Friends, today’s Gospel is one of the greatest stories ever told: the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. It is a story of the Church and its mission, and therefore it speaks to us all. On the day of new creation they are walking in precisely the wrong direction, away from Jerusalem. You won’t see Jesus if you look away from his cross and resurrection.Bible Study
Next, “Jesus himself drew near and walked with them.” Jesus is always with the Church, even when it strays, patiently trying to lure it back in the right direction. Then Jesus does for them what he does for us: he interprets the meaning of his own life. The opening move of the liturgy is just this. We read the Old and New Testaments in light of Jesus, Christ himself providing the interpretive key.
The disciples invite Jesus to come in and have supper with them. As he had done the night before he died, he “took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them.” This is the great Eucharistic action of the Church: Jesus offering his very self to us, presenting sacramentally the drama of his death and resurrection.
Pope St. Pius V was born near Alessandria in Italy in 1504. He entered the Dominican Order & taught theology. After being ordained a bishop & named a cardinal, he became pope in 1566. He vigorously implemented the reform of the Church begun at the Council of Trent, promoted the spread of the faith & renewed the liturgy. he died on 1 May 1572.'Twould also be the festival of Saint Marie of the Incarnation, Religious, O.S.U. (1599-1672): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.
Saint Catherine of Siena, T.O.S.D., was a tertiary of the Dominican Order & a Scholastic philosopher & theologian. She also worked to bring the papacy of Gregory XI back to Rome from its displacement in France & to establish peace among the Italian city-states.Quoth the Holy Family bulletin:
St. Catherine was born at Siena in 1347. While still a young girl, she sought the way of perfection & entered the Third Order of St. Dominic. On fire with love of God & neighbor, she established peace & concord between cities, vigorously fought for the rights & freedom of the Roman Pontiff, convincing him to return to Rome from Avignon. St. Catherine received the stigmata. She also promoted renewal of religious life. She composed works of doctrine & spiritual inspiration. She died in 1380.'Twas also the festival of Saint Díchu mac Trichim, Confessor (fourth century, A.K.A. Dictinus): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.
Friends, in today's Gospel, Jesus demonstrates his authority over nature by walking on the sea. Water is, throughout the Scriptures, a symbol of danger and chaos. At the very beginning of time, when all was a formless waste, the spirit of the Lord hovered over the surface of the waters. This signals God's lordship over all of the powers of darkness and disorder. In the Old Testament the Israelites are escaping from Egypt, and they confront the waters of the Red Sea. Through the prayer of Moses, they are able to walk through the midst of the waves.Mass Readings—Memorial of St. Catherine
Now in the New Testament, this same symbolism can be found. In all four of the Gospels there is a version of this story of Jesus mastering the waves. The boat, with Peter and the other disciples, is evocative of the Church, the followers of Jesus. It moves through the waters, and the Church will move through time.
All types of Storms—chaos, corruption, stupidity, danger, persecution—will inevitably arise. But Jesus comes walking on the sea. This is meant to affirm his divinity: just as the spirit of God hovered over the waters at the beginning, so Jesus hovers over them now.
"They will need music to uplift,
It'll be a Godsend, it'll be a gift,
And hope and glory to coincide,
They'll need the strength and warmth and comfort the music will provide!…"
St. Peter was a Catholic priest, missionary, & martyr. His group was initially well received by Futuna's king, Niuliki. Fr. Peter struggled to learn the language & mastered it. Despite little apparent success & severe want, he maintained endless patience & courage. When the king's son sough to be baptized, the king instructed for Peter to be killed. The killer, in need of medical attention, went to Chanel for care, & subsequently clubbed him to death.Quoth the Holy Family bulletin:
St. Peter was born in the town of Cuet in France in 1803. After ordination to the priesthood, he was engaged in pastoral work for a few years. he then joined the Marists & journeyed to Oceania to preach the Gospel. Despite many hardships he converted some of the natives to the faith. Out of hatred for the faith, a band of native warriors killed him in 1841 on the island of Futuna.
St. Louis Marie was a French Roman Catholic priest & confessor. He was known in his time as a preacher & was made a Missionary Apostolic. St. Louis is known for his particular devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary & the practice of praying the Rosary. St. Louis is considered as one of the early writers in the field of Mariology.Quoth the Holy Family bulletin:
St. Louis de Montfort was born to a poor family at Montfort-La-Cane in Brittany. Ordained at twenty-seven, he was devoted to the Blessed Virgin Mary. he wrote books such asThe Secret of the Rosary & True Devotion to Mary. He founded an order of priests called the Company of Mary & a religious institute of women devoted to the poor, the Congregation of the Daughters of Divine Widsom.
