Reflections on the Sunday Readings

In ancient times the understanding of reality and the forces that can change the world of mankind varied from one culture to another.  In ancient Greece for example the people tell the story of Pandora.  Pandora is a beautiful woman whom the God’s of Greece hold in high esteem.  One day Zeus, the chief of the Gods, was going on a trip and stopped by Pandora’s house.  He gives her a beautiful box to hold for him and that he will pick up on his return trip.  He instructs her to never to open the box, or else dreadful things will happen.  She puts the box on a mantle and goes about her business. Every day she sees it but tries to pay no attention to it.  But, one day she cannot resist opening the box.  When she does all sorts of evils and temptations, like greed, avarice, cheating, making of wars, robbery and murder fly out of the box and out of her home.  She fights mightily to close the lid of the box and finally succeeds.  Frightene...

                                                                       In our gospel this weekend we encounter the famous account between Martha and Jesus when Jesus stops by Lazurus’ home for a visit.   In this gospel scene we have Jesus   and his apostles stopping by on their way to Jerusalem.   Mary, Martha’s sister, is so delighted that Jesus   has dropped by that she decides to sit at Jesus feet to listen to his message that he is giving to his disciples.   Martha, the seeming mistress of the household which includes Mary,   and Martha’s brother Lazarus, has accepted the responsibility of preparing a meal for this rather large gathering.   She wishes to show how responsible and successful she can be in this matter.   However, having decided such, she needs help in p...

Our readings today tell us of the two most prominent saints of the Christian faith. But, for these two, like most of us, they did not start out that way.   Both encountered Jesus   in very different ways, but each had to decide, following that encounter, whether to follow Jesus completely or not.   And even when they did decide to follow him, we can see from the scriptures, it does not mean there was a smooth easy road ahead of them.   For both, in their relationship to Jesus and in the development of their own faith in Jesus, there were questions and periods of confusion . Peter initially, encounters Jesus after a night fishing and catching nothing.   Peter has pulled his boat on shore, but Jesus tells him to put out into water and cast his nets again Simon, the fisherman, informs Jesus, “Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but at your command I will lower the nets.” (Luke 5:5)      Of course, we know what happens tha...

  This weekend our liturgy focuses on   the feast of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ .                       The gospel this weekend, while not a eucharistic feast itself, has all the ear marks of Jesus    concern for those who seek him and are his followers.   In the gospel, Jesus asks the apostles to feed the crowd.   They respond that they have only 5 loaves and 2  f ish.     So little for so many.   But Jesus asks them to give what little they have.   Imagine what their thoughts might have been when Jesus takes all they have (little as it is) and feeds everyone.   They are asked to trust in Jesus, surrender what they have, believe that it will be more than enough, and receive what Jesus will give them in return.   From those 5 loaves of bread and two fish, he, after praying (i.e., “looking up to heaven”) is able to provide food enough for all t...

                                                                          Our readings on Pentecost bring to an end the Easter season with the fulfillment of Jesus’ promise, about the coming of the Holy Spirit.                                                                                                           When the day of Pentecost came the Spirit came upon the apostles and the disciples gathered in the Upper Room.  They have been told to remain in Jerusalem until the coming of the Spirit.   So much has hap...

                                                                        Over the past couple of weeks in our gospels, we are taken back to the upper room where Jesus celebrated the last supper with his apostles.   Because the impact of his message that night cannot be contained in one single homily or reflection, but rather it needs the reflections of many Sundays to underscore the importance and impact of what he said to apostles and through them, to us.   In the gospel this weekend, Jesus s peaks of his leaving but also of his coming again through the power of his resurrection and through, the presence of his Holy Spirit among the community of believers.    He assures them and us that he will be among us forever.   His ongoing presence, through the power of the Spirit reverberate...