Reflections on the Sunday Readings for 4/26/09 by Dawn

You can find the full Scripture Readings for this Sunday at http://www.usccb.org/nab/readings/041909.shtml

While they were still speaking about this,
[Jesus] stood in their midst and said to them,
"Peace be with you."
But they were startled and terrified
Luke 24:36-37

Today I finished reading "Three Cups of Tea". I don't know if you have had a chance to read it, but I highly recommend it. As I finished the last page I started thinking about this Sunday's readings. Particularly about how the first thing Jesus says to the frightened disciples was "Peace be with you." Fear makes us do strange things. Can you imagine what might of happened if Jesus did not appear that day in the upper room? It's possible that the disciples might have decided to arm themselves. We all know how Peter cut off the servant's ear the night Jesus was arrested. There was probably fear on all sides that day - obviously with the disciples, with the Jewish leaders, and most likely with the Roman government. Who knows what the fear would have caused people to do!

Recently a very wise woman helped me to see how many of the problems in our world are the result of fear. Particularly after September 11. As a nation, fear took hold. And many of the decisions made both by our government and by ourselves were made out of fear. This gets me back to the book I just finished. It tells the story of Greg Mortenson, who spends his life building schools in some of the most remote regions of Afghanistan and Pakistan. He believes by making a society literate, youn help to remove the fear that is promoted by extremist ideology. In a recent interview Greg states, "If you fight terrorism it is based in fear, but if you promote peace, it is based in hope." The more I think about that, the more I can see how fear has shaped where we as a country, and me as an individual, are today.

Jesus' words "Peace be with you", need to be spoken to each of us today. We, in turn, need to go out and speak them to the world we live in. We, most likely, are not called to fly to Pakistan today, but there are other ways we can live in hope. Maybe it is volunteering at a soup kitchen or shelter, or visiting an elderly neighbor, promising to help if they are in need. Maybe it is telling your kids that you love them and will stand by them no matter what happens.

I challenge you this week to look at your own life and see how fear has affected the decisions you made and how you might live in hope, instead of in fear.



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Reflections on the Sunday Readings for 4/19/09 by Dawn

You can find the full Scripture Readings for this Sunday at http://www.usccb.org/nab/readings/041909.shtml

Thomas answered and said to [Jesus], "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."
John 20:28-29

My grandfather's name was Thomas. He hated it whenever anyone used the phrase "doubting Thomas", even in jest. I've always felt bad for Thomas the Apostle. He got all the blame for not believing, sight-unseen, that Jesus had risen from the dead. I would guess that to some degree, almost all the disciples had some sort of doubt, they just didn't voice it as Thomas did.

At the time this Gospel was written, the word "belief" did not mean believing in a set of doctrines. In both Greek and Latin, to believe in something was to give your heart to it. I think that's a beautiful concept. Mentally, I can believe that the economy is in bad shape. That is radically different than the fact that I believe Jesus died for my sins. I can fully give my heart to the belief that Jesus died for me, I don't, however, have to give all my energy and devotion to our economic woes. Or maybe, I can look at it differently - maybe I can give my heart to standing in solidarity with those without a job, working to share their burden, walking along side of the people - doing what Jesus has asked of us... in my opinion that would be much more healthier.

I can understand how Thomas would be hesitant "believe", to give his heart to, without seeing. Just a few days earlier he had witnessed the crucifixion of the one person he thought could change the world. I don't think I could jump in with both feet without some proof. One of the things I love most about this passage is that Jesus didn't come into the room and say: "You lost your chance Thomas, because you didn't believe, you'll have to spend an eternity in Hell." No, instead Jesus invites him to come see, touch, and believe. For the rest of us Jesus gives a reassurance: Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.

What is it that God is asking you to believe - to give your whole heart to?



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Reflections on the Sunday Readings for 4/12/09 by Dawn

You can find the full Scripture Readings for this Sunday at http://www.usccb.org/nab/readings/041209.shtml

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.
John 20:8-9

All week long I've been thinking about this part of the Gospel. Peter and "the disciple Jesus loved" have just gone into the tomb and they're trying to grasp the situation. The wording is perfect: they believed, but they did not yet understand.

