|
Share this table prayer with those you will eat with on Easter Sunday.
please be with us during this Easter season, and always,
as we strive to live as disciples of your Son. May the breaking of bread, today and every day, remind us of the Bread of Life, Jesus Christ, who died to atone for our sins and rose again so that we, too, may rise and live in your presence forever. O God, bless this food and we who share it, and be with those who cannot share it with us. We ask this in the name of the same Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen. Alleluia! Christ has risen! Amen. |
Christ has risen! Alleluia!|
|
Loving God,|
Coming from Jesus, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” can be a troubling statement because it seems to undermine his faith in his own mission and in a God who loves him. Doesn’t Jesus know what’s to come? Doesn’t he believe that God is always with him? We can all relate to Jesus’ cry. In our times of trial, we, too, may want to call out to God and ask why we have been abandoned. The times in our lives when we feel most vulnerable are often the times when God seems distant. Jesus’ cry is taken from the beginning of Psalm 22. The anguish and pain of feeling alone pours out in the opening lines. Nevertheless, the author of the psalm does not turn away from God. On the contrary, he says, “you (God) are holy” (Ps 22:3) and “All the end of the earth shall remember and turn to the LORD; and all the families of the nations shall worship before him” (Ps 22:27). The psalm as a whole is not a cry of great despair and obstacles, but of great hope and faith. Jesus does not deny the profound physical and emotional pain of his situation. But through his pain, he challenges us to identify with the author of the psalm who cries out to God and praises God in the same breath. This challenge goes to the heart of one of the great mysteries of the Christian faith: simultaneously loving a gracious God and not denying the sorrows of human life. We are invited to remember that while pain is real, it is also temporary. But the love God has for us is eternal. When have you experienced love coming out of a painful situation? What did it teach you? Adapted from Word on the Go, a downloadable resource from RENEW International Tags: a reflection on the coming Sunday's Gospel, Bible, calling out to God, Catholic, Catholic Church, catholic RENEW program, Christ, Christian faith, community, faith, God always with you, God who loves you, God's love, Good News, Gospel, gracious God, Jesus, Jesus' mission, Lent, Mark 15:33, Mass, My God My God, my god my god why have you foresaken me, painful situation, Palm Sunday, Passion Play, prayer, psalm, Psalm 22, renew catholic program, RENEW International, Scripture, Son of God, sorrows of human life, Sunday Gospel, why have you forsaken me?, Word of God |
|
|
|
|
I recently spoke on a Friday night at a parish Stations of the Cross. The title of the Lenten series is “The Way Walkers.” I love the image of being a “way walker”—one who walks in the Way of Jesus.|
What does it mean to lose one’s life in order to gain it? Throughout life, we come across people who live fearlessly because they are inspired by the conviction that they have been called to do what they do. Perhaps it is a colleague who is energized by her work. Maybe it’s a friend whose indignation at an obvious injustice has inspired him to dedicate his time to changing things. Or it is a priest or sister whose devotion to ministry comes from a deep desire to serve. In this Gospel passage, Jesus is speaking of how we act in this world. Sometimes, we may stand out of the mainstream and seem dead. Other times, we may appear alive but are actually ignoring our core potential. Jesus is saying that we should lose the life the world wants us to have and save the life within that is given to us by God. Think of the politician who entered public life wishing to serve, but is now afraid to answer a question honestly for fear of alienating voters. Think of the salesperson who pushes a product she knows is inferior just because it means a better commission. What about you? Maybe you began your career with zeal and now are just concerned about accruing vacation days. Or maybe you have struggled with the pressure of choosing a vocation that will help you make a good living over the call to do something more spiritually gratifying. When have you needed to lose something in your life in order to save the person God calls you to be? Adapted from Word on the Go, a downloadable resource from RENEW International Tags: be the person God calls you to be, Bible, Catholic, catholic RENEW program, Christ, Church, community, desire to serve, devotion, faith, given to us by God, Good News, Gospel, Gospel according to John, Jesus, john 12, Lent, Mass, prayer, Reflections on the coming Sunday's Gospel, renew catholic program, RENEW International, spiritually gratifying, vocation, whoever loves his life loses it |
|
|
|
In Jesus’ time, light was a valued and scarce resource. Oil for lamps was expensive and carefully rationed. Moving away from the light of a village campfire was risking danger. Traveling in the darkness of night meant exposing oneself to wild animals or criminals. For Christians around 100 AD, the metaphor of Christ as the light would have particular resonance. They frequently lived in dark times of persecution, and to attest to believing in Jesus was dangerous. They looked forward to a time when their belief in Jesus could be safely expressed in the full light of day. Today, for those of us fortunate to live in a country where religious freedom is protected, the “darkness” we encounter manifests itself in things like greed, exploitation, violence, racism, and sexism. These aspects of life can cloud our vision and lead us to choose evil over good. Jesus lights the path for us to pierce the darkness and come into the light of goodness, truth, and faith. Think of a dark time in your life. Who or what did you reach out to? Adapted from Word on the Go, a downloadable resource from RENEW International Tags: 100AD, a reflection on the coming Sunday's Gospel, Bible, Catholic, Catholic Church, catholic RENEW program, Christianity, dark time in life, evil, God, Good News, Gospel, Gospel according to John, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Jesus as light, John 3, kingdom of heaven, light, live in truth, Mass, persecution, prayer, Reflections on the coming Sunday's Gospel, renew catholic program, RENEW International, Scripture, Sunday Gospel, wicked things, Word of God, works clearly seen and done in God |
|
|
|
