Uncircumcised in Heart and Ears

Tuesday of the Third Week of Easter

By Melanie Rigney

Stephen said to the people, the elders, and the scribes: “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always oppose the Holy Spirit; you are just like your ancestors. Which of the prophets did your ancestors not persecute? They put to death those who foretold the coming of the righteous one, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become. You received the law as transmitted by angels, but you did not observe it.” (Acts 7:51-53)

Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit. (Psalm 31:6a)

“For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” (John 6:33)

Piety

Lord, guide my words. Help me to admonish with not only conviction but with love. Come, Holy Spirit.

Study

It was not an easy time for Stephen.

He stood before the Sanhedrin, falsely accused. He knew this was not likely to end well in an earthly way. And yet, he did not waver. Not only did he orate on the people’s history with the Lord, he issued his own accusation, an accusation of truth and faith. History is repeating itself, he in essence said. History is repeating itself right now.

And so he was stoned to death, the first of disciples to die for his faith.

Stephen’s words made people angry and uncomfortable. They would make people angry and uncomfortable today; who wants to be called a betrayer or murder of the righteous? And yet, it’s all too easy for us to submerge our responsibility to call out with love and forthrightness those who ignore the Lord today in their words and actions. It’s easy to get along to go along rather than to speak up for our faith. May we emulate Stephen… and observe the Law as we have received it. It’s costly to do this on earth; it’s costlier still not to do it.

Action

Have a difficult conversation that you have been avoiding.

Every Word

Memorial of Saint Stanislaus, Bishop and Martyr

For we have heard him claim that this Jesus the Nazorean will destroy this place and change the customs that Moses handed down to us.” All those who sat in the Sanhedrin looked intently at him and saw that his face was like the face of an angel. Acts 6:14-15

So they said to him, “What can we do to accomplish the works of God?” Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God that you believe in the one he sent.”  John 6:28-29

Piety

One does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God. (Matthew 4:4B)

Study

If the first step in building the Kingdom of God is faith, then how is that planted and cultivated? Today’s Good News takes us back into the life of Jesus before the Passion.  After Jesus had fed the five thousand men, his disciples saw him walking on the sea.  That is when the discourse on the Bread of Life takes place.

First, the disciples had to witness the work that Jesus was accomplishing. In this case it was a combination of the loaves and fishes miracle and walking on the sea.  Second, they had to open the “ears of their heart” to the words that Jesus spoke.  Third, they had to accept it.  These three steps are necessary for faith to be planted and grow. 

Once faith grows, we then can go on to evangelize others through our own witness, through speaking the Good News to others so that they too might accept their role in the Christian community.  Then, they will motivate themselves as lay apostles to reach out to others.

Action

As we set out on the beginning of another work week, the words of John’s Gospel ring in our ears on this Monday morning.  “Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.” (6:27)

This is not unlike the message shared with the Samaritan woman at the well.  “…[W]hoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst; the water I shall give will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (4:14)

Shall we all call in sick to work?  Hardly.  The woman at the well goes through the three stages to plant and cultivate her faith.  Then next time we see her, she is leading crowds of people back to Jesus. 

Yet, none of that would have happened if she had not gone about her daily business of drawing water from the well for her household tasks. As you draw water from your well, go about those tasks filled with the Easter faith and remembering that “One does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.”

GONE FISHIN’!

Third Sunday of Easter

By Phil Russell

“He revealed himself in this way…So they cast it [the Net], and were not able to pull it in because of the number of fish."  John 21:1, 6B

Piety

"They were countless in number, and they cried out in a loud voice: "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches, wisdom and strength, honor and glory and blessing."  Revelation 5:11-14

Study

HE IS RISEN! Sign reads, “GONE FISHIN'!"

In the recent biblical drama film, RISEN, today's Gospel is reenacted near the conclusion of the film.   The protagonist of this story is a fictitious Roman Tribune by the name of Clavius.  Clavius, witnesses the crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth, shortly after in a conversation, with Pontius Pilate, the two exchange which gods each prays to. Pilate tells Clavius that he worships Minerva, the Roman goddess of Wisdom.  He asks Clavius, who it is that he worships.  Clavius response is Mars, the Roman god of War.  Pilate says that it would make sense as Clavius a soldier, a man on his "way up" and destined for greater career goals would in fact be connected to Mars.