Friends, our Gospel today focuses on St. John’s intense meditation on the meaning of the Eucharist. The tone is set with the familiar story of the feeding of the five thousand, the only miracle story mentioned in all four Gospels. This scene deeply affected the first Christians. Jesus instructs the crowd to recline on the grass. Taking the barley loaves and dried fish, Jesus makes a meal that satisfies the enormous crowd. They are hungry, tired, worn out from their exertions, and Jesus gives them sustenance for the day.Mass Readings—Optional Memorial of St. Peter
For Thomas Aquinas, the great metaphor for the Eucharist is sustenance, food for the journey. Baptism defines us, making us sons and daughters of God; confirmation confirms and deepens this identity; marriage and holy orders seal us in our life’s vocation. These are sacraments offered once at key moments in one’s life.
Then there is the Eucharist, which is daily food, nourishment to get us through the day-to-day. How effective would we be if we never ate, or ate only on special occasions and in a festive environment? Not very. So, in the spiritual life, we must eat and drink or we will not have the strength.
"She wanted me to stay,"Spilled My Drink" is from the earliest phase of Mu330 & is pleasantly & distinctly less frenetic than Mu330's later "psycho ska" sound. I love Mu330's usual sound—they're SKApril All-Stars, for Rudy's sake, & I've traveled as far as St. Louis, their "mighty city by the mighty Mississippi" itself to see them play live—but I also appreciate variety as the spice of life.
But I had to run away,
She wanted me to stay,
But I had to run away…"
Friends, today’s Gospel declares that the Son of God does not ration his gift of the Spirit. At the Cathedral of Chartres, the figure of Jesus is surrounded by seven doves, symbolizing these seven gifts of the Holy Spirit: wisdom, understanding, knowledge, counsel, fortitude, piety, and fear of the Lord. The Messiah will be filled up with all of the powers and energies of God’s spirit.
These seven gifts have played a prominent role in our tradition, appearing in theologians as diverse as Gregory the Great, Augustine, and Thomas Aquinas. These gifts are signs that the Christian is participating in Jesus Christ. In holding up this image, therefore, the Church is asking us to meditate on the people that we are called to be, participants in Jesus.
How does one come by these gifts? We can’t really earn them or work our way toward them. But they do come from Jesus Christ, and therefore from our proximity to him through the Church and the sacraments. As we wait in joyful hope for the coming of the Lord, pray for the conformity to him which consists in the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit.
"One! Two! One, two, three, four!
"Have you ever had one of those days?
Has it ever felt like no other day at all?
Has it ever been so perfect?
Has it ever felt like it was so right?
Then you came to find out
That one day it was all gone.
"Maybe you will see
What could have been,
No, you won't see
That we were more than friends.
"O.K. (Sure!) I'm be all right,
O.K. (Sure!) I'll be just fine,
O.K. (Sure!) Everything is great,
O.K. (Sure!) I'll just keep living this lie…
"I wonder what it will be like
When I see you and know you are not mine…"
Friends, our Gospel passage today includes one of Jesus’ best-known and best-loved sayings. The Lord is speaking to Nicodemus and he tells him, “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.”
Why does the Son come? Because God is angry? Because God wants to lord it over us? Because God needs something? No, he comes purely out of love, out of God’s desire that we flourish: “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.”
It is not in order to work out his anger issues that the Father sends the Son, but that the justice of the world might be restored. Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s salvific intent, displayed throughout the Old Testament.
"Your mind's made up so why the fuck
Should I defend the way I think?
All I want to be is left alone,
When people have to lie to find a story.
"You don't know me!
You don't know me!
You don't know me!…"
Traditionally ascribed author of the Gospel of Mark, Mark is said to have founded the church of Alexandria, one of the most important episcopal sees of early Christianity.Quoth the Holy Family bulletin:
St. Mark was a cousin of (St.) Barnabas (11 June) & he accompanied St. Paul (25 January & 29 June) on his first missionary journey & later went with him to Rome. He was a disciple of St. Peter (22 February & 29 June) whose teaching was the basis for Mark's gospel. Mark is said to be the founder of the church of Alexandria.'Tis also the festival of Saint Pedro de San José Betancur, O.F.B. (circa 1626-1667, Anglicized as Peter of Saint Joseph), founder of the Order of Bethlehemite Brothers: Saint-link ūnus, Saint-link duo, & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link O.F.B.