This Sunday’s reading invites us to examine the underlying tension that runs through all of the Gospels. Jesus’ mission brought him into conflict with the powerful institutions of religion and state. This tension ultimately led to Jesus’ arrest, trial, and execution. For pious Jews in Jesus’ day, and for Jesus himself, the Temple in Jerusalem was a sacred place. It was a center of pilgrimage for Jews from all over the world, a place where ritual sacrifices and prayers were offered. The presence of money changers and merchants was common in the outer courtyard of the Temple. Pilgrims who traveled a long distance to make a ritual sacrifice would find it easier to buy an animal on the spot than to bring one from home. In order to make this purchase, they would need to change their foreign currency for the only coins accepted in the Temple. Faith is not a matter of convenience. When religion exists solely to keep the wheels of commerce rolling or exploits the poor, it is fraudulent and disgraceful. Jesus was not an avoid-conflict-at-any-cost kind of character. He made a whip and chased the moneychangers out of the Temple. Jesus’ actions are a reminder that Christians can, and at times should, resort to the kind of righteous anger that cries out against hypocrisy and against the exploitation of the most vulnerable. In Jesus, Christians have a model of someone who had the courage to challenge and question. Those who claim to follow Jesus can do no less. About what in your life have you felt justifiably angered? What action did you take? Adapted from Word on the Go, a downloadable resource from RENEW International Tags: a reflection on the coming Sunday's Gospel, and execution, Catholic Church, catholic RENEW program, Christ, Church, coins, courage to challenge, courage to question, cry out against hypocrisy, Good News, Gospel, Gospel according to John, Jerusalem, Jesus, Jesus' arrest, Jesus' mission, John 2:13, money changers, pilgrimage for Jews, renew catholic program, RENEW International, righteous anger, sacred place, Scripture, Sunday Gospel, Temple, tension in Gospels, trial, Word of God |
|
|
|
This week’s Gospel reading offers us a brief look at God’s glory at a moment when Jesus was speaking of his coming passion, which was the focus of conversation immediately before and after the event described in this passage. Jesus had brought to this mountaintop several of the disciples, who had just learned that he would suffer, die, and, three days later, rise from the dead.. Jesus was transfigured before their eyes, and they were left awestruck. The voice of God proclaimed, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him” (Mark 9:7). The disciples were given a glimpse of the glory of God, and then were charged with the task of listening to Jesus. They listened even as he was rejected, as he suffered, and as he was put to death. They listened to Jesus and knew that even death would not defeat him, for he would be raised from the dead. The disciples continued to listen to the risen Christ until the day they too would share fully in his glory. Just as the disciples were charged with the task of listening to Christ, we are also invited to listen. Through the events of our lives, however ordinary or extraordinary they may be, Christ is present and calling out to us. Christ is in our walking and talking, in our daily encounters, and in our travels. Christ is present, but are we listening? Christ often speaks to us through those who have no voice in our world. He speaks through the poor, the elderly, the prisoner, and the immigrant. We may listen to Christ speaking through our friends and family, but do we listen to Christ in the rejected, the lonely, and the outcast? Where or how is Christ speaking to you at this point in your life? Are you listening? Adapted from Word on the Go, a downloadable resource from RENEW International Tags: a reflection on the coming Sunday's Gospel, beloved Son, Bible, Catholic, Catholic Church, Christ, Church, die, disciples, glory of God, Good News, Gospel, Gospel According to Mark, Jesus, kingdom of heaven, Lent, Lenten Gospel reading, Listen to him, listening to Jesus, Mark 9:7, Mass, mountaintop, prayer, Reflections on the coming Sunday's Gospel, RENEW International, rise from the dead, rising from the dead, Scripture, Second Sunday of Lent, share in his glory, Son of Man, suffer, Sunday Gospel, tranfigured, Word of God |
|
|
|
|
|
As Lent begins, the Church enters a period of spiritual renewal leading to Easter. Lent is a time of retreat. We journey inward to places of solitude and silence to rediscover God’s love for us. In the passage prior to this Gospel for the first Sunday of Lent, Mark writes that Jesus was baptized in the River Jordan and heard the voice confirming that his future mission was blessed by his heavenly Father. In this passage, we read that Jesus was driven into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit to prepare for his public mission. He lived among wild beasts, and he was tempted by Satan, but angels of hope and trust ministered to him as he fasted and prayed during those forty days. For us, there is no physical desert. Our deserts are metaphorical. They are moments of dryness in our lives that come from tensions in family life, arguments with significant others, anxiety about economic distress, war, and many other sources. This Gospel passage invites us to recognize those times when we experience our own demons of despair, desolation, and fear as times that reveal the face of God to us in an intimate way. These are the times in which we discover our reliance on God, and that leads us to new and greater life. What have been “desert” moments in your life that have caused you tension, stress, or despair? How has God been a part of these moments? Adapted from Word on the Go, a downloadable resource from RENEW International Tags: a reflection on the coming Sunday's Gospel, baptism, Bible, Catholic, Catholic Church, catholic RENEW program, Christ, Church, community, desert, desert moments, Easter, first sunday of Lent, forty days, forty days in the desert, God's love, Good News, Gospel, Gospel According to Mark, heavenly father, Holy Spirit, Jesus, kingdom of heaven, Lent, Lenten readings, Lenten reflections, mission, prayer, Reflections on the coming Sunday's Gospel, renew catholic program, RENEW International, repent and believe in the gospel, River Jordan, silence, solitude, spiritual renewal, The kingdom of God is at hand, Word of God |
Subscribe in a reader Categories Comment Guidelines Also from RENEW International
What RENEW is Reading |
|
Campus RENEW / Theology on Tap / RENEW Worldwide |