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Immersed in Christ: May 31, 2020

Immersed in Christ

May 31, 2020

Immersed in Christ: May 31, 2020

PENTECOST SUNDAY (Year A) “By the mystery of this water and wine…” Inventory The (alternate) Entrance Antiphon proclaims: “God’s love has been poured into our hearts by his Spirit living in us. Alleluia!” 1 What does pouring” suggest to you? Water poured at Baptism? Wine and water poured together at Mass during the Presentation of Gifts? The Holy Spirit poured forth at Pentecost? 2 Input In the Opening Prayer we pray that the Spirit “sent on the Church” will “continue to work

Immersed in Christ: May 30, 2020

Immersed in Christ

May 30, 2020

Immersed in Christ: May 30, 2020

Saturday, Week Seven of Easter Today’s liturgy gives the end of both the Acts of the Apostles and John’s Gospel. Acts ends focused on the coming death of Paul; John ends focused on the future death of Peter. The Responsorial (Psalm 11) says of both: “The just will gaze on your face, O Lord.” In Acts 28: 16-20; 30-31 Paul, who has been sent as a prisoner to Rome, is portrayed as being pretty much in charge of the situation. First (chapter 26) he convinces King Agrippa of his

Immersed in Christ: May 29, 2020

Immersed in Christ

May 29, 2020

Immersed in Christ: May 29, 2020

Friday, Week Seven of Easter The Responsorial (Psalm 103) calls us to look to God alone in our decisions: “The Lord has set his throne in heaven.” Acts 25: 13-21 brings to a head a whole series of people refusing to accept the responsibility of decision. The tribune, although he found Paul “was charged with nothing deserving death or imprisonment,” passed him on to the governor Felix to be judged. Felix put off making a decision for two years, until he was succeeded in office

Immersed in Christ: May 28, 2020

Immersed in Christ

May 28, 2020

Immersed in Christ: May 28, 2020

Thursday, Week Seven of Easter The Responsorial (Psalm 16) provides deep support for loyalty: “Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.” In Acts 22:30; 23:6-11 we see Paul uniting in himself fidelity to the charismatic and to the juridical. He follows the voice of the Spirit, but insists on his obedience to the Law. We may be shocked to hear Paul claiming, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee.” We need to remember that the Pharisees began as an authentically Jewish reform movement based

Immersed in Christ: May 27, 2020

Immersed in Christ

May 27, 2020

Immersed in Christ: May 27, 2020

Wednesday, Week Seven of Easter Both readings express the concern Jesus and Paul have for the protection of the flock after they are gone. So today’s invitation to “Sing to God” (Responsorial, Psalm 68) focuses on God’s power to “strengthen his people.” In Acts 20: 28-38 Paul warns the “elders” (priests) and “overseers” (bishops): “Some even from your own group will come distorting the truth.” The Vatican Council accepts this as the normal condition of the “pilgrim Church” an

Immersed in Christ: May 26, 2020

Immersed in Christ

May 26, 2020

Immersed in Christ: May 26, 2020

Tuesday, Week Seven of Easter Today’s verses of the Responsorial (Psalm 68) invite us to “Sing to God” for his generosity in pouring out divine life like rain. In Acts 20: 17-27 Paul describes how God’s divine life was made visible in him. Not through miracles, visions or ecstasies (although all these are found in his life). He just says, “I carried out the mission the Lord Jesus gave me.” It was “to bear witness to the Good News of God’s grace.” How did he do this? I lived

Immersed in Christ: May 25, 2020

Immersed in Christ

May 25, 2020

Immersed in Christ: May 25, 2020

Monday, Week Seven of Easter The Responsorial (Psalm 68) invites us to celebrate what we know of God: “Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth.” Acts 19: 1-8 makes clear that God does not just want to give us divine life. He wants us to know we have received it. And he wants others to see it in us. This is the reason for the “gift of the Spirit.” We would say today that those baptized by John the Baptizer received “the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,” even though the true natur

Immersed in Christ: May 24, 2020

Immersed in Christ

May 24, 2020

Immersed in Christ: May 24, 2020

The Feast of the Ascension, The Seventh Sunday of Easter (Year A) Except in the provinces of Boston, Hartford, New York, Newark, Philadelphia, and Omaha the feast of the Ascension is transferred from the sixth Thursday of Easter to the seventh Sunday of Easter. Where it is still celebrated on Thursday, the reflection for the seventh Sunday of Easter is also provided here. Inventory What does it mean to me that Jesus ascended into heaven? Does it have any influence on my life?

Immersed in Christ: May 23, 2020

Immersed in Christ

May 23, 2020

Immersed in Christ: May 23, 2020

Saturday, Week Six of Easter In Acts 18: 23-28 we meet Apollos, a Jew who “knew only the baptism of John,” but was “well-versed in the scriptures, instructed in the Way of the Lord, spoke with burning enthusiasm, and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus.” When the Christian community heard him speak, they “took him aside and explained the Way of God to him more accurately,” and encouraged him in his ministry. Apollos reminds us of what Baptism commits us to do. We a

Immersed in Christ: May 22, 2020

Immersed in Christ

May 22, 2020

Immersed in Christ: May 22, 2020

Friday, Week Six of Easter What the Responsorial (Psalm 47) says is not always obvious: “God is king of all the earth.” But it is still true. The truth is, we see God’s will flaunted constantly — even by ourselves. The good he desires is not done. The evil he hates is inflicted on countless victims. We are tempted to ask, “Who is in charge?” It does not appear to be God. In Acts 18: 9-18 the Lord tells Paul not to worry: “There are many of my people in this city.” God support