Friends, today Jesus commissioned his disciples (and us) to proclaim the Gospel to the whole world. Then he was taken up to heaven where he took his place at God's right hand, as the disciples went forth and preached everywhere.
The ascension of Jesus signals the beginning of the era of the Church. As Jesus leaves the scene (at least in the most obvious sense), he opens the stage for us. What if Caesar, Lincoln, Roosevelt, and Churchill were still striding the world stage? No one would have the courage to enter the game. So, Jesus leaves, that we might act in his name and in accord with his spirit.
And it is precisely those who are most focused on the things of heaven that do most good here below—Gandhi, King, Dorothy Day, John Paul II. Those who pray most intently are most effective in the practical realm. This too is opened up by the ascension.
"So go out and get with any guy you find,Also, The Hippos are SKApril All-Stars & "Celebrate" is one of their best songs. It was actually unexpected & surprising, in preparing for SKApril '17, to discover that "Celebrate" had not already been highlighted. Yahtzee!
Every day I grow farther from you,
Don't come crawling back when we get signed,
Don't you think that I found something new?
I'm finished with you.
"I celebrate, I celebrate,
My days of hate, my days of hate,
'Cause now I see
That you're nothing to me…"
Franciscan Capuchin martyr. A practicing lawyer, he traveled across Europe as a tutor to aristocrats but then started defending the poor. He became a Franciscan Capuchin monk, taking the name of Fidelis. A missionary to Grisons, Switzerland, Fidelis was so successful that local Protestants claimed that he was a spy for the Austrian emperor. Fidelis was stabbed to death in a church in Seewis.Quoth the Holy Family bulletin:
St. Fidelis was born in Sigmaringen in Germany in 1578. He entered the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin & led an austere life of penance, vigils, & prayer. He was continuously engaged in preaching the word of God & he was commissioned by the sacred Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith to preach in the canton of Grisons. In 1622, he was attacked by a band of heretics & suffered martyrdom at Seewis in Switzerland.'Tis also the festival of Saint Diarmid of Armagh, Bishop (died circa 852): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.
Friends, in today’s Gospel, Jesus tells us that no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and spirit. He says: “What is born of flesh is flesh and what is born of spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I told you, ‘You must be born from above.’ 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.”Mass Readings—Optional Memorial of St. Fidelis:
The Holy Spirit is the love shared by the Father and the Son; he is, in the lovely image proposed by Fulton Sheen, the sign of affection that goes up when the Father looks at the Son and the Son looks back at the Father.
We have access to this holy heart of God because the Father sent the Son into the world, into our dysfunction, even to the limits of godforsakenness—and thereby gathered all of the world into the dynamism of the divine life. Those who live in Christ are not outside of God as petitioners or supplicants; rather they are in God as friends, sharers in the Spirit.
Friends, our magnificent Gospel declares that there is no greater manifestation of the divine mercy than the forgiveness of sins. We are in the upper room with the disciples, those who had denied, betrayed, and abandoned their master. Jesus came and stood in their midst. When they saw him, their fear must have intensified: undoubtedly he was back for revenge.Otherwise, 23 April would be the festival of Saint George, Martyr (circa 280-303), martyred in the reign of the emperior Diocletian, one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers: Martyr-link ūnus, Martyr-link duo, & Wikipedia-link; & Wikipedia-link XIV.
Instead, he spoke the simple word “Shalom”, peace. He showed them his hands and his side, lest they forget what the world (and they) did to him, but he does not follow up with blame or retribution—only a word of mercy. And then the extraordinary commission: “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” Jesus’ mercy is communicated to his disciples who in turn are sent to communicate it to the world.
This is the foundation for the sacrament of penance, which has existed in the Church from that moment to the present day as the privileged vehicle of the divine mercy.
Legend states that St. George was born at Cappadocia & instructed in the Christian religion by his mother. He became a soldier in the Roman army & confronted Diocletian, the cruel persecutor of Christians. As a result, George was handed over to the torturers, who tried every means to put him to death; but he came through all the tortures unscathed. Pretending ot offer sacrifice to the pagan idols, with all the people assembled, George prayed & fire came down from heaven, killing all the pagan priests & people. In the end, George was beheaded. The crusaders considered St. George to be their patron. He was also named the patron of England in 1222. Until 1778, the feast of St. George was a holy day of obligation for English Catholics. In iconography, St. George is portrayed as the conqueror of a dragon.'Twould also be the festival of Saint Adalbert of Prague, Bishop & Martyr, O.S.B. (circa 956-997), martyred by pagan priests of the Old Prussians: Martyr-link ūnus, Martyr-link duo, & Wikipedia-link.
