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Lent
Holy Thursday Gospel reflection: How far is God willing to go for love?
Tonight we begin a journey that takes us from the table to the cross and onward to new life lived in the shadow of that cross and in the light of the Risen Son. And so we wash feet. What a strange time Jesus chose to wash feet — during…
Spring cleaning your home — and your soul
It’s finally spring and with the thrill of opening the windows on that first warm day comes spring cleaning. The latest craze in organization calls for people to rid their homes of objects that don’t “spark joy.” But even if something…
Eastern rite Lent: Pray early and often
Today we will not be talking about a who but a what. Let’s get down with Lent! Literally. What Father is chanting in Old Slavonic is: You suffered greatly for us Jesus Christ, Son of God Have mercy on us Just as in the West,…
Ash Wednesday Gospel reflection: God reads the inside story
The readings for Ash Wednesday all share the same message: change (“return to me with your whole heart,” Joel 2:12); change now (“Behold, now is a very acceptable time,” 2 Corinthians 6:2); and change from the inside out (“pray to your…
Easter Sunday Gospel reflection: Experience Christ’s living presence
While there are differences in the various Passion narratives, common to all four Gospels is the concern of Jesus’ friends and followers that he be given a decent burial. Most of them had abandoned him or at best were standing off at a…
Holy Saturday Gospel reflection: The living presence of the Risen Lord
This is the holiest night of the year — the night when we celebrate Christ’s victory over the power of sin and death. This is the night when we listen to a series of readings that proclaim God’s constant presence and care for all humanity.…
Good Friday Gospel reflection: Christ’s passion unites us all
As the Gospel story of Jesus’ passion unfolds today, we witness the light of the world being led from one interrogator to another and finally condemned to a cruel death, by crucifixion. Drawn like Peter, we follow him who has also…
The sounds of Good Friday
It’s an image and moment of Good Friday I’ll never forget. More poignantly, it’s the sound that still resonates in my mind and heart more than a decade later. I took an extended break — longer than I probably should have — that particular…
Holy Thursday Gospel reflection: Unite yourself with Christ
“Master, are you going to wash my feet?” The shock in Peter’s question is clear. How could his Lord and master stoop so low? Paul answered clearly in last Sunday’s liturgy: ”He emptied himself, taking the form of a slave.” “Father, are you…
Saved by his cross
Around this time of year, I love to remind everybody of the stunning metaphysical similarities between the Exodus narrative and the passion, death, and Resurrection of Christ. Tell the truth: you groaned a little when you read that. It is…
