Daily Retreat 05/01/06

2006 May 1 Mon: Easter Weekday/ Joseph the Worker

Acts 6: 8-15/ Ps 118(119): 23-24. 26-27. 29-30/ Jn 6: 22-29. or Mt 13: 54-58

From today’s readings: "Stephen, filled with grace and power, was working great wonders and signs among the people.... Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!... Do not work for food that perishes, but for the Food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you."

Working for the Right Stuff

May 1^st is the feast of St. Joseph the Worker, a day the Church directs our attention to the dignity of human labor and the need for Christian principles in the workplace as well as at home. It’s worth recalling that Jesus spent most of the years of His life in the carpentry shop, assisting Joseph and eventually taking over for him.

But that’s not to imply that His carpentry work was ever the most important thing in His life, for even from His earliest days, Jesus understood the primacy of "being about My Father’s business" (cf. Luke 2:49). And at the beginning of the Bread of Life discourse in John 6, Jesus whips up a teasing appetizer: "Do not work for food that perishes, but for the Food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you!"

Having been fed well by Jesus the previous evening, most of the crowd tracked Him down just to get another tasty mouthful, hoping for a repeat of the miraculous multiplication of loaves. But Jesus reminded the crowd that the love and labor of one’s life should be about something substantially more than cultivating physical foodstuff! So, He invites them (and us!) to work for the Food which remains unto life eternal - which He promises to give! Now there’s something to whet anyone’s appetite, something well worth working for!

Daily Retreat 04/30/06

2006 Apr 30 SUN: THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER

Acts 3: 13-15. 17-19/ Ps 4: 2. 4. 7-8. 9 (7a)/ 1 Jn 2: 1-5a/ Lk 24: 35-48

From today’s readings: "Repent, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be wiped away.... When I call, answer me, O my just God, You who relieve me when I am in distress.... Those who say, ‘I know Him,’ but do not keep His commandments are liars, and the truth is not in them.... Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures."

Ghost?

Have you ever seen a ghost? Even the most rational and skeptical among us have probably experienced something that was both eerie and inexplicable, and even if later, a plausible explanation was eventually discovered for the mystery, there still exists questions in our minds about what we really saw and what really happened.

But generally, most apparent ghosts can be dispelled with a simple appeal to logic: ghosts cannot be seen, so what I’m seeing, or think I’m seeing, cannot be a ghost. However, when the risen Lord appeared to His disciples, in a way, it was painfully and paradoxically logical for them to rationally conclude that He was a ghost, since some of them had seen Him die and helped to bury Him. How could He now be physically standing before them, in full health? He must be a ghost, as they had once reasoned before, when they saw Him walking on water.

But Jesus was very concerned that He not be mistaken for a disembodied spirit. Last Sunday’s gospel recounted how the Lord commanded doubting Thomas to probe Him with his fleshy standard of proof: "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." In today’s gospel, Jesus offers a more palatable but just as palpable proof as He takes and eat some baked fish, something no ghost could do.

So it’s proven that the risen Jesus is not a ghost, and yet, ironically, the materialists of our time are the most anxious to brand Jesus as a ghost. "He’s a ghost," they say, in the fanciful sense of the word, meaning, "He’s just a figment of your imagination." Or, "He’s a ghost," they say, in the scientific sense of the word, meaning, "He’s confined to the dead now, a feeble spirit of the past." Or, "He’s a ghost," they say, in the menacing sense of the word, meaning, "Even after 2000 years, he still haunts us, and we need to rid ourselves of this specter!" Or, "He’s a ghost," they say, in the terrifying sense of the word, meaning, "He frightens us!"

Jesus took great pains to prove He was no ghost, pains indelibly seared with the crucified nailmarks. So we, especially, who count ourselves as believers, must put to rest today’s terrible temptation to still see Jesus as just a ghost, to dismiss Him as too good to be true, or as confined to the past, or as confused with the occult, or as coldly frightening.

For in fact, Jesus is true good; and the same yesterday, today, and forever; and the revealed and resurrected Redeemer; and the loving, living Lord, the Spirit and Body of Christ, greeting us this Sunday with those words of comfort, "Peace be with you!"

Daily Retreat 04/29/06

2006 Apr 29 Sat: Catherine of Siena, v, dr M

Acts 6: 1-7/ Ps 32(33): 1-2. 4-5. 18-19/ Jn 6: 16-21

From today’s readings: " The word of God continued to spread, and the number of the disciples in Jerusalem increased greatly.... Lord, let Your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in You.... It is I - Do not be afraid!"

Why Walking on Water?

Chapter Six of the Gospel of St. John is best known for the Lord’s "Bread of Life" discourse, His profound preparatory Eucharistic teachings, which will be covered in the daily gospel readings throughout next week, although the continuity will be partly interrupted with assigned lectionary gospel readings on the feasts of St. Joseph the Worker on Monday and SS. Philip and James on Wednesday.

But two miracles in Chapter Six precede and lead up to the Bread of Life discourse - first, the Multiplication of the Loaves (cf. yesterday’s gospel), and then the eerie incident of Jesus Walking on the Sea (today’s gospel).

Often, clear parenthetical explanations are provided in the gospels about Jesus’ words and actions, so that we, the readers, are sure to get the main points. But other times, such as the gospel passage today, the evangelists’ terse accounts clearly leave the reader wondering: why? how? what’s the meaning here?

But, in fact, those lingering queries are not due to sloppy, incomplete reporting - instead, they reflect skillful pedagogy! Because, by intentionally leaving unanswered questions, Jesus (and the evangelists) deliberately put the apostles (and, us, the readers) in an investigative, reflective frame of mind, and that is something essential for embarking next into the profundities of the Bread of Life discourse!

Daily Retreat 04/28/06

2006 Apr 28 Fri: Easter Weekday/ Peter Chanel, p, r, ms, mt/ Louis Mary de Montfort, p

Acts 5: 34-42/ Ps 26(27): 1. 4. 13-14/ Jn 6: 1-15

From today’s readings: "And all day long, both at the temple and in their homes, they did not stop teaching and proclaiming the Christ, Jesus.... The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom should I fear?... The Jewish feast of Passover was near...."

Church Chews on John 6

Most Catholics and many other Christians recognize Lent as the penitential season of 40 days leading up to Church’s celebration of Easter. And while everyone knows about Easter Sunday itself, far fewer people are familiar with Easter as a proper festive season stretching seven full weeks from the Sunday of the Lord’s Resurrection all the way to the day of Pentecost, the descent of the Holy Spirit on the nascent Church, the fiftieth day of celebrating Christ’s Easter victory.

As always, the lectionary Scriptures set the meditative tone for the Easter season. To recall and be inspired by the Easter transformation of the first disciples, the Church reads through essentially the entire book Acts of the Apostles. This is obviously noted in the weekday readings, but even the first reading on Sundays (normally taken from the Old Testament) also comes from the Acts throughout Eastertide.

During the initial week of this season, the Gospel readings first logically cycle through each evangelist’s account of the Resurrection, but starting in the second week of Easter, the lectionary returns to a number of pre-Resurrection discourses of Christ found only in the Gospel of John. These Gospel passages, which the Church thus considers anew, are among the most mystic teachings of the Lord, since none of them can be properly understood without the light of Easter faith.

So, for instance, the Gospel readings this week have been from chapter 3 (of John), the Lord’s introductory teachings on the baptismal re-birth of water and the Holy Spirit. Then today, the lectionary presents the entrée of John 6, one of the most crucial chapters in the entire Bible, since it provides us with the best taste of the topic which Jesus Himself saw fit to patiently preach about in savory details exactly one year before His Passion. So, open your Bibles to John 6, and let’s carefully chew on every word to insure that not even a fragment of the Lord’s loaves goes to waste....

