This morning, we have the continuation of yesterday’s readings from the Acts of the Apostles and the Gospel of John. In Acts, Peter and the Apostles were arrested and put in prison for preaching in the temple in Jesus’ name, but an angel of God came in the night and set them free. The angel not only set them free, but commanded them to, “Go and take your place in the temple area, and tell the people everything about this life.” So, Peter and the apostles returned to the place where Jesus taught,…

“The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.” Christ is risen, alleluia! Truly, He is risen, alleluia! Today’s Gospel is one of rejoicing and peace in the Lord. This Sunday is Divine Mercy Sunday—a day we recall the tender mercy of our God and Lord Jesus Christ. The Gospel portrays this vividly as Jesus invites Thomas to touch his wounds even to the point of putting his hand into the pierced side of the Messiah. We might envision this action as something grotesque, but…

“This is the day the Lord has made; let us be glad and rejoice in it.” These words taken from today’s Psalm remind us of the great and wonderful day of the Lord’s Resurrection and its enduring effect on the human race. Today’s Gospel shows us the importance of allowing Jesus to direct our life. Peter and the other disciples decide to go fishing, but this is no ordinary fishing trip. What might John be trying to tell us in this passage? Well, the scene is an allegory…

Our readings this morning give us two images of resurrection. Both of our readings were written by Luke, the first volume of which is his Gospel and the second, the Acts of the Apostles. In the account of the Acts of the Apostles, we have Peter perform this great miracle of faith as he raises a crippled man. This man, who was crippled from birth, may be seen as an image of fallen humanity, if you will, he cannot move. It also goes to show that there is nothing we can do in and of ourselves to…

Christ is risen, alleluia! Truly, He is risen, alleluia! There is nothing that can separate us from the reality of the Resurrection. And while this may be one of the most unique celebrations of Easter in our lifetime, it nevertheless remains a time to rejoice. I hope this goes without saying, but on behalf of Fr. Bambrick and myself, we love you, we miss you, and hope that all of you are well. We pray for you every day and are so grateful for your e-mails and prayers for us. We have both been…

Friends, with this Mass of the Lord’s Supper, we are entering into the most solemn, the most holy time of the Christian year. Today, we focus on the great themes of Salvation History: Passover, Exodus, the Eucharist, Priesthood, and the Mystical Body of Christ, that is, the People of God. These themes are especially significant for us during our own time of isolation. We do well to draw upon the history of the people of Israel, who time and again experienced isolation from one another and most…

This Passion Sunday and Holy Week will be like no other we have experienced before. Unable to worship together in God’s house, we are like Jesus in today’s Gospel: bound in chains, locked in prison, and under constant scrutiny–at least that is how it may seem. Perhaps now, more than ever before, we can relate to the profound isolation our Blessed Lord experienced throughout his Passion–isolation to the point of crying out to his Father, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”…

Last night, the pastor and I did a live stream called “Stump the Priest” on our parish YouTube channel. During the stream, one of the questions asked was: Why do we not say “please” when we pray the Lord’s Prayer (Our Father)? At first examination, it does seem as though we are demanding things from God: give us our daily bread…forgive us our trespasses, etc. And while the answer to why we pray this way is simple: It is how Jesus taught us to pray (see Mt.…

The passages from the Book of the Prophet Daniel are related. One would do well to read the chapter in its entirety, however, suffice it to say the First Reading gives us the beginning and the end, while the Responsorial Psalm is the taken from the middle of the chapter (the Psalm is the song the men sang in the midst of the flames). The prophet Daniel lived during the Babylonian Exile and because of his ability to predict the future, a grace sometimes given to prophets, King Nebuchadnezzar…

Our readings today focus us, through faith, on the certainty of hope. Hope is one of the theological virtues, a supernatural gift from God, a grace through which we trust that God has given us eternal life. The passage from Ezekiel is a foreshadowing of our future resurrection from the dead. He prophecies: “Thus says the Lord God: O my people, I will open your graves and have your rise from them, and bring you back to the land of Israel.” The prophet speaks words of hope for restoration, a…