Catholicism is not merely a religion, or a sect, or a set of rules. When small minds & smaller spirits try to capture the essence of Catholicism, this is often what they tend to conclude. But Catholicism is more than a religion. It is more than just another movement. The essence of Catholicism is not sin, punishment, duty, or obligation, & it is more than a set of lifeless rules & regulations. Catholicism is more. It is more than most people think & more than most Catholics ever experience. The essence of Catholicism is dynamic transformation. You cannot become more like Jesus Christ & at the same time stay as you are. To be Catholic means to be striving to live the Gospel, to be striving to become more like Jesus Christ. It is this dynamic approach to transformation that animates the human person—physically, emotionally, intellectually, & spiritually—& allows us to experience like "to the fullest" (John, 10:10). When are you most fully alive? When you are changing & growing & exploring all you are capable of becoming.
"She's a blonde bombshell with ruby red lips,
She's been driving me crazy with the motion of her hips,
She'll tear you apart if you ever got in her way…
"She has a smirk on her face from all the hearts she steals,
You know, she'll probably mess you up if she ever got the chance,
She has killer in her eyes as you ask her out to dance…"
Friends, in today’s passage Jesus commissions his disciples to proclaim the Gospel to all. A great lesson of the Resurrection is that the path of salvation has been opened to everyone. Paul told us that “though he was in the form of God, Jesus did not deem equality with God something to be grasped. Rather he emptied himself and took the form of slave… accepting even death, death on a cross.”
In a word, Jesus went all the way down, journeying into pain, despair, alienation, even godforsakenness. Why? In order to reach all of those who had wandered from God. Then, in light of the Resurrection, the first Christians came to know that, even as we run as fast as we can away from the Father, all the way to godforsakenness, we are running into the arms of the Son. The Resurrection shows that Christ can gather back to the Father everyone whom he has embraced through his suffering love.
So let us not domesticate the still stunning and disturbing message of Resurrection. Rather, let us allow it to unnerve us, change us, and set us on fire.
"Four score and seven minutes ago, our Founding Fathers found the truth of what girls like and what girls don't like. Article I: Girls don't like you. They never will like you! No matter how hard you try, they can't stop you now…
"I see you everywhere, but why aren't you with me?
I've got so much to offer: fun, sensitivity,
But you are too cool to talk to me,
All your friends keep jabbering junk that you are way out of my league.
"So, come on tonight,
Be by my side, all right?
'Cause—
"I like you! Look into my eyes,
I like you! I guarantee you, I'm not like other guys,
I like you! C'mon and give me a try,
I like you! There must be something I can do to change your mind.
"Every story starts like this one, end it here with me,
I can't believe what you're saying: you say it will never be,
And now I'm frowning all the time
Just because your stupid friends have ruined everything and now you'll never be mine…"
At fifteen, Anselm wanted to enter the monastery, but was refused acceptance because of his father's opposition. Twelve years later he finally fulfilled his desire to be a monk. He entered the monastery of Bec in Normandy, was elected prior three years later, & fifteen years later, was unanimously chosen abbot. Considered an original & independent thinker, Anselm was admired for his patience, gentleness, & teaching skill. Under his leadership, the Abbey of Bec became a monastic school, influential in philosophical & theological studies.'Twould also be the festival of Saint Conrad of Parzham, Religious, O.F.M. Cap. (1818-1894): Saint-link ūnus, Saint-link duo, & Wikipedia-link.
Friends, in today’s Gospel, the Risen Jesus appears to seven disciples on the shore of the Sea of Tiberias. Jesus rose bodily from the dead. This is the fact—eminently surprising and unexpected—that gives birth to Christianity. The excitement that you can sense on every page of the New Testament comes from this novelty.* * * * *
Why did the Risen Jesus appear only to a few? Why didn’t he make himself readily apparent to anyone who wanted to see? Cardinal Newman commented on this. If Jesus had appeared publicly and indiscriminately to all, the power of the resurrection would have been lessened. Some would believe; others wouldn’t. Some would get it; others wouldn’t. Some would be fascinated, others indifferent.
Instead, he deigned to appear to a small coterie of dedicated disciples who knew him, loved him, understood him—confident that they would be the effective bearers of his message. We are those now who eat and drink with him after his resurrection. And so we have a commission to announce this good news.