Daily Retreat 04/27/06

2006 Apr 27 Thu: Easter Weekday

Acts 5: 27-33/ Ps 34: 2 and 9. 17-18. 19-20/ Jn 3: 31-36

From today’s readings: "We are witnesses of these things, as is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him.... Many are the troubles of the just man, but out of them all the LORD delivers him.... Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever disobeys the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains upon him."

Obey God, rather than men!

By now, we are familiar with the pattern found throughout the Acts of the Apostles: time and time again, the disciples suffer persecution or other obstacles in spreading the faith, but nonetheless, they always find a way to proclaim the Gospel with zeal and boldness. Yesterday, sacred scripture recounted the miraculous release of the apostles from prison, which enabled them to overcome that formidable barrier, and as soon as they were free, they returned to public proclamation of the good news (Acts 5:20-21). Today, Holy Writ relates how the Apostles were again dragged before the Sanhedrin, and again stood their ground ("We must obey God rather than men!") in the face of the gag order imposed by the Jewish leaders (cf. 4:13-31, and reflection on April 17).

The Apostles insist that Jesus was exalted by God "as Leader and Savior to grant Israel repentance and forgiveness of sins." Once again, that central focus of Christ’s ministry is stressed: His call to repentance and discipleship for the forgiveness of sins! This crucial aspect must never be lost or overshadowed by other dimensions of living out our faith, and since now the proclamation of the Gospel at this time has been entrusted to you and me, with our words, and more importantly, with our deeds, we must give faithful Christian witness in the face of whatever obstacle or persecution we account, for we too "must obey God rather than men!"

Daily Retreat 04/26/06

2006 Apr 26 Wed: Easter Weekday

Acts 5: 17-26/ Ps 33(34): 2-3. 4-5. 6-7. 8-9/ Jn 3: 16-21

From today’s readings: "Go and take your place in the temple area, and tell the people everything about this life.... The Lord hears the cry of the poor.... God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in Him might not perish but might have eternal life."

WARNING - You can’t lie to God!

The Sunday lectionary readings are on a three year cycle, and the daily readings are on a two year cycle, and together, that makes for a pretty good tour of scripture over the course of those years, but even so, not every verse of the Bible is included in the lectionary. While almost the entire Acts of the Apostles is covered in the daily readings after Easter, if you’ve been following the daily readings in your Bible, you probably noted that the first verses of chapter 5 of the Acts have been skipped over, including vv. 1-12 (which I invite you to read now!), the unsettling incident with Ananias and Sapphira. This husband and wife sold a piece of property, but unlike Barnabas (cf. Acts 4:32-37), the deceptive couple only contributed a part of the proceeds, even though they feigned that they had given all. Because they lied to the Holy Spirit, they were struck dead on the spot!

If one focuses on the harshness and immediacy of their punishment, the point can easily be missed, which is probably why these verses are omitted from the lectionary. But the central message here certainly IS NOT that God instantly strikes dead anyone who steps out of line (in which case, none of us would be around to read this!), nor was the issue about Ananias’ and Sapphira’s limited generosity (cf. v. 4). Rather, their sin was in their lie to the Holy Spirit (v. 3). God, of course, cannot be deceived, so anyone who deliberately attempts to do so (as Ananias and Sapphira tried) is revealing a fundamental lack of faith in God as God! After all, if a person thinks he can ever fool God, that’s the same as saying the person thinks he’s smarter than God, and if that could be the case, the person wouldn’t need God at all!

Mark Twain reflected on this same insight in Huckleberry Finn, although from a different angle. The lead character, the unsophisticated boy Huck Finn, finds himself helping Jim, a runaway slave, to make good his escape. Haunted by the social mores of the ante-bellum south, which maintained that turning in the runaway was the right thing to do, Huck thinks it’s his duty to ask God for strength to betray his friend Jim, but he ultimately shies away from petitioning God’s help to do something that his conscience forbids, concluding in chapter 31, "You can’t pray a lie!"

Let the example of Ananias and Sapphira serve as an urgent warning to every one of us: You can’t fool God, and you can’t pray a lie - those who try to do so are seeking death by dismantling the very basis of their own faith!

Daily Retreat 04/25/06

2006 Apr 25 Tue: Mark, ev F

1 Pt 5: 5b-14/ Ps 88(89): 2-3. 6-7. 16-17/ Mk 16: 15-20

From today’s readings: "The God of all grace who called you to His eternal glory through Christ Jesus will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you after you have suffered a little.... Blessed the people who know the joyful shout.... Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature...."

Mark His Word

Our God is alive and active in our lives - certainly all of us have experienced His blessings and His presence. But we probably take for granted much of what we know about Him - Holy Scripture reminds us about the Salvation History that began long before our time.

Today we celebrate the feast of St. Mark. His Gospel is the shortest, and probably the earliest written. The Gospel passage in the lectionary today recall Christ's great commissioning of His Apostles at the end of His time on earth, but in order to grasp the full significance of that moment, it's important to read Mark's whole Gospel to understand those final words.

If you've never sat down and read a whole book of the Bible, St. Mark's Gospel is a great place to start, especially since it is featured in this year’s Sunday lectionary cycle. The sixteen chapters can be read in just an hour or two, and by reading the whole Gospel, one is able to connect the teachings and actions of Christ throughout His whole life and make them a part of our whole lives!

Daily Retreat 04/24/06

2006 Apr 24 Mon: Easter Weekday/ Fidelis of Sigmaringen, p, mt

Acts 4: 23-31/ Ps 2: 1-3. 4-7a. 7b-9/ Jn 3: 1-8

From today’s readings: "As they prayed, the place where they were gathered shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.... Blessed are all who take refuge in the Lord.... The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit...."

Speak the Word of God with Boldness

At the Easter Vigil in my parish a few years ago, an 8-year-old Hispanic boy (providentially named Jesús) was among those baptized. Before receiving the sacrament, he and the other elect were asked to profess their faith by giving a response ("I do!") to fundamental questions about the Christian faith, such as "Do you reject sin?" "Do you believe in God the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and earth?" etc.

Before the mass, I explained to Jesús and the others why these questions would be asked, and how important was their enthusiastic response. Little Jesús really took it seriously - each time I asked a question, he thundered back "I DO!" with all his might, and with a glowing grin on his face which attested to his share of true Easter joy. After the baptisms, the Easter Vigil rite calls for the renewal of everyone’s baptism promises, so I posed the same questions to the whole congregation, and inspired by that boy’s whole-hearted responses, everyone in the church joined in echoing passionate answers of "I DO!"

That boldness of faith expression is meant to be the norm, not the exception! The Acts of the Apostles testifies to the boldness of the preaching and profession of faith by early believers. The place where they were gathered shook, not because of the mere volume of their prayers, but because their enthusiastic faith resonated perfectly with the mighty wind of the Holy Spirit, and the prayers which we raise together every day of the Lord can, and ought to, thunder with the same mighty Spirit!

Daily Retreat 04/23/06

2006 Apr 23 SUN: SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER /DIVINE MERCY

Acts 4: 32-35/ Ps 118: 2-4. 13-15. 22-24/ 1 Jn 5: 1-6/ Jn 20: 19-31

From today’s readings: "The community of believers was of one heart and mind.... His mercy endures forever.... In this way we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey His commandments.... Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained...."

