Today, we celebrate the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord, which commemmorates the event of Jesus’ ascension into heaven, where he is now seated at the right hand of the Father. St. Paul tells us that the honor bestowed upon Jesus places him “far aSbove every principality, authority, power, and dominion, and every name that is named not only in this age but also in the one to come.” St. Peter echoes this, saying, “There is no salvation through anyone else, nor is there any other name under…

Today is the Sixth Sunday of Easter and it’s hard to believe how quickly the time has passed. Pretty soon, we will be celebrating our Blessed Lord’s Ascension and Pentecost. These upcoming feast days are quite significant, and our readings set the stage for these miraculous events. Something I have always found funny about the way the readings are arranged during Easter is how they are out of order. If we were to visualize and piece together the events described in today’s readings, it would be…

This weekend we celebrate one of the most important secular holidays of the year: Mother’s Day. So, I want to begin by acknowledging all mothers, and say on behalf of all children: Thank you, we love you, we pray for you, we want what is best for you, just as you have always sought to provide what is best for us. These are challenging times, and certainly not the best of circumstances to celebrate Mother’s Day, but I’d like to encourage sons and daughters everywhere to spend some time with their…

Today, St. Paul continues to preach that Jesus is the Messiah, showing how what is described in the second Psalm is fulfilled in Jesus. In the Gospel, Jesus encourages his disciples to have faith in him as the gate. He says, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me.” This is the same appeal St. Paul is making in Antioch, preaching to the Jews, who all believe in God, but have yet to believe in Jesus as the Messiah. If they want eternal life, all they have…

Today, Jesus teaches his disciples that no messenger is greater than the one who sent him. We see this exemplified in St. Paul’s missionary preaching. As Jesus speaks on behalf of the Father, St. Paul speaks on behalf of Jesus. He does so in a way that captures all of salvation history, highlighting all the ways in which God had been watching over his people as a Father. From their freedom from slavery in Egypt to their testing in the desert to their entrance into the promised land to the…

In today’s account of the Acts of the Apostles, we are introduced to John Mark, who many scholars believe to be the author of the Gospel of Mark. It was during these early days of the Church’s mission to all the surrounding nations that many great and influential people were entering into the Church. They were no doubt drawn by the enthusiasm of the many prophets and teachers who were named for us today, including Barnabas. Barnabas was not only Saul’s companion, he was John Mark’s cousin. Later…

“I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture.” These words from Jesus, the Good Shepherd, are a powerful reminder of the awesome blessing and abundance of life given to all who hear his voice and follow him. Jesus walks ahead of us, and we follow him because we recognize his voice. And how do we recognize his voice? Our readings show us several examples of the ways Jesus speaks to his flock.

Today, on this Memorial of St. Joseph the Worker, we are reminded of the important role St. Joseph had in the life of our Blessed Lord. In today’s Gospel passage, we see the people of Nazareth referring to Jesus as the son of the carpenter. The Greek word for carpenter is tektōn, which means “craftsman,” “wood-worker,” or “builder.” This is essentially how we continue to use the word today. Carpenters are skilled with their hands and building things, and they have a keen eye for the way things…

Today, we continue to focus on the awesome reality of Jesus’ Resurrection. In the Acts of the Apostles, St. Peter gives powerful testimony to what he and the disciples have witnessed with their own eyes, linking it to the prophecy of David, which we heard in the Psalm: “You will not abandon my soul to the netherworld, nor will you suffer your faithful one to undergo corruption.” And while King David remains entombed, the crucified Jesus has been raised, thus fulfilling the aforementioned…

I have to admit that it has been difficult for me to pray some of the collects and prayers of the Mass, especially those that highlight the awesome reality of Jesus’ true presence in the Most Blessed Sacrament. It’s difficult for me because our congregation is not currently able to receive what Jesus has commanded me to provide. Proclaiming today’s Gospel is particularly difficult, because we all know that the sign Jesus performs of the multiplication of loaves and fish is truly a sign of the…