Friends, in today’s Gospel, the Risen Jesus appears to his eleven disciples. Understandably terrified, they thought they were seeing a ghost. But Jesus is quick to disabuse them of this notion: “Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you can see I have.”
While they were still amazed and incredulous for joy, he stunned them further, saying, “Have you anything here to eat?” With that, they gave him a piece of baked fish, which he ate in their presence. The bodily resurrection of Jesus—as the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep—is the great sign that heaven and earth are coming together. A body, which can be touched and which can consume baked fish has found its way into the realm of heaven.
What does this mean? That bodies are not finally alien to God. We have indeed an Advocate in the heavenly places. Were the Resurrection a convenient story or a clever myth, the two realms of heaven and earth would be as separate as ever.
"You rough, you tough,
You rough, you tough,
You rough, you tough,
You rough, you tough.
"Order! While my court is in session, will you please stand. First, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Judge Hundred Years. Some people call me 'Judge Dread.' Now, I've come here to whoop you, to try all you rude boys for shooting black people. In my court, only we talk, 'cause I am vexed, and I am the rude boy today…"
For the first Christians, Christianity was a lifestyle. They shared a common life. Living in a community, they often worked together, prayed together, & studied the Scriptures together. Their faith was the center of their lives; it affected everything they did. They shared meals together, played together, & cared for each other in sickness. They allowed the principles of the Gospel to guide them in the activities of their daily lives. They comforted each other in their afflictions & challenged each other to live the Gospel more fully. There was unity & continuity between their professional lives & their family lives, between their social lives & their lives as members of the Church. They allowed the Holy Spirit to guide them in all they did. Then, at the pinnacle of their common life, they celebrated Eucharist together.
"Hooray! Hip hip, hooray!
Hooray! Hip hip, hooray!
"Independence! (Celebration!)
Independence! (Celebration!)
Independence! (Celebration!)
"Hooray! Hip hip, hooray!
Hooray! Hip hip, hooray!
"Out of many, one (people),
Out of many, one (people),
Out of many, one (people),
Out of many, one (people).
"Let's live in unity (all progress),
Let's live in unity (all progress),
Let's live in unity (all progress),
Let's live in unity (all progress)…
"Hooray! Hip hip, hooray!
Hooray! Hip hip, hooray!"
"Now I see, you can't be trusted,The seemingly nonsensical title "Spiderview" is presumably a corruption of the repeated phrase, "In spite of you."
Watched all your boys get busted,
But here comes somebody's jailhouse tear tattoo,
In spite of you, in spite of you…
"All those times, those times you hated,
When you're sick and underrated,
They come back when there's no wrong that you can do,
In spite of you, in spite of you…
"There's no, no use in cryin',
And I've seen a thousand lives end,
Hey, look, here comes that Jesus guy we knew,
In spite of you, in spite of you,
In spite of you, in spite of you."
"Jesus Christ is risen today, Alleluia!
Our triumphant holy day, Alleluia!
Who did once upon the Cross, Alleluia!
Suffer to redeem our loss, Alleluia!
"Hymns of praise now let us sing, Alleluia!
Unto Christ our heavenly king, Alleluia!
Who endured the Cross and grave, Alleluia!
Sinners to redeem and save, Alleluia!
"Sing we to our God above, Alleluia!
Praise eternal as His love, Alleluia!
Praise Him, all ye heavenly host, Alleluia!
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, Alleluia!"
"This is a time for us to demonstrate our appreciation,
Amazing grace and sweet salvation…
"I cast all my life and all my cares and everything on You.
"He cares for you like no one else,
He cares for you like no one else,
He cares for you like no one else,
He cares for you like no one else.
"This is a time for us to celebrate our emancipation,
Voices ring across the nation,
There will never be another and has never been,
Helpless and you took us in,
Because of Jesus Christ we know salvation is secure,
I don't worry any more,
You can give you counsel, Lord, and you can search your mind?
You're before me and behind…"
"The evening tide is falling fast,On the album Saints and Sinners, "The Waiting" directly proceeds "Because He Lives (Amen)," so "The Waiting" itself ends in the midst of a crescendo building to "Because He Lives (Amen)."
My feet are weary, but I'm free at last,
So meet me in the tomb, my Lord,
Come roll away, roll away, the stone.
"And this is a mystery,
Death bows to the King of Kings,
He has overcome the grave
For the sinners and the saints."