The Sacrament of Peace

It’s interesting how well it was driven into my head (growing up in a Catholic family, attending Catholic schools) that Holy Thursday was such an important day: Jesus instituted the Sacrament of the Eucharist and He established the Sacrament of the Priesthood that holy night. But it wasn’t until I got older and was reading a bit of the Bible by myself when I realized: just a couple of days later – Easter Sunday – He gave His Church another sacrament: the Sacrament of Confession, the Sacrament of Reconciliation, or my favorite name for it, the "Sacrament of Peace!" Because Jesus introduced this sacrament with the Easter greeting "Peace be with you!" that’s the name that He gave to that sacrament, saying, in effect, "This is how I am going to have My peace be with you," breathing on the apostles and saying, "Receive the Holy Spirit: whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven! Whose sins you hold bound are held bound!"

When we turn to Jesus in the Sacrament of Peace, the Sacrament of Penance, we say, "You know, Lord, there’s all kinds if things that are taking away the peace that You gave me – my own sins take away peace! But sometimes, it’s the sins of others which I resent, and they eat into me – they take away the peace that You gave me! Other times, it’s just the problems of my life that I am faced with and seem so overwhelming...." All of that is matter for us to bring to the Sacrament of Peace and say "Lord, You gave me that gift of peace, and now, confiding in Your Divine Mercy, I lay at your feet these things that have taken that peace away. Renew Your peace within me!"

Renew, Lord, Your peace within us! Jesus has given His Church the marvelous sacrament of His peace and Divine Mercy – let us all turn to Him to receive so great a gift!

Daily Retreat 04/22/06

2006 Apr 22 Sat: Easter Saturday

Acts 4: 13-21/ Ps 117(118): 1 and 14-15ab. 16-18. 19-21/ Mk 16: 9-15

From today’s readings: "Observing the boldness of Peter and John and perceiving them to be uneducated, ordinary men, the leaders, elders, and scribes were amazed, and they recognized them as the companions of Jesus.... Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, for His mercy endures forever.... Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature!"

The Unsettling Effect of the Good News

The Gospel either brings comfort (which it is meant to do!) or consternation (when it is resisted and rejected). The Sanhedrin members could not explain the compelling zeal of Peter and John and they could not deny the miraculous cure worked through them. What, then, could they do? Either they could welcome the good news, or stubbornly reject it and try to ignore or smother it.

So they ordered Peter and John "not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus." Such an approach was not only futile, it was infantile - how could anyone resent the healing of a lame man and the proclamation of the good news of Christ’s resurrection?

Now in countries which boast of their guarantee of freedom of speech, the very idea of such a crude gag order seems remote, and yet, more subtle sinister forces are resurrecting the Sanhedrin’s strategy! While it’s not illegal to speak or teach in the name of Jesus, restrictions on public display and influence of Christian faith continue to increase, at the same time that legal restraints against obscenities and atrocities continue to decrease! And it certainly is seen as uncouth to stand firm in Gospel convictions (as the Apostles did) in the face of powerful and popular opposition, and those who do so continue to be dismissed, like Peter and John were, as "uneducated, ordinary men."

But the Good News cannot be ignored or smothered by overt or covert gag operations - you and I, and all other Christians standing in Peter’s and John’s shoes today, need to make the same courageous stand and reply, "Whether it is right in the sight of God for us to obey you rather than God, you be the judges - It is impossible for us not to speak about what we have seen and heard," namely, the power and presence and comfort of our resurrected Lord!

Daily Retreat 04/21/06

2006 Apr 21 Fri: Easter Friday

Acts 4: 1-12/ Ps 117(118): 1-2 and 4. 22-24. 25-27a/ Jn 21: 1-14

From today’s readings: "There is no salvation through anyone else.... The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone.... This was now the third time Jesus was revealed to His disciples after being raised from the dead."

Jesus, Savior, Source of Salvation

"There is no salvation in anyone else, for there is no other name under Heaven given among men by which we are to be saved!" In Acts 4:12, Peter’s claim of the unique and universal vocation of Jesus (whose very Name means "God saves", cf. Matt 1:21), in one of the boldest tenets of our Christian faith, and the urgency of this assertion has inspired the heroic sacrifices of missionaries and martyrs.

So without Christ, there is no salvation! Does this preclude the salvation of those who, through no fault of their own, do not believe in Christ? The answer is delicate in nuance, for Jesus Himself insists that acceptance of His Gospel is crucial (e.g., Mk 16:16), but He also allows for invincible earthly ignorance in His discourse on the Last Judgment (cf. Matt 25:31–46). Pope John Paul the Great explained it this way in Redemptoris Missio §10:

The universality of salvation means that it is granted NOT ONLY to those who explicitly believe in Christ and have entered the Church. Since salvation is offered to all, it must be made concretely available to all! But it is clear that today, as in the past, many people do not have an opportunity to come to know or accept the gospel revelation or to enter the Church. The social and cultural conditions in which they live do not permit this, and frequently they have been brought up in other religious traditions. For such people salvation in Christ is accessible by virtue of a grace which, while having a mysterious relationship to the Church, does not make them formally part of the Church but enlightens them in a way which is accommodated to their spiritual and material situation. This grace comes from Christ; it is the result of his Sacrifice and is communicated by the Holy Spirit. It enables each person to attain salvation through his free cooperation.

In other words, all salvation truly comes through Christ, but He can certainly save even those who have never heard of Him, provided that they cooperate with His grace, which "enlightens them in a way which is accommodated to their spiritual and material situation." We might consider this analogy: Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation freed all the Confederate slaves, including those who possibly had never heard of him! However, if a slave obstinately rejected the authority of President Lincoln to free him, the slave would tragically condemn himself to bondage. Similarly, Christ presents Himself as the means of salvation for all (overtly, in Christianity and covertly, in other ways), but He cannot save those who freely reject whatever means He gives for salvation.

Daily Retreat 04/20/06 (revised)

2006 Apr 20 Thu: Easter Thursday

Acts 3: 11-26/ Ps 8: 2ab and 5. 6-7. 8-9/ Lk 24: 35-48

From today’s readings: "For you first, God raised up His servant and sent Him to bless you by turning each of you from your evil ways.... O Lord, our God, how wonderful Your Name in all the earth!... 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!"

Thinking Things Through

Many find the Acts of the Apostles more difficult to read than the Gospels because of the spectacular speeches (particularly by Peter and Paul) which proffer profound insights about the implications of various aspects of Christian belief. In other words, faith, which is an act of the will (to decide to believe in God), also implores, invites, and embraces the participation of the intellect - faith and reason are not opposed; rather, as Pope John Paul the Great remarked in the beginning of his encyclical Fides et Ratio, "Faith and reason are like two wings on which man’s spirit rises to the contemplation of truth!"

Thus, there’s much to be gained in thinking things through about our faith, and so, we should never just skim over scriptural texts that invite and implore us to take the time to embrace more fully, meditate and delve deeply into the mysteries of our faith.

So, here are just a few points to get you started: In the first verses of his speech (3:12-16), Peter contrasts the Israelites’ rejection of Christ with God’s exultation of Him. This insight was not just meant for the first century Jews in Jerusalem - as is often brought up in Stations of the Cross meditations, our own sinful choices have echoed the disastrous decision of those who stood before Pilate and "denied the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released" instead.

Hence, in light of Christ’s second coming ("the times of universal restoration"), Peter next (v. 17-21) urges his listeners (and us, who are also "the children of the prophets and of the covenant"!) to "Repent, therefore, and be converted!" And such is the fulfillment of God’s eternal plan of salvation (v. 22-26). Peter implies that, with or without us, God pushes forward with this plan of salvation which is for the benefit of all, so it only makes sense to go along and share in the benefits of faith in Christ (such as the miraculous healing of the crippled man)!

