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Immersed in Christ: May 11, 2020

Immersed in Christ

May 11, 2020

Immersed in Christ: May 11, 2020

Monday, Week Five of Easter The Responsorial (Psalm 115) teaches us to look for the real cause of the wonders we experience: “Not to us, O LORD, but to your name give glory.” In Acts 14: 5-18 Paul and Barnabas restore a man to the level of health and being that most humans are born with. Healing the cripple was a miracle, but the same thing could have been accomplished, conceivably, at least, by sufficiently advanced medical technology when he was born. When the crowd procla

Immersed in Christ: May 10, 2020

Immersed in Christ

May 10, 2020

Immersed in Christ: May 10, 2020

Fifth Sunday of Easter (Year A) Light and Life Through Conscious Union with Jesus Inventory The Entrance Antiphon invites us: “Sing to the Lord” because he has “done marvelous deeds” and “revealed his saving power” (Psalm 97). What “marvelous deeds” of God have I experienced? How do I see his “saving power” revealed in the Church and in the world today? Input In the Opening Prayer we profess our belief that the Father is “looking upon us with love” and giving us “true freedom

Immersed in Christ: May 9, 2020

Immersed in Christ

May 9, 2020

Immersed in Christ: May 9, 2020

Saturday, Week Four of Easter The Responsorial (Psalm 98) declares: “All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.” Have you? The Presentation of Gifts is a turning-point in the Mass. It marks the transition, not only from the Liturgy of the Word to the Liturgy of the Eucharist, but also from what could be an understanding of the Mass that is merely human to a realization of the divine mystery that is taking place. A flight attendant said to a priest on a plane

Immersed in Christ: May 8, 2020

Immersed in Christ

May 8, 2020

Immersed in Christ: May 8, 2020

Friday, Week Four of Easter The Responsorial (Psalm 2) recalls what God said of Jesus at his baptism and Transfiguration: “You are my Son; this day I have begotten you.” Jesus is not just a prophet; he is the divine Son of God. This gives special meaning to the Father’s words, “Listen to him.” 1 Peter announces in Acts 13: 26-33: “We bring you the good news that what God promised to our ancestors he has fulfilled for us… by raising Jesus.” But his point follows in verses 40-4

Immersed in Christ: May 7, 2020

Immersed in Christ

May 7, 2020

Immersed in Christ: May 7, 2020

Thursday, Week Four of Easter The Responsorial (Psalm 89) affirms God’s faithfulness and “steadfast love,” even when we are unfaithful and he appears to have forgotten us: “Forever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.” In Acts 13: 13-25 Paul reminds his hearers they are a chosen people, and that God has “made this people great” by guiding their history through chosen individuals, some of whom sinned and betrayed him: “The God of this people chose our ancestors....” He menti

Immersed in Christ: May 6, 2020

Immersed in Christ

May 6, 2020

Immersed in Christ: May 6, 2020

Wednesday, Week Four of Easter The Responsorial (Psalm 67) is still celebrating the Good News and its extension to the whole world: “O God, let all the nations praise you.” The Psalm specifies, “May your way be known upon earth, among all nations your salvation.” This inspires evangelization: we want every nation to “be glad and exult,” accepting Christ who “rules with justice” and “guides” to salvation. We dedicate our lives to this! Acts 12:24 to 13:5 shows the Spirit telli

Immersed in Christ: May 5, 2020

Immersed in Christ

May 5, 2020

Immersed in Christ: May 5, 2020

Tuesday, Week Four of Easter The Responsorial verse is from Psalm 117:1 and Romans 15:11: “All you nations, praise the Lord.” The rest of the Responsorial is from Psalm 87, which in the present context proclaims the Church the true home of all believers. A motive to “Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.” The three steps of evangelization are (1) pre-evangelization through an event (or lifestyle) that raises questions.1 In Acts 11: 19-26 the Christians who were “sca

Immersed in Christ: May 4, 2020

Immersed in Christ

May 4, 2020

Immersed in Christ: May 4, 2020

Monday, Week Four of Easter The Responsorial (Psalm 42) specifies the effect the Liturgy of the Word should have on us: “Athirst is my soul for the living God.” Like the disciples on the road to Emmaus, as God speaks to us through the readings, we should find ourselves saying, “Were not our hearts burning within us... while he was opening the scriptures to us?” 1 In Acts 11: 1-18 the same thing happened to the Gentiles to whom Peter was sent to explain the Good News of Jesus.

Immersed in Christ: May 3, 2020

Immersed in Christ

May 3, 2020

Immersed in Christ: May 3, 2020

The Fourth Sunday of Easter (Year A) Jesus Is The Shepherd Who Leads Us To Life Where is my religion taking me? Do I experience it as leading me somewhere besides heaven? Where am I this year as compared to last year? Did I get there by consciously, explicitly following Christ? In what ways? Input The Entrance Antiphon speaks of an active, dynamic God: “The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord” because “by the word of the Lord the heavens were made” — and are still being

Immersed in Christ: May 2, 2020

Immersed in Christ

May 2, 2020

Immersed in Christ: May 2, 2020

Saturday, Week Three of Easter The Responsorial (Psalm 116) , asks: “How shall I make a return to the Lord for all the good he has done for me?” The answer is “Get up!” Acts 9: 31-42 shows us Peter healing a bedridden man and raising a woman who had died. His command to both was the same: anastathi, “Rise!” “Get up!” 1 The point is, they didn’t know they were healed until they did. And if we want to experience Christ giving us new life, the way to do it is to “get up” and go