Immersed in Christ: May 21, 2020

Immersed in Christ

May 21, 2020

Immersed in Christ: May 21, 2020

Thursday, Week Six of Easter These are today’s readings where the feast of the Ascension has been transferred to the Seventh Sunday of Easter. Where not, see June 5 for the feast of the Ascension. The Responsorial (Psalm 98) proclaims God’s irrepressible “steadfast love”: “The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.” In Acts 18: 1-8 Paul is not having much success in Corinth converting his fellow Jews, whether of Jewish or Greek origin. When they “turned against h

Immersed in Christ: May 20, 2020

Immersed in Christ

May 20, 2020

Immersed in Christ: May 20, 2020

Wednesday, Week Six of Easter The Responsorial (Psalm 148) declares God is evident everywhere: “Heaven and earth are filled with your glory.” When we first gave ourselves to God in Baptism, we either knew nothing about God (if we were baptized as infants), or we knew less than we know now. Every day we learn a little more, both by discipleship and by experience, about who God is, what the mystery of Christian life is, and what it means to live it out in practice. That is wh

Immersed in Christ: May 19, 2020

Immersed in Christ

May 19, 2020

Immersed in Christ: May 19, 2020

Tuesday, Week Six of Easter The Responsorial (Psalm 138) capsulizes the Good News: “Your right hand has saved me, O Lord.” Acts 16: 22-34 reveals again the pattern of evangelization. First there is pre-evangelization: an event that shocks, that raises a question. Here it is not so much the earthquake itself as the fact that the prisoners did not leave. The jailer, impressed by all this, asks the question: “What must I do to be saved?” That opens the door for the second step:

Immersed in Christ: May 18, 2020

Immersed in Christ

May 18, 2020

Immersed in Christ: May 18, 2020

Monday, Week Six of Easter The Responsorial (Psalm 149) tells us, “The Lord takes delight in his people.” Surprised? Many of us may be inclined to think he just puts up with us! We could wonder what to meditate on in Acts 16: 11-15. All it seems to say is that Paul and his companions went to Philippi in Macedonia, part of modern Greece, to evangelize. They went down to the river to pray (and probably have a picnic), struck up a conversation with some women gathered there, an

Immersed in Christ: May 17, 2020

Immersed in Christ

May 17, 2020

Immersed in Christ: May 17, 2020

The Sixth Sunday of Easter (Year A) Spirit of Christ, Spirit of Joy and Peace Inventory What gives me my greatest joy in life right now? What liberation, healing or empowerment in my life can I attribute to the fact that Jesus is risen from the dead? Input Everything in the liturgy is speaking to us of joy. The Entrance Antiphon: “Speak out with a voice of joy….” The Opening Prayer: “God, help us to celebrate our joy….” The Responsorial (Psalm 66): “Let all the earth cry out

Immersed in Christ: May 16, 2020

Immersed in Christ

May 16, 2020

Immersed in Christ: May 16, 2020

Saturday, Week Five of Easter The Responsorial (Psalm 100) is: “Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.” Yesterday Jesus said, “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” In today’s reading from Acts 16: 1-10 we see Timothy, not laying down his life, but literally shedding his blood in circumcision for no other reason than to keep local prejudice from being an obstacle to the gift of life he and Paul were offering. Paul, who insisted tha

Immersed in Christ: May 15, 2020

Immersed in Christ

May 15, 2020

Immersed in Christ: May 15, 2020

Friday, Week Five of Easter The Responsorial (Psalm 57) reminds us we pray as a community: “I will give you thanks among the peoples, O Lord.” Acts 15: 22-31 shows us the Church’s response to the division caused by those who “without any mandate from us have upset you with their teachings and disturbed your peace of mind.” See the beginning of this chapter: “Certain individuals came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, ‘Unless you are circumcised according to the c

Immersed in Christ: May 14, 2020

Immersed in Christ

May 14, 2020

Immersed in Christ: May 14, 2020

Feast of Saint Matthias, Apostle The Responsorial (Psalm 113) applies to Matthias: “The Lord will give him a seat with the leaders of his people.” The selection of Matthias to replace Judas in Acts 1:15-17, 20-26 shows that bishops are not “successors” to the Twelve Apostles. Although “the phrase is too well attested to be rejected now,” if it is “used without care for the finer distinctions it may distort the truth.” The apostles could never have a successor in that function

Immersed in Christ: May 13, 2020

Immersed in Christ

May 13, 2020

Immersed in Christ: May 13, 2020

Wednesday, Easter Week Five The Responsorial (Psalm 122) identifies authentic religion with joy: “Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.” But some people try to make happiness consist in something that cannot give happiness — law observance — and call it salvation. This is Phariseeism. In Acts 15: 1-6, when Paul and Barnabas “reported the conversion of the Gentiles, [they] brought great joy to all the believers.” Well, not to all. “Some believers who belonged to the se

Immersed in Christ: May 12, 2020

Immersed in Christ

May 12, 2020

Immersed in Christ: May 12, 2020

Tuesday, Week Five of Easter The Responsorial (Psalm 145) reminds us what we are by Baptism and what we are called and consecrated to do: “Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your kingdom.” Acts 14: 19-28 shows us the pattern of early evangelization: 1. Inspired by the Holy Spirit “while they were worshiping the Lord and fasting,” the whole Christian community “laid their hands on Paul and Barnabas and sent them off.” 2. Those sent preached and made conv

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