 

P.S. Yesterday marked the anniversary of the beginning of Benedict XVI's papacy.  Our prayers are with the Holy Father as he begins this second year of his Petrine  ministry - ad multos annos!

Daily Retreat 04/20/06

2006 Apr 20 Thu: Easter Thursday

Acts 3: 11-26/ Ps 8: 2ab and 5. 6-7. 8-9/ Lk 24: 35-48

From today’s readings: "For you first, God raised up His servant and sent Him to bless you by turning each of you from your evil ways.... O Lord, our God, how wonderful Your Name in all the earth!... 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!"

Thinking Things Through

Many find the Acts of the Apostles more difficult to read than the Gospels because of the spectacular speeches (particularly by Peter and Paul) which proffer profound insights about the implications of various aspects of Christian belief. In other words, faith, which is an act of the will (to decide to believe in God), also implores, invites, and embraces the participation of the intellect - faith and reason are not opposed; rather, as Pope John Paul the Great remarked in the beginning of his encyclical Fides et Ratio, "Faith and reason are like two wings on which man’s spirit rises to the contemplation of truth!"

Thus, there’s much to be gained in thinking things through about our faith, and so, we should never just skim over scriptural texts that invite and implore us to take the time to embrace more fully, meditate and delve deeply into the mysteries of our faith.

So, here are just a few points to get you started: In the first verses of his speech (3:12-16), Peter contrasts the Israelites’ rejection of Christ with God’s exultation of Him. This insight was not just meant for the first century Jews in Jerusalem - as is often brought up in Stations of the Cross meditations, our own sinful choices have echoed the disastrous decision of those who stood before Pilate and "denied the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released" instead.

Hence, in light of Christ’s second coming ("the times of universal restoration"), Peter next (v. 17-21) urges his listeners (and us, who are also "the children of the prophets and of the covenant"!) to "Repent, therefore, and be converted!" And such is the fulfillment of God’s eternal plan of salvation (v. 22-26). Peter implies that, with or without us, God pushes forward with this plan of salvation which is for the benefit of all, so it only makes sense to go along and share in the benefits of faith in Christ (such as the miraculous healing of the crippled man)!

Daily Retreat 04/19/06

2006 Apr 19 Wed: Easter Wednesday

Acts 3: 1-10/ Ps 104(105): 1-2. 3-4. 6-7. 8-9/ Lk 24: 13-35

From today’s readings: "I have neither silver nor gold, but what I do have I give you: in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean, rise and walk!... Rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord.... Were not our hearts burning within us while He spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?"

What Do You Have to Give?

Peter and John found themselves in the situation of someone turning to them for charity when they had no money to give. But rather than shrugging their shoulders and walking past the crippled man, they were filled with the truest charity, and so they gave the beggar what they had: faith in the Name of Jesus Christ!

In our own lives, there are many charitable causes (not to mention needy individuals!) that reach out to us for help. When you and I truly share our faith with others and commit ourselves to praying for them, without a doubt, that is a much greater gift than merely writing a check to some charitable organization.

And yet, even a supremely generous commitment to pray for others in need is not meant to be an excuse for selfishness with our own blessings of time, talents, and treasure. It’s a privilege and blessing for me to take the time every day to share my faith in Jesus Christ with you through these virtual retreat reflections, because, like Peter and John, I knew that this work would bring me "no silver nor gold," but I joyfully jumped at the chance to freely give what I have: faith in the Name of Jesus Christ!

I know that many of you in turn have generously committed personally to praying for me and the Immaculate Heart Retreat Center (which hosts this virtual retreat and many richly spiritual real retreats throughout the year!) - thank you, and please keep it up, because that is the truest charity! These reflections will of course continue to be provided freely, but still, I’d like to invite you to consider making just a small donation to the Immaculate Heart Retreat Center to financially support our commitment to share the faith in the Name of the Lord Jesus. If, like Peter and John, you truly have neither silver nor gold, simply find another way to share what you do have - faith in our Lord Jesus Christ! God bless you!

Immaculate Heart Retreat Center Annual Appeal

6910 S. Ben Burr Rd.

Spokane, WA 99223

Online donations are also gratefully accepted via our webpage: www.ihrc.net

 

Daily Retreat 04/18/06

2006 Apr 18 Tue: Easter Tuesday

Acts 2: 36-41/ Ps 32(33): 4-5. 18-19. 20 and 22/ Jn 20: 11-18

From today’s readings: "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.... May Your kindness, O LORD, be upon us who have put our hope in You.... I am going to My Father and your Father, to My God and your God...."

Save Yourself from this Corrupt Generation!

Peter’s speech on the day of Pentecost was an urgent exhortation, not just a shallow suggestion. Even for those of us already baptized, the need to repent and be fully committed to our baptismal promises is a reminder we all have to act upon. Peter’s description of the people of his day as a "corrupt generation" is certainly not an outlandish claim at this time as well.

That’s not to say though, that Peter fell into a "holier than thou" attitude - his assessment of the "corrupt generation" was just a matter of fact, and he recognized his own contribution to that corruption. But he also welcomed the sacramental solution, and prescribed that for everyone who heard him.

Our own sins and selfishness has contributed to the corruption of this generation. On our own, we don’t have what it takes to rectify our own messes, or those of others, but we do have the same sacramental solution offered to us, for "the promise is made to you and to your children and to all those far off, whomever the Lord our God will call."

Daily Retreat 04/17/06

2006 Apr 17 Mon: Easter Monday

Acts 2: 14. 22-33/ Ps 15(16): 1-2a and 5. 7-8. 9-10. 11/ Mt 28: 8-15

From today’s readings: "But God raised Him up, releasing Him from the throes of death, because it was impossible for Him to be held by it.... Because You will not abandon my soul to the nether world, nor will You suffer Your faithful one to undergo corruption.... Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went away quickly from the tomb, fearful yet overjoyed, and ran to announce the news to His disciples...."

Acts of the Apostles

The Resurrection of Christ made a big difference in the lives of His apostles - they spent the rest of their lives telling the world the good news of the life of Jesus, His passion and death, His resurrection and ascension.

Those apostles set an example for you and me: Easter has to be more than just an annual holiday - it’s meant to be a life-defining moment! And so, during these fifty days of the Easter season (culminating in Pentecost), the Church has us read almost the entire Acts of the Apostles, precisely so that we can be inspired by their example of living out their Easter faith as we fulfill our baptismal promises by zealously living out our own Easter faith!

Daily Retreat 04/16/06

2006 Apr 16 SUN: EASTER SUNDAY. The Resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Acts 10: 34a. 37-43/ Ps 117(118): 1-2. 16-17. 22-23/ Col 3: 1-4 or 1 Cor 5: 6b-8/ Jn 20: 1-9 or Mk 16:1-8

From today’s readings: "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.... This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad!... If then you were raised with Christ, seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.... 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. "

Alleluia!

Alleluia! Jesus is truly risen from the dead, just as He said! Our celebration today is the very heart of our faith. During His earthly life, Jesus was undeniably a great preacher, teacher, healer, and charismatic leader, but none of those qualities in themselves qualify Him as divine. But His victory over sin and death do prove His divinity, enshrining Him alone as our Redeemer!

This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad! Sunday is the first day of the week - when the Lord rose on that Easter Sunday morning, He announced the beginning of His new creation, and how blessed are we to have a share in that! So, as St. Paul observes, "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."