That pretty much describes me to a T - I believe, but I don't yet understand:

• I believe in the Trinity, but I don't understand how there can be three Gods in one
• I believe in eternal life, but I don't understand how I can live forever
• I believe in the resurrection, but I don't understand how Jesus could rise from the dead.

This Gospel gives me hope! I'm not alone in my lack of understanding. This doesn't mean, however, that I'm excused from learning about my faith. Quite the contrary, I must constantly be looking to understand more. Everyday, I come that much closer to comprehending the Truth - it's a journey.

As Catholics we are often intimidated by our Protestant brothers and sisters who can quote Scripture passages left and right. We end up thinking we know nothing, and are sometimes tempted to give up on the whole thing. With the teens I work with, if you ask them to tell you what they know about the Bible, or to quote a passage, you'll get limited results. But if you ask them to tell you their favorite story from Scripture, you'll get a detailed account, usually with an interpretation that will astound you.

As I said on our podcast this week, if those two disciples had gone back home and kept what they saw to themselves because they didn't understand it, we wouldn't be where we are today. The same is true for us - just because we don't understand Transubstantiation (the bread becoming the Body of Christ), doesn't mean we shouldn't share our faith with our family and friends. This doesn't mean shouting on the intercom at your workplace that everyone is going to Hell unless they turn back to God. It means doing little things - telling your kids where you've seen God at work in your life; telling a coworker that's going through a tough time, that you'll pray for them - and then really doing it; or visiting an elderly neighbor and taking the time to chat with them. Through these little things, everyday we come close to understanding Truth.

As we begin this Easter season don't beat yourself up for not understanding - start with the believing and work from there.


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Reflections on the Sunday Readings for 4/5/09

You can find the full Scripture Readings for this Sunday at http://www.usccb.org/nab/readings/040509a.shtml

They brought him to the place of Golgotha
— which is translated Place of the Skull —
They gave him wine drugged with myrrh,
but he did not take it.
Then they crucified him and divided his garments
by casting lots for them to see what each should take.
It was nine o'clock in the morning when they crucified him.
John 15:22-25

This Sunday is Passion Sunday, also known as Palm Sunday, and it is the beginning of Holy Week. Each year it always amazes me how we start off our liturgy waving palm branches and singing Hosanna as we remember Jesus' entrance into Jerusalem, but by the end of the Gospel, we're in mourning as we read of the Crucifixion. How quickly we go from exaltation to what appears to be despair. Of course we know the rest of the story, but the liturgy always affects me deeply.

My favorite time of the liturgical year is the Triduum: Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil. They are actually one long celebration, we begin Mass on Holy Thursday in the normal way, but there is no end, no final blessing and dismissal; on Good Friday, there is neither an opening or closing at that service; and the Easter Vigil doesn't have an entrance either, but it does conclude with a final blessing and dismissal. All three of those days flow together. Each is so distinct, but yet united.

As you walk through this Holy Week, contemplate the way of the Cross. Below are some reflection questions I've found during Lent and provide a great meditation.

The condemnation of Jesus: Have you ever been judged unfairly? Have you ever put yourself in a position of judging others?

Jesus' acceptance of the cross: Are there people, situations or events in your life that are a burden to you? How have you accepted these crosses?

Jesus falls three times: In what ways have you fallen? How have you picked yourself up again?

Jesus encounters his mother: Think about your relationship with your parents – whether they are living or deceased. Are there misunderstandings, painful memories or regrets that need to be healed?

Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus: Who are the people who have helped you carry the crosses in your life?

Veronica wipes Jesus' face: Who are the people who were kind to you during difficult times in your life?

Jesus encounters the women of Jerusalem: Who are the people that you have consoled in their time of worry, fear, or grief?

Jesus is stripped of his garments: How are you being called to let go of external things in your life?

The crucifixion: How are dealing with pain in your life? Are you able to forgive those who have hurt you?

The death and burial of Jesus: What things in your life have to die and be buried before they can be resurrected into new life? Do you really believe that the Risen Christ will renew you? Do you really believe that by following Jesus you can be transformed?

from Our Sunday Visitor

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