Not to long after this scene, Clavius is called in by Pilate to find the missing body of this, Jesus of Nazareth, whose followers are saying has "risen" form the heavily sealed and guarded Tomb.   This is where Clavius' world begins to change.   Several scenes later after heading this investigation to find the missing body, and interrogating several of Jesus' followers, he is stymied.   We see Clavius at a niche/shrine where he places several gold coins before the image of Mars. Clavius, begins to pray, "but not to you Mars, I pray to the God of Israel: "if you are real...?"

This is where the story really gets good.  As he is trying to find the closest followers of Jesus, he in fact does.  They are in an upper room in Jerusalem. As he alone enters the room, he is struck when he sees the face of Jesus, sitting with his disciples.  His mind flashes back to the face of Jesus on the cross.  His world begins to unravel.

Fast forward.  Still with me?  Today's Gospel.  Clavius follows the eleven to the Sea of Tiberius, where they go fishing.  There we see today's Gospel acted out.

Action

We, like Clavius, are the observers.

We are the witnesses to this scene.

How do we process what is happening?

Can we just standby, like Clavius, and watch?

Or can we by our own FAITH, place ourselves into the person of Peter? 

Have we encountered the RISEN, JESUS in our own hearts?

We're not our hearts burning as we recognized HIM in the Breaking of The Bread?

Are we still just trying to figure it all out, not unlike Clavius at the onset of the Call to "COME FOLLOW ME?"

Like the Apostles, where are we?  Today on this Third Sunday of Easter?

As the questions goes: "Are YOU in?"

And as the song goes, "Will you come and follow ME if I but call your name?"

Let's GO fishin'!

Serve at Table

Saturday of the Second Week of Easter

So the Twelve called together the community of the disciples and said, “It is not right for us to neglect the word of God to serve at table. Brothers, select from among you seven reputable men, filled with the Spirit and wisdom, whom we shall appoint to this task, whereas we shall devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” The proposal was acceptable to the whole community, so they chose Stephen, a man filled with faith and the Holy Spirit, also Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicholas of Antioch, a convert to Judaism.  Acts 6:2-5

When it was evening, the disciples of Jesus went down to the sea, embarked in a boat, and went across the sea to Capernaum. It had already grown dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. The sea was stirred up because a strong wind was blowing. When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they began to be afraid. But he said to them, “It is I. Do not be afraid.”  John 6:16-20

Piety

Christ has no body but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
Compassion on this world,
Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good,
Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world.
Yours are the hands, yours are the feet,
Yours are the eyes, you are his body.
Christ has no body now but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
compassion on this world.
Christ has no body now on earth but yours. (Teresa of Avila)

Study

Jesus continues to work to bring people out of the darkness of night into the morning of glory.  His need for assistants and assistance has never been greater.  As people get a chance to taste and see what he has to offer, they want Jesus to stay with them in their boat, their house or their town. 

Today, we also hear the story of the founding of the permanent diaconate, an office whose origin is to serve the people of the world.  Service, our Cursillo action leg, is embedded throughout the Good News.  However, my issue with today’s list of the first people chosen to serve the people starts a little too late. 

What about the most famous mother-in-law in this story?

Jesus entered the house of Peter, and saw his mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. He touched her hand, the fever left her, and she rose and waited on him.  (Matthew 8:14-15)

Or the hospitality of Marth in this one?

As they continued their journey he entered a village where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him.  She had a sister named Mary [who] sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak.  Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me.” (Luke 10:38-40)

Or the witness of the Samaritan woman at the well in this one?

Many of the Samaritans of that town began to believe in him because of the word of the woman who testified, “He told me everything I have done.”  When the Samaritans came to him, they invited him to stay with them; and he stayed there two days.  John 4:39-40

Action

What part will you play in being the assistant to Jesus and offering assistance to

Has everyone been served yet?
(c) Time-Life Image from
"Nurse Midwife"
by Eugene W. Smith. 

the community whether you are formally a deacon or not? Consider this story of “diakonia” like service:

In December 1951, LIFE published one of the most extraordinary photo essays ever to appear in the magazine. Across a dozen pages, and featuring more than 20 of the great W. Eugene Smith’ pictures, the story of a tireless South Carolina nurse and midwife named Maude Callen opened a window on a world that, surely, countless LIFE readers had never seen — and, perhaps, had never even imagined.[i] The article in LIFE, titled simply “Nurse Midwife,” chronicled Callen’s work and her unique role in her community. Follow the link in the prior sentence to see the famous images.

Eventually, more than $20,000 in donations helped to build a clinic in Pineville, where Mrs. Callen worked until her retirement in 1971. Maude Callen died in 1990 at the age of 91 in Pineville, South Carolina, where she had lived, and served, for seven decades.

Has everyone been served yet?