Daily Retreat 04/15/06

2006 Apr 15 Sat: Holy Saturday - Easter Vigil

Gn 1:1--2:2/ Ps 103(104) or Ps 32(33)

Gn 22:1-18/ Ps 15(16)

Ex 14:15--15:1/ Ex 15 canticle

Is 54:5-14/ Ps 29(30)

Is 55:1-11/ Is 12 canticle

Bar 3:9-15.32--4:4/ Ps 18(19)

Ez 36:16-28/ Ps 41(42) or Ps 50(51)

Rom 6:3-11/ Ps 117(118)/ Lk 24:1-12

Mk 16:1-8

What is a Vigil?

Growing up, I remember certain nights when it was very difficult to get to sleep because of anxious anticipation about the events of the coming day. I almost always spent many restless hours on the nights before Christmas, my birthday, the first day of school, or the visit of a favorite relative. In spite of my mother’s best efforts to get me to just relax and get some sleep, I found that very difficult to do because I was so excited about what was coming in the morning!

This is the same excitement the Church invites us to re-capture as we watch and wait for the celebration of the Lord’s Resurrection. For indeed, they should be pitied, whoever can yawn and nonchalantly lie down tonight and sleep without any exhilarated thought of the most joyful meaning of the Lord’s Easter victory!

If you have never been to the Easter Vigil celebration, I beg you to come tonight and be part of the elated preparation of heart and soul as God’s children gather in darkness that is dispelled when our eyes are illuminated by the Light of the exulted, resurrected Christ! Our tongues sing psalms of praise as our ears are filled with the symphony of Scripture which takes us through the panorama of Salvation History! We welcome newly baptized brothers and sisters into the family of God and rejoice as we renew our own baptismal promises! And then... and then we feast as we partake of the truly divine Eucharistic banquet in thanksgiving! Who could sleep tonight and miss so much?

Daily Retreat 04/13/06

2006 Apr 13 Thu: Holy Thursday.

Chrism Mass: Is 61: 1-3a. 6a. 8b-9/ Ps 88(89): 21-22. 25. 27/ Rv 1: 5-8/ Lk 4: 16-21.

Evening Mass of the Lord's Supper: Ex 12: 1-8. 11-14/ Ps 115(116): 12-13. 15-16bc. 17-18/ Jn 13: 1-15

The New Covenant

Today, in the morning, priests gather with their bishop to celebrate the Chrism Mass with the whole people of God in the diocesan cathedral. Recalling that "Christ" means "the Anointed One," the bishop blesses the Oil of Salvation, Oil of the Sick, and the Sacred Chrism, all of which are used in the sacramental continuation of Christ’s mission, and so on this day, all priests also renew their own commitment to continue that mission.

In the evening, the faithful come together in their parish church for the renewed celebration of the Last Supper, when our Lord instituted the sacraments of the Eucharist and of Holy Orders, and gave His example of fraternal charity in service when He humbly washed His apostles’ feet.

At the end of Mass, the Eucharistic Real Presence of Jesus processes to a shrine of adoration, where all are invited to heed the plea He gave His apostles to join Him in prayer in the garden of Gethsemane. This solemn adoration can continue even until Midnight, at which time it ends, symbolizing the arrest of Jesus.

Our Lord gives us Himself - let us take and eat!

Daily Retreat 04/14/06

2006 Apr 14 Fri: Good Friday.

Is 52: 13 -- 53: 12/ Ps 30(31): 2. 6. 12-13. 15-16. 17. 25/ Heb 4: 14-16; 5: 7-9/ Jn 18: 1 -- 19: 42

Isaiah’s Servant Songs

Isaiah is the greatest of the prophets. Certainly his book (with 66 chapters) is the longest prophetic book (in fact the longest book in the Bible except for the collection of Psalms), and he prophesied in such detail about the coming Messiah that St. Jerome asserted that Isaiah is almost more of an evangelist, a gospel writer, than a prophet!

Not surprisingly, then, the words of Isaiah ring out regularly throughout the Church’s liturgical year - in fact, every single day of this Holy Week includes a reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah, and in particular, the four profound canticles of the Servant of the Lord. The first of these is read on Monday, Is 42:1-7. God the Father speaks in these words, describing the vocation and mission of His holy chosen one:

Here is My Servant whom I uphold, My chosen One with whom I am pleased,

Upon whom I have put My Spirit; He shall bring forth justice to the nations,

Not crying out, not shouting, not making His voice heard in the street.

A bruised reed He shall not break, and a smoldering wick He shall not quench,

Until He establishes justice on the earth; the coastlands will wait for His teaching.

Thus says God, the LORD, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spreads out the earth with its crops, Who gives breath to its people and spirit to those who walk on it: I, the LORD, have called You for the victory of justice, I have grasped You by the hand; I formed You, and set You as a covenant of the people, a light for the nations, To open the eyes of the blind, to bring out prisoners from confinement, and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness.

The second servant poem, Is 49:1-6, is read on Tuesday of Holy Week. The prophesy is presented as a first person exposition from the lips of the Servant of the Lord Himself, describing the uniqueness of His election, the travails of His labors, and universal extent of His mission:

Hear Me, O islands, listen, O distant peoples. The LORD called Me from birth, from My mother's womb He gave Me My Name. He made of Me a sharp-edged sword and concealed Me in the shadow of His arm. He made Me a polished arrow, in His quiver He hid Me. You are My Servant, He said to Me, Israel, through whom I show My glory.

Though I thought I had toiled in vain, and for nothing, uselessly, spent My strength, Yet My reward is with the LORD, My recompense is with My God. For now the LORD has spoken who formed Me as His Servant from the womb, That Jacob may be brought back to Him and Israel gathered to Him; And I am made glorious in the sight of the LORD, and My God is now My strength! It is too little, He says, for You to be My Servant, to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and restore the survivors of Israel; I will make You a light to the nations, that My salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.

The third Servant Canticle, Is 50:4-9a, is read on Palm Sunday, and Wednesday of Holy Week. In these verses, the Servant of the Lord describes His mission of patient teaching and indomitable inspiration, even in spite of formidable opposition:

The Lord God has given Me a well-trained tongue, That I might know how to speak to the weary a word that will rouse them. Morning after morning He opens My ear that I may hear; And I have not rebelled, have not turned back. I gave My back to those who beat Me, My cheeks to those who plucked My beard; My face I did not shield from buffets and spitting.

The Lord GOD is My help, therefore I am not disgraced; I have set My face like flint, knowing that I shall not be put to shame. He is near who upholds My right; if anyone wishes to oppose Me, let us appear together. Who disputes My right? Let him confront Me. See, the Lord GOD is My help; who will prove Me wrong?

On Holy Thursday in the morning, the Chrism Mass includes a familiar passage from Isaiah chapter 61, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me...." Jesus Himself claimed those verses as the very manifesto of His mission when He proclaimed them in the synagogue of His hometown of Nazareth (Luke 4:16-21).

Then, today, Good Friday, the fourth and longest servant song: Isaiah 52:13-53:12.

See, My Servant shall prosper, He shall be raised high and greatly exalted. Even as many were amazed at Him-- so marred was His look beyond human semblance and His appearance beyond that of the sons of man-- so shall He startle many nations, because of Him, kings shall stand speechless; for those who have not been told shall see, those who have not heard shall ponder it.

Who would believe what we have heard? To whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? He grew up like a sapling before Him, like a shoot from the parched earth; there was in Him no stately bearing to make us look at Him, nor appearance that would attract us to Him. He was spurned and avoided by people, a man of suffering, accustomed to infirmity, one of those from whom people hide their faces, spurned, and we held Him in no esteem.

