Wednesday of Holy Week: Isaiah 50:4-9a, Matthew 26:14-25. Today’s gospel is devoted to the problem of Judas Iscariot. He is a problem, isn’t he? As the betrayer of Christ, he’s a problem for the continued ministry of Jesus in the world; but on another level he’s a problem for us: …
Tuesday of Holy Week: Isaiah 49:1-6, John 13:21-33, 36-38. Today, we hear part of John’s account of the Last Supper when Jesus offers Himself to and through Judas, always giving Himself even in His own betrayal. As we contemplate the Word of God recorded by St. John, let us be …
Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion: Mark 11:1-10, Isaiah 50:4-7, Psalm 22, Philippians 2:6-11, Mark 14:1 – 15:47. Holy Week is upon us. Three liturgical celebrations stand out in the life of the Church over the course of a year: The Nativity of Our Lord, Palm Sunday, and Easter. While …
Saturday in the Fifth Week of Lent: Ezekiel 37:21-28, John 11:45-56. Today, the momentum gathering for Holy Week is palpable, both at home and in the daily readings. Tonight we sing first Vespers for Palm Sunday, and the antiphons will sing of the beginnings of the Passion. In today’s readings, …
Friday of the Fifth Week of Lent: Jeremiah 20:10-13, John 10:31-42. I feel that I have less and less to say about the readings as we approach Holy Week. This could be a result of the distractions at home and in work or it could be because the weekday readings …
Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Lent: Daniel 3:14-20, 91-92, 95, John 8:31-42. Ah, freedom, a major aspect of today’s gospel reading. Who knows more about freedom than the American (so we tell ourselves)? There was an article in one of our local news outlets, the Deseret News, just before …
Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Lent: Numbers 21:4-9, John 8:21-30. For me, today’s readings expose the limits of language to convey God’s plan. More than language, really, it’s a limit to our very capacity to understand. The reason we call these things the mysteries of our faith is not …
Monday of the Fifth Week of Lent: Daniel 13:1-9, 15-17, 19-30, 33-62, John 8:1-11. Wow, what a first reading today – 1,079 words! I’m guessing, but I think it’s the longest one outside of Easter Vigil. Thankfully, it reads like the script for a telenovela, so there’s a certain pacing …
Saturday of the Fourth Week of Lent: Jeremiah 11:18-20, John 7:40-53. Today we observe two men of God in their prime: the prophet Jeremiah and Jesus Christ. As strong as they are in their relationship with the Father, they are besieged by the evil that walks among humanity. Despite being …
Solemnity of Saint Joseph, Husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary See today’s readings here. Rather than post my own reflections on the holiness of St. Joseph and his special place in salvation history, I thought I’d post the short reflection from Pope Saint John Paul II. Before we get there, …