Immersed in Christ: May 1, 2020

Immersed in Christ

May 1, 2020

Immersed in Christ: May 1, 2020

Friday, Week Three of Easter The Response (Mark 16:15, used with Psalm 117) is our life: “Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.” Acts 9: 1-20 is the source of everything Paul preached: “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.” From the first, Paul knew Jesus as identified with us. Paul could have answered, “I am not persecuting you. I am persecuting your followers.” But he didn’t, because he understood immediately, and more deeply than he had ever understood anything

Immersed in Christ: April 30, 2020

Immersed in Christ

Apr 30, 2020

Immersed in Christ: April 30, 2020

Thursday, Week of Three of Easter The Responsorial (Psalm 66) repeats yesterday’s theme: — “Let all the earth cry out to God with joy”. Acts 8: 26-40 shows one of the shortest versions of the RCIA on record. Philip explained the Scriptures to the court official. He believed, asked for baptism, received it and “continued on his way rejoicing” — back to Ethiopia. There wasn’t even any follow-up. “The Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away and the eunuch saw him no more.” Today

Immersed in Christ: April 29, 2020

Immersed in Christ

Apr 29, 2020

Immersed in Christ: April 29, 2020

Wednesday, Third Week of Easter The Responsorial (Psalm 66) extends Easter joy to every creature: “Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.” The key to this joy is seeing and believing. The Psalm continues: “Come and see the works of God …. Therefore let us rejoice in him.” Acts 8: 1-8 shows us Philip, who was chosen for the administrative task of distributing food, “proclaiming the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ” and baptizing. “Philip went

Immersed in Christ: April 28, 2020

Immersed in Christ

Apr 28, 2020

Immersed in Christ: April 28, 2020

Tuesday, Third Week of Easter The Responsorial (Psalm 31) is the profession of faith and trust Jesus made before he died; except he called God “Father” instead of “Lord”: “Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.” The meaning of the whole psalm is summed up in the next-to-last verse: “Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lord.” In Acts 7:51 to 8:1 Stephen died with the same words on his lips except he addressed them to Jesus: “Lord Jesus,

Immersed in Christ: April 27, 2020

Immersed in Christ

Apr 27, 2020

Immersed in Christ: April 27, 2020

Monday, Third Week of Easter The Responsorial (Psalm 119) confronts us with an either-or choice: “Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord.” Either we have decided to do that or we haven’t. If we have, we need to begin with what God says we should live for. In John 6: 22-29 Jesus is blunt about what should be the goal of our life: “Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life.” He is equally blunt about where we find that food.

Immersed in Christ: April 26, 2020

Immersed in Christ

Apr 26, 2020

Immersed in Christ: April 26, 2020

The Third Sunday of Easter (Year A) Finding Joy in Christ Inventory What gives me the most joy in life? What do I do now to find joy? Have I ever decided on a formula for living a joyful life? Do I think religion is one? Input The Entrance Antiphon assumes the whole world should find joy in God: “Let all the earth cry out to God with joy…. Proclaim his glorious praise.” And in the Opening Prayer we ask God to give us the kind of live, conscious hope in our own resurrection fr

Immersed in Christ: April 25, 2020

Immersed in Christ

Apr 25, 2020

Immersed in Christ: April 25, 2020

Feast of St. Mark Acts 6: 1-7 shows us that, although all in the Church are equally Christ and equal members of his body, there are many different roles and functions in the Church, some of them incompatible with others. One role was that of the “Twelve,” who were those apostles who had been chosen as special witnesses out of the disciples who had been with Jesus “beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us.” They had the function of “oversee

Immersed in Christ: April 24, 2020

Immersed in Christ

Apr 24, 2020

Immersed in Christ: April 24, 2020

Friday, Second Week of Easter The Responsorial (Psalm 27) tells us what each one is expressing during the Presentation of Gifts: “One thing I seek: to dwell in the house of the Lord”. Acts 5: 34-42 gives us what is known as “the principle of Gamaliel”: If this undertaking is of human origin, it will fail; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them — in that case you may even be found fighting against God!” This says that what God inspires people to do will n

Immersed in Christ: April 23, 2020

Immersed in Christ

Apr 23, 2020

Immersed in Christ: April 23, 2020

Thursday, Second Week of Easter Acts 5: 27-33 presents us with a puzzle. The Apostles’ strength came from their certitude they were speaking God’s truth and doing God’s will: “We must obey God rather than any human authority.” Where did this certitude come from? Obviously, from the Holy Spirit. But Peter said God gave the Spirit “to those who obey him.” So were the Apostles empowered to obey God rather than humans because they had the Holy Spirit, or did God give them the Spi

Immersed in Christ: April 22, 2020

Immersed in Christ

Apr 22, 2020

Immersed in Christ: April 22, 2020

Wednesday, Second Week of Easter In Acts 5: 17-26 God delivered the Apostles from prison the way Jesus was delivered from the tomb. The temple police reported, “We found the prison securely locked and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them, we found no one inside.” When Jesus rose, those who went to the tomb found it likewise empty. And no explanation. By Baptism we were freed from the prison of this world’s limits and the tomb of its death. We went down in