Yet it was our infirmities that He bore, our sufferings that He endured, while we thought of Him as stricken, as one smitten by God and afflicted. But He was pierced for our offenses, crushed for our sins; upon Him was the chastisement that makes us whole, by His stripes we were healed! We had all gone astray like sheep, each following his own way; but the LORD laid upon Him the guilt of us all.

Though He was harshly treated, He submitted and opened not His mouth; like a lamb led to the slaughter or a sheep before the shearers, He was silent and opened not His mouth. Oppressed and condemned, He was taken away, and who would have thought any more of His destiny? When He was cut off from the land of the living, and smitten for the sin of His people, a grave was assigned Him among the wicked and a burial place with evildoers, though He had done no wrong nor spoken any falsehood. But the LORD was pleased to crush Him in infirmity.

If He gives His life as an offering for sin, He shall see His descendants in a long life, and the will of the LORD shall be accomplished through Him.

Because of His affliction He shall see the light in fullness of days; through His suffering, My servant shall justify many, and their guilt He shall bear. Therefore I will give Him His portion among the great, and He shall divide the spoils with the mighty, because He surrendered Himself to death and was counted among the wicked; and He shall take away the sins of many, and win pardon for their offenses.

Ah - How accurately was this haunting, most improbable prophecy fulfilled on that Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion! Truly, Isaiah is an evangelist, as well as prophet, and how blessed are those who have come to know the Suffering Servant in the songs!

Daily Retreat 04/12/06

2006 Apr 12 Wed: Wednesday of Holy Week

Is 50: 4-9a/ Ps 68(69): 8-10. 21-22. 31 and 33-34/ Mt 26: 14-25

From today’s readings: "The Lord GOD is My help, therefore I am not disgraced; I have set My face like flint, knowing that I shall not be put to shame.... For the LORD hears the poor, and His own who are in bonds, He spurns not.... My appointed time draws near; in your house I shall celebrate the Passover with My disciples...."

The Triumphant Servant of the Lord

Christ’s victory over sin and death is the greatest triumph of all time, and yet, He was not at all gloatingly triumphant - rather, He meekly and lovingly endured all the injuries and insults of His Passion and Death for the sake of all who would turn to Him for salvation.

For Christ, remember, never set out to triumph over Caiphas and the Sanhedrin, Pilate and the Romans, for these were merely agents of the real Enemy whom Jesus came to vanquish. All those who definitively align themselves with the Devil will ultimately share his fate of damnation, but among those who once ally themselves with Evil, some are providentially moved to repentance by the example of the Suffering Servant, Who conquered evil by refusing to return it when He said, "I gave My back to those who beat Me, My cheeks to those who plucked My beard; My face I did not shield from buffets and spitting."

Daily Retreat 04/11/06

2006 Apr 11 Tue: Tuesday of Holy Week

Is 49: 1-6/ Ps 70(71): 1-2. 3-4a. 5ab-6ab. 15 and 17/ Jn 13: 21-33. 36-38

From today’s readings: " I will make You a light to the nations.... For You are my hope, O Lord.... Amen, amen, I say to you, one of you will betray Me...."

Light to all the nations

When all the rest of the world was wallowing in the darkness of paganism, God chose the Israelites to be His own people, to whom He would entrust His revelation, both in the Old Testament, and the New Testament. But the reading from Isaiah (the second "Servant Song") explains how Jesus, God’s chosen Servant, had a mission, not just to the chosen people Israel, but also to the whole world, as the light to the nations, bringing salvation to the ends of the earth.

Jesus, of course, was aware of the universal dimension of His vocation - while He concentrated on preaching the Gospel first to His own Jewish people, He also gradually and deliberately spread the good news to all nations.

As we meditate anew on the events of Holy Week, we thank God for His universal plan of salvation, that the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Christ effects, not just the people of that past time and place, but also our lives in this time and place - it’s sobering to realize that only the Jewish people were the original beneficiaries of revelation, but because of Christ, we share that great gift!

Daily Retreat 04/10/06

2006 Apr 10 Mon: Monday of Holy Week

Is 42: 1-7/ Ps 26(27): 1. 2. 3. 13-14/ Jn 12: 1-11.

Overview of the Scripture of Holy Week

This is Holy Week - take advantage of it by immersing your life in the Paschal mystery of our redemption through the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Christ! Give ample time and opportunity for the Word of God to permeate your life - print out this chart of the scripture of this week, then commit yourself to daily time in meditation. Check your local parish for times to go to confession, and join in the celebration of the Sacred Triduum: Thursday Mass of the Last Supper, Friday Veneration of the Cross, and the most holy Easter Vigil.

Passion/Palm Sunday

Holy Week begins with the commemoration of Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem, where He was greeted by the excited crowd waving palm branches and shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He Who comes in the Name of the Lord!"

Matt 21:1-11

Mark 11:1-10 or John 12:12-16

Luke 19:28-40

Isaiah 50:4-7 The Lord GOD has given me a well-trained tongue... (3rd Servant Song)

Psalm 21(22) My God, My God, why have You abandoned Me?

Phil 2:6-11 Christ Jesus, though He was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God...

Matt 26:14-27:66

Mark 14:1-15:47

Luke 22:14-23:56

 

 

Monday - Wednesday of Holy week

The Cleansing of the Temple was Jesus’ first action on entering Jerusalem. He went on to preach several parables, tell about the End, and respond to crucial questions raised by the Sadducees and Pharisees.

(cf. chapters between 1st and 2nd Gospel of Passion/Palm Sunday)

Monday

Isaiah 42:1-7 Here is My Servant whom I uphold, My chosen one,(1st Servant Song)

Psalm 26(27) The Lord is my light and my salvation.

John 12:1-11 Mary took a liter of costly perfumed oil

Tuesday

Isaiah 49:1-6 I will make you a light to the nations,(2nd Servant Song)

Psalm 70 (71) I will sing of your salvation.

John 13:21-33, 36-38 "Amen, amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me."

Wednesday

Isaiah 50:4-9 The Lord GOD has given me a well-trained tongue... (3rd Servant Song)

Psalm 68 (69) Lord, in your great love, answer me.

Matt 26:14-25 One of the Twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot,

Holy Thursday

Chrism Mass

Isaiah 61:1-9 The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, because the LORD has anointed Me;

Psalm 88 (89) For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.

Rev 1:5-8 He has made us into a kingdom, priests for His God and Father,

Luke 4:16-21 The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me

 

TRIDUUM

Mass of the Lord’s Supper

Exodus 12:1-14 It is the Passover of the LORD.

Psalm 115 (116) The cup of salvation I will take up, and I will call upon the name of the LORD.

1Cor 11:23-26 When you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until He comes.

John 13:1-15 He loved His own in the world and He loved them to the end.

Good Friday

Isaiah 52:13-53:12 but the LORD laid upon Him the guilt of us all. (4th Servant Song)

Psalm 30 (31) Father, into Your hands I commend My spirit.

Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9 Son though He was, He learned obedience from what He suffered

John 18:1-19:42 "Jesus the Nazorean, the King of the Jews."

Easter Vigil

Genesis 1:1-2:2 In the beginning...

& Psalm 103(104) Lord, send out Your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.

or Psalm 32(33) The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.

Genesis 22:1-18 God put Abraham to the test.

& Psalm 15(16) You are my inheritance, O Lord.

Exodus 14:15-15:1 Thus the LORD saved Israel on that day from the power of the Egyptians.

& Exodus 15:1-18 Let us sing to the Lord; He has covered Himself in glory.

