadership and authority. Luke has Peter going to the tomb by himself. There is no mention of any apostle going to the tomb in Mark and Matthew. Instead, the apostles and disciples are to meet Jesus in Galilee.

When Peter arrived, they went in to the tomb, and saw the burial cloths and the cloth that covered Jesus’ head was ‘rolled up in a separate place. Why Did Jesus fold the cloth covering his head?? The following explanation from an email I received gives a beautiful explanation

The Gospel of John (20:7) tells us that the napkin, which was placed over the face of Jesus, was not just thrown aside like the grave clothes.

The Bible takes an entire verse to tell us that the napkin was neatly folded, and was placed separate from the grave clothes.

When Simon Peter arrived and went inside, he noticed the linen wrappings lying there, while the napkin that had covered Jesus' head was folded up and lying to the side.

Was that important? Absolutely!

Is it really significant? Yes!

In order to understand the significance of the folded napkin, you have to understand a little bit about Hebrew tradition of that day. The folded napkin had to do with the Master and Servant, and every Jewish boy knew this tradition.

When the servant set the dinner table for the master, he made sure that it was exactly the way the master wanted it.

The table was furnished perfectly, and then the servant would wait, just out of sight, until the master had finished eating, and the servant would not dare touch that table, until the master was finished.

Now if the master were done eating, he would rise from the table, wipe his fingers, his mouth, and clean his beard, and would wad up that napkin and toss it onto the table.

The servant would then know to clear the table. For in those days, the wadded napkin meant, 'I'm done'.

But if the master got up from the table, and folded his napkin, and laid it beside his plate, the servant would not dare touch the table, because.....

The folded napkin meant –

''I'm coming back!''

He is Coming Back!
In fact, he is already here. He comes to us whenever we open our hearts to his transforming love.

Another significance of the burial cloths being in the tomb is that it would be highly unlikely that thieves would steal Jesus’ body and leave the wrappings behind. This would help to explain why the ‘other disciple’ saw and believed; there was something about these cloths that made him believe that Jesus had risen.

Jesus is risen! Alleluia! The tomb is empty. The price of our sins is paid. Death is conquered. In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene at the empty tomb. She didn’t recognize him in his resurrected body. He still had a physical body, he could eat (but didn’t have to), he had flesh and bones, but he was different: he wasn’t bound any longer by space and time.

The power of the resurrection transformed Jesus and he appeared in all his glory. He is alive and never to die again. He suffered died, and rose from the dead, for each one of us individually. He wants us to die to our sins and rise to new life; through his grace we can be changed bit by bit into a holy person.

I saw a very moving skit at a youth retreat about Calvary. The soldiers marched Jesus up to Calvary, and couldn’t find the nails. Jesus joins in the search for the missing nails. He is the first to find them. What does he do? Throw them away or hide them? No, he gives them to the soldiers.

That’s how much God loves us and wants to be a part of our lives. He is patiently waiting for us to turn to him so he can transform our lives.

Easter gives us hope. As believers, we never despair because of what God has done for us. He offers us a better way to live, gives us his grace in difficult times, and gives us peace and meaning. These are things we can’t get anywhere else. You can try, but in the end everything and everyone else will eventually fail us. No matter how much we love someone, we will eventually fail them, not because we don’t love them, but because we are sinful human beings. The Lord is the only one who will remain forever true to us.

On that first Easter morning, the women who went to anoint Jesus found an empty tomb. Some of the Apostles, upon hearing this story, went to the tomb and also found it to be empty. But was it really empty? A tomb is a place to bury something permanently so we don’t see it anymore. I like to think that the risen Jesus left our sins hidden and buried in the tomb; not just the sins we have already committed, but all of our future sins. Jesus paid the penalty for our sins, which are dead and buried, no longer to be a bother and a nuisance in our lives. They are gone – we also need to let go of what is dead and buried. This is the great hope of our faith, what we proclaim on Easter: that life in abundance (in this life and in the next) is possible because of Jesus saving work. When our hearts are filled with God’s love, there is no room for anything else! Embrace God’s saving love and forgiveness, and watch His happiness, love, meaning and peace fill your life.

On this Easter Sunday, this great day of salvation, I ask you to simply turn your life over to the Lord. It doesn’t matter how long you have been away, it doesn’t matter if you are lukewarm in your faith, it doesn’t how much or how often you have sinned, it only matters if you accept Jesus into your heart.

No fancy prayer is needed. No theology is required. You can do this on your own. He is waiting. Just pray something simple: “Jesus, I’m sorry for all the things I have done wrong and ask you forgiveness. I pray that the saving, transforming, and healing power of your love can be a part of my life to transform me to be the disciple you want me to be. Amen. “

No matter who you are, we invite you to be a part of our faith community. God accepts us for who we are, and it is only his love that can transform us into saints. We accept you too and want you to worship with us and be a part of church. Come, join us, and let God transform your life into something you just can’t imagine.

Only one question left to ponder: Have you accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior?


Fr. Phil