---

[i] http://time.com/26789/w-eugene-smith-life-magazine-1951-photo-essay-nurse-midwife/

Transformed

Friday of the Second Week of Easter

By Colleen O’Sullivan

After recalling the Apostles, (the Sanhedrin) had them flogged, ordered them to stop speaking in the name of Jesus, and dismissed them.  So they left the presence of the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they had been found worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name.  And all day long, both at the temple and in their homes, they did not stop teaching and proclaiming the Christ, Jesus.  (Acts 5:40-42)

When Jesus raised his eyes and saw that a large crowd was coming to him, he said to Philip, “Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?”  He said this to test him, because he himself knew what he was going to do.  Philip answered him, “Two hundred days’ wages worth of food would not be enough for each of them to have a little.”   (John 6:5-7)

Piety

The Lord is my light and my salvation;

  whom should I fear?

The Lord is my life’s refuge;

  of whom should I be afraid?

(Psalm 27:1)

Study

If I were ever in need of proof that there is a God, a mighty and powerful God, I think I could find it in the juxtaposition of these two Scripture readings. 

Prior to today’s reading from John’s Gospel, Jesus has shown the crowds as well as his intimate circle of friends that he is no run-of-the-mill itinerant preacher.  He’s changed water into wine at a wedding in Cana, cleansed the Temple, forgiven the woman at the well every sinful thing she had ever done and given her a fresh start, healed a royal official’s son simply by declaring him well again from a distance, and cured the man lying ill by the pool in Bethesda.  You’d think the disciples would be changed simply by being in Jesus’ presence and witnessing these miraculous and compassionate acts. 

But Philip doesn’t seem to have gotten into the spirit.  A huge crowd, hungry for healing, follows Jesus and the disciples.  Jesus looks at them with loving eyes and sees people who also need physical sustenance.  Philip doesn’t seem worried about the throng of people at all.  His concern is mainly that it would cost a fortune to feed them.  It doesn’t even occur to him to trust that Jesus could perform a miracle here just as he has at other stops along the way.   All the way through John’s Gospel to Jesus’ words of farewell and consolation after the Last Supper, the disciples continue to appear somewhat thick-headed.  They certainly don’t seem to see that Jesus is the human face of God.  The idea of a suffering Messiah strikes them as ludicrous.  They don’t want Jesus to leave them, and they don’t understand why they can’t go with him.  If this is where the story ended, I’d be depressed.

But then we come to the reading in the Book of Acts.  These same people have been transformed!  They are no longer sitting around wondering how they’ll survive without Jesus.  They’re preaching and teaching the Good News.  They’re healing in the name of Jesus.  In today’s reading, they’ve been flogged for continuing to preach the resurrection of the dead.  They’re warned not to speak in Jesus’ name again.  These people, who not long before couldn’t abide the notion of a suffering Messiah, react by rejoicing in their own suffering for such a worthy cause!   They leave the Sanhedrin and immediately begin preaching Jesus all over again.

What happened?  God happened.  God raised Jesus from the dead.  God unleashed the power of his Holy Spirit upon the disciples.  These are not the same sad people who sat around the table listening to the Lord after their final meal together.  These are not the dispirited folks who barely knew what to do with themselves on Holy Saturday.  This is not the frightened group who hid behind locked doors.  These Apostles have been remade from the inside out!  There is no stopping them now from proclaiming the Good News.  And that is how I know there is a God, because I don’t believe any human being could ever effect such a radical, overnight change in a group of people.  Nor do I believe that any of us can do this for ourselves.  It can only be the power of God.

Action

When have you been transformed by God?  What were you like beforehand?  How were you different afterwards?

Speak His Word at all Times

He does not ration his gift of the Spirit
(http://www.focolare.org/gb/spirituality/
spirituality-of-unity/the-holy-spirit/)

April 7, 2016

By Beth DeCristofaro

“We gave you strict orders did we not, to stop teaching in that name. Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and want to bring this man’s blood upon us.” But Peter and the Apostles said in reply, “We must obey God rather than men. (Acts 5:28-29)

I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall be ever in my mouth. (Psalm 34:9)

Whoever does accept his testimony certifies that God is trustworthy. For the one whom God sent speaks the words of God. He does not ration his gift of the Spirit. (John 3:33-34)

Piety

Bless you, O Lord.  Fill me with your Gift of the Spirit.  Provoke me to obey your Word rather than the ephemeral whims of the world.  And inspire me, O Jesus, to speak your words to others at all times.  