Isaiah 54:5-14 Your redeemer is the Holy One of Israel,called God of all the earth.

& Psalm 29(30) I will praise You, Lord, for You have rescued me.

Isaiah 55:1-11 All you who are thirsty,come to the water!

& Isaiah 12:2-6 You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.

Baruch 3:9-15,32-4:4 Hear, O Israel, the commandments of life: listen, and know prudence!

& Psalm 18(19) Lord, You have the words of everlasting life.

Ezekiel 36:16-28 I will give you a new heart and place a new spirit within you,

& Psalm 41 & Psalm 42 Like a deer that longs for running streams....

or Isaiah 12:2-6 You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.

or Psalm 50(51) Create a clean heart in me, O God.

Romans 6:3-11 We know that Christ, raised from the dead, dies no more;

Matt 28:1-10

Mark 16:1-7

Luke 24:1-12

 

 

Easter Sunday

Acts 10:34-43 This Man God raised on the third day

Psalm 117(118) This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad!

Col 3:1-4 If then you were raised with Christ, seek what is above,

or 1Cor 5:6-8 For our paschal lamb, Christ, has been sacrificed.

John 20:1-9 On the first day of the week, Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early

or Luke 24:13-35 Stay with us, Lord!

Daily Retreat 04/09/06

2006 Apr 9 SUN: PALM SUNDAY OF THE LORD'S PASSION

Procession: Mk 11: 1-10 or Jn 12: 12-16.

Mass: Is 50: 4-7/ Ps 21(22): 8-9. 17-18. 19-20. 23-24/ Phil 2: 6-11/ Mk 14: 1 – 15: 47

From today’s readings: "The Lord GOD is My help, therefore I am not disgraced; I have set My face like flint, knowing that I shall not be put to shame.....My God, my God, why have you abandoned Me?... Christ Jesus, though He was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped.... When the centurion who stood facing Him saw how He breathed his last he said,’Truly this man was the Son of God!’ "

Passion Sunday

All of the Gospels have a disproportionate detailing of Holy Week, because, in fact, each one of the evangelists wrote his Gospel precisely so that we could see the love and life of the Lord that is manifested most in those moments of His Passion, Death, and Resurrection. What precedes the Passion accounts is simply what Matthew, Mark, Luke and John thought was necessary so that we could understand the eternal ramifications of the Passion of Christ.

Even though Jesus was 33 when He died, and He had had 3 years of public ministry, look at how much of the Gospels are dedicated to His last week! Think, for instance, of the Gospel of St. John: the Last Supper begins in Chapter 13, and the words of Christ in the Last Supper go through Chapters 14, 15, and 16. Chapter 17 is the priestly prayer of Christ, how right before the agony in the garden, He turns to God the Father and offers Himself, and His words explain His whole priestly mission, and then Chapter 18 and Chapter 19 are the events of the Passion itself, beginning in the Garden of Gethsemani, continuing through the trials and the Way of the Cross leading up to His crucifixion, and then the last two chapters (20 and 21) are about the Resurrection.

So over a third of the Gospel of St John is just concerned with one week in the life of Christ! To be accurate, the resurrection appearances take place over a number of weeks, but in essence, over a third of the Gospel of St John is dedicated to the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Our Lord. The other Gospels have a similar ratio - not quite as high, though, simply because they don’t record as many words with Christ at the Last Supper. So take the time to read thoroughly the Passion of Christ! Today, Mark’s account is proclaimed; on Good Friday, the Passion will be from the Gospel of St. John. And whenever you read the Gospels, remember that they focus on the Passion, and everything that comes before that is just meant to help and understand the love of the life of Christ that is revealed in that definitive moment of His life on earth!

Daily Retreat 04/08/06

2006 Apr 8 Sat: Lenten Weekday

Ez 37: 21-28/ Jer 31: 10. 11-12abcd. 13/ Jn 11: 45-56

From today’s readings: "I will make with them a covenant of peace; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them, and I will multiply them, and put My sanctuary among them forever. My dwelling shall be with them; I will be their God, and they shall be My people.... The Lord will guard us, as a shepherd guards his flock.... Now the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went up from the country to Jerusalem before Passover to purify themselves.... "

End to Division

The prophet Ezekiel speaks of an end to all divisions caused by turning away from God, and the coming of the fullness of unity when all the people enter into God’s covenant, living by His statutes, observing His decrees, and recognizing the leaders appointed by God.

This unity cannot be realized, of course, without an end to idols, abominations, transgressions, and all sins. This is our cue to do what is in our own power, by addressing the disunity and division caused by our own sins.

Daily Retreat 04/07/06

2006 Apr 7 Fri: Lenten Weekday/ John Baptist de la Salle, p, rf.

Jer 20: 10-13/ Ps 17(18): 2-3a. 3bc-4. 5-6. 7/ Jn 10: 31-42

From today’s readings: "All those who were my friends are on the watch for any misstep of mine.... In my distress I called upon the Lord, and He heard my voice.... If I do not perform My Father’s works, do not believe Me; but if I perform them, even if you do not believe Me, believe the works, so that you may realize and understand that the Father is in Me and I am in the Father."

A Week Heart

One week to go before Good Friday – certainly, for the enemies of Jesus, that was a time of plotting against Him, being "on the watch for any misstep." What about for Jesus Himself? As He drew near Jerusalem, fully aware of the suffering and death He was facing, the words of Jeremiah in the first reading must have resonated within His Sacred Heart, along with the psalm and all the other scripture passages which were about to come to fulfillment.

And what about us at this time? Are our own hearts more in line with those of Christ’s enemies, or, set aflame with the Word of God, are they pulsing with love of Christ’s own Sacred Blood? Or, are they merely indifferent, inexcusably catatonic in tragic disregard of the greatest act of love that the world ever has or ever will see?

Daily Retreat 04/06/06

2006 Apr 6 Thu: Lenten Weekday

Gn 17: 3-9/ Ps 104(105): 4-5. 6-7. 8-9/ Jn 8: 51-59

From today’s readings: "God also said to Abraham: On your part, you and your descendants after you must keep My covenant throughout the ages.... The Lord remembers His covenant for ever.... Amen, amen, I say to you, before Abraham came to be, I AM."

Our Father Abraham

Many Christians have only a vague familiarity with Abraham and his importance in the history of salvation. But, in the first book of the Bible, Genesis, Abraham is clearly central - of the 50 chapters of Genesis, 12 focus almost entirely on Abraham (cc. 12-24; Joseph is the only other patriarch with similar attention in Genesis). True, Noah's paternity reaches back even further, but he is thus ancestor to all peoples, whereas Abraham is the father specifically to the Israelite people.

Abraham's importance, of course, stems from the covenantal relationship God solemnized with him and his descendants. On the basis of this covenant, Jews recognize Abraham as their great "father in faith," and so, Christians too need to realize how prominently he figures in the whole history of salvation.

In this context, Christ's comments about Abraham (which attest to personal familiarity!) can be felt with the full weight of their eternal significance: Jesus said to them, "Abraham your father rejoiced to see My day; he saw it and was glad.... Amen, amen, I say to you, before Abraham came to be, I AM." God's election of Abraham was the beginning of His chosen people, but the entire plan was done in light of the future coming of Christ!

Daily Retreat 04/05/06

2006 Apr 5 Wed: Lenten Weekday/ Vincent Ferrer, p, r, ms

Dn 3: 14-20. 91-92. 95/ Dn 3: 52. 53. 54. 55. 56/ Jn 8: 31-42

From today’s readings: "Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who sent His angel to deliver the servants who trusted in Him; they disobeyed the royal command and yielded their bodies rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.... Blessed are You, O Lord, the God of our fathers, praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.... Amen, amen, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin...."

God gives us ourselves and Himself

The thrilling account of the deliverance of Daniel’s companions from the fiery furnace of King Nebuchadnezzar is one of the most vividly memorable texts of the Bible. The youths declare their absolute fidelity to God, and they don’t even insist on His saving them as a condition for their faithfulness. "If our God, whom we serve, can save us from the white-hot furnace and from your hands, O king, may He save us! But even if He will not, know, O king, that we will not serve your god or worship the golden statue that you set up."

God is faithful, and always so, and thus, it is not for us to make our faith in Him dependent on what we think He should do for us! But this happens, for example, when people are attracted to some earthly idol (money, power, prestige) and then, as a condition for remaining faithful to God, they expect to get from God the same crass rewards promised by idol worship!

God never gives us what idols promise in their idle promises, because God gives us, not just ourselves, but also Himself! Therein lies our reason for faithfulness forever to Him alone!

Daily Retreat 04/04/06

2006 Apr 4 Tue: Lenten Weekday/ Isidore of Seville, bp, dr

Nm 21: 4-9/ Ps 101(102): 2-3. 16-18. 19-21/ Jn 8: 21-30

From today’s readings: "We have sinned in complaining against the LORD and you.... O Lord, hear my prayer, and let my cry come to You.... When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will realize that I AM, and that I do nothing on my own, but I say only what the Father taught Me. "

Disdaining God’s Way

When God’s chosen people were enslaved in Egypt, they called out to God, and He delivered them through His servant Moses. But even after being delivered, they continued to need God’s saving help and call out to Him - when they were pursued by Pharaoh, and made the crossing at the Red Sea, when they had no food, and God gave them Manna, when they had no water, and God gave them water from the rock.

At Mount Hor, the Israelites disdained God’s sufficient grace and His chosen means of providing for them. They couldn’t really say that God had abandoned them - there were too many counter-proofs! But they could say God wasn’t giving them what they wanted, and so they complained against His Providence.

And so, in punishment, they were plagued by serpents, and only when they recognized their sinfulness, did God use a sign of their sinfulness (the bronze serpent) to heal them. Centuries later, God raised up the sign of His Son’s Cross as the definitive remedy for all sin - when we recognize the times we have disdained God’s grace and His will because things aren’t the way we want them to be, our sinfulness can only be healed by the saving power of His Cross!

Daily Retreat 04/03/06

2006 Apr 3 Mon: Lenten Weekday

Dn 13: 1-9. 15-17. 19-30. 33-62 or 13: 41c-62/ Ps 22(23): 1-3a. 3b-4. 5. 6/ Jn 8: 1-11

From today’s readings: "The whole assembly cried aloud, blessing God who saves those who hope in Him.... The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.... Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her...."

Suppressed Consciences

The first reading from the Book of Daniel is, aside from the Gospel narratives of the Passion, the longest text in the lectionary! The intriguing story of Susanna offers many points of reflection: Daniel’s brave initiative in standing alone against the evil of the day, Susanna’s unshakeable trust in God and her heroic refusal to commit a sin, even while under duress. But, allow me to concentrate, for a moment, on the "bad guys," those wicked elders who coveted Susanna’s beauty, then lied under oath in testifying against her, thus securing her sentence of execution when she refused to cooperate with their immorality.

"They suppressed their consciences; they would not allow their eyes to look to heaven, and did not keep in mind just judgments." Sacred Scripture states explicitly how such evil came about - it was a clear matter of suppressed, or dulled consciences. When even a good person deliberately ignores or shuts up the voice of conscience, horrible and habitual sins are bound to follow.

One of the whole purposes for the season of Lent is to "tune up" our consciences. First of all, we need to honestly examine our conscience, and repent of all the times we have ignored or suppressed that inner voice that’s meant to keep us on the right track. But, that is not enough - we also need to develop our consciences by studying scripture and all the moral teaching of the Church, so that when we’re faced with temptation, whether it be subtle or overt, our conscience can clearly provide guidance for our will to make the right choice!

Daily Retreat 04/02/06

2006 Apr 2 SUN: FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT.

Jer 31: 31-34/ Ps 50(51): 3-4. 12-13. 14-15 (12a)/ Heb 5: 7-9/ Jn 12: 20-33

From today’s readings: "I will place My law within them and write it upon their hearts; I will be their God, and they shall be My people.... A clean heart create for me, O God, and a steadfast spirit renew within me.... Son though He was, He learned obedience from what He suffered; and when He was made perfect, He became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey Him.... Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit! "

A Great Anniversary

A year ago today, Pope John Paul the Great ended his earthly pilgrimage. Although all the world was saddened by the news of his death, there was also a well-founded hope that such an inspirational servant of God would come to share fully in his Master’s heavenly joy. Providentially, because John Paul II died a week after Easter, on the vigil of Divine Mercy Sunday, the Church’s liturgy and scripture readings focused on the Lord’s victory over sin and death, and His promise that His faithful followers would share in His Easter resurrection.

This year, the anniversary of John Paul’s death occurs two weeks before Easter, on this tense fifth Sunday of Lent, the last week before this penitential season’s climax of Holy Week. The scripture readings do not yet exult with the jubilation of Easter victory - rather, they pine with sobering insights about suffering and death. Not about pointless suffering and meaningless death, but just the opposite: redemptive suffering, and life-giving death!

In the second reading, the Epistle to the Hebrews reminds us about Jesus that, "Son though He was, He learned obedience from what He suffered; and when He was made perfect, He became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey Him." This reminder just spells out the implications of Christ’s own insight when He applied it to Himself: Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit!

Plain and simple, there is no authentic Christianity that passes over the Passion of the Christ! For when plain carbon suffers the crushing weight of unbearable tribulation, it is transformed into a diamond. Likewise, when human life is laden with the burden of suffering, then that raw material can be transformed into the crown jewel of the spiritual life.

But suffering is like nuclear energy. We all shy away from it because it is such an obvious threat: suffering can hurt us, poison us, even destroy us! And yet, if we can know how to approach it the right way, if we can even embrace our suffering in the same way that Jesus willingly took up His Cross, then it becomes the most potent power of love, for suffering is what takes human love and fashions it into divine love! It is the whetstone used to sharpen our zeal and our love for the Lord.

For when Christ came among us as a man, He who had the divine nature Himself took on suffering and took on death. Why did He do that? He did that to pay the price for our sins. He did that so that suffering and death would be, not just an unpleasant aspect of human nature, but a transforming reflection of divine love. Jesus, true God and true man, suffered and died. And He suffered and died in a way that shows us how we can take all of the suffering in our lives and present it to God as an offering of love.

Pope John Paul the Great was a model for uniting his sufferings to the redemptive sufferings of Christ. In his final years, the media focused on the Pope’s failing health, and some even suggested years ago that it was time for him to "retire." But John Paul II saw things differently - rather than impeding his pastoral work and devotion, the Pope’s suffering paradoxically enhanced his ministry, because it was offered and used by him as an eloquent reminder of Christ’s redemptive suffering and life-giving death.

You and I all have some suffering in our lives - when the suffering, great or small, is united with the redemptive suffering of Christ, then we, like John Paul the Great and like the martyrs, can even come to rejoice to have been found worthy to follow the footsteps of Christ on the Via Dolorosa, the sorrowful Way of the Cross, the Path of the Passion, the Street of Suffering, the Trail of Tribulation which Christ blazed as the Route of Redemption and the triumphant thoroughfare that leads to Easter!