Study

The Disciples do not back down from the Sanhedrin.  John the Baptist declares that it is to Jesus that he, and the crowds, should look for salvation not to John.  Jesus is love.  He is mercy.  He does not ration Himself for me.  But to see Him I must also see him in the terrorist, in the refugee, in the pompous politician, in my neighbor in church who has a drinking problem.  He does not ration his gift of the Holy Spirit.  The wonder of it is that his gift allows me to show love, act with courage and offer mercy on others in spite of myself.

It is so easy to be led by my own bad habits, prejudices, fears, pride and just plain stubbornness.  However, if I keep his praise in my mouth and my heart – not just the words but the hope and the “yes” – each and every day, I am more open to the Spirit revealing Him and to be moved ever closer to His loving embrace.    The Spirit of the Lord gives me nerve to obey God rather than society, urges me to be lavish in love for the poor and vulnerable, and bestows generosity in mercy toward those who sin without, because of my insecurities, condoning the sin.  The Spirit of the Lord sets me free from anything which tempts me to turn away from Him and condemn myself.  He does not ration his gift of the Spirit.  Share it!

Action

In what environments do I hesitate to speak up, perhaps not advocating for someone or remaining silent against an unkind comment?  What do I condone by my inaction?  Ask for the gift of the Spirit, praise God and be moved with the courage of His Word.  

Come Toward the Light

Wednesday of the Second Week of Easter

The high priest rose up and all his companions, that is, the party of the Sadducees, and, filled with jealousy, laid hands upon the Apostles and put them in the public jail. But during the night, the angel of the Lord opened the doors of the prison, led them out, and said, “Go and take your place in the temple area, and tell the people everything about this life.”  Acts 5:17-20

And this is the verdict, that the light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come toward the light, so that his works might not be exposed. But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God.  John 3:19-21

Piety

When things happen in “threes,” take note.

When things happen in “threes,” take note.

When things happen in “threes,” take note.

Repeating a word three times is equivalent to saying something with bold letters, italics and underlined followed by exclamation points.  For example:

One cried out to the other: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts! All the earth is filled with his glory!” (Isaiah 6:3) 

“Then I looked again and heard an eagle flying high overhead cry out in a loud voice, “Woe! Woe! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth from the rest of the trumpet blasts that the three angels are about to blow!” (Revelation 8:13).

Study

Every so often, we get one of the most famous passages in the Bible to consider in our daily reading and reflection.  Today is one such day.  Probably next to “In the beginning…” from Genesis, today’s Good News starts out with the immortal passage, “For God so loved the world…”

People often cite John 3:16 as a favorite scripture passage.  I will admit to being one of them.  When I was younger, I looked it up because every Sunday, a person carried a banner in the Pittsburgh Steelers end zone which read:  John 3:16.  I knew John Stallworth’s jersey number was 82 so the sign must be referring to something else.

The passage John 3:16 does not stand alone.  It is part of the longer conversation which Jesus had with Nicodemus.  This was not a one-way communication.  The Pharisee had a key part in it.  For a conversation must have at least two parts otherwise it is only a sermon, lecture or soliloquy.  Plus, there had to be at least ONE witness who talked or wrote about what happened or we would not have this story. 

Nicodemus sought out this encounter with Jesus.  Even though he did it at night

so others might not notice, he was actively seeking to learn more about what Jesus preached.  Jesus invited him to come toward the light.  Maybe he did so as a spy to report back to his compadres.  But the conversation led him in another direction entirely.  Nicodemus has three parts in this one-act play:   

First is the conversation starter:  He came to Jesus at night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one can do these signs that you are doing unless God is with him.” (John 3:2)

Next he posed a follow-up question:  Nicodemus said to him, “How can a person once grown old be born again? Surely he cannot reenter his mother’s womb and be born again, can he?” (John 3:4)

Still determined to better understand, he poses a THIRD question to Jesus:  Nicodemus answered and said to him, “How can this happen?” (John 3:9)

This reflection will not delve into the parallel between Peter denying Jesus three times and Jesus challenging Peter three times to “Feed my sheep.”  It is not a coincident that Jesus rose on the third day after his execution.  When things happen in “triplets” in the Bible, we should take notice.  Not just repeated once, but repeated three times.

Did it work?  What is the verdict?  Did the conversation change anything?  I think so.  Including this three-question interrogation, Nicodemus appears three times.  Nicodemus tried to defend Jesus in the temple when the plot was being hatched by the Pharisees to arrest him.  Then he appears with Joseph of Aramithea to bury the body of Jesus after the Lord dies on the cross.  When others had left him, Nicodemus was there performing the spiritual works of mercy.

Conversation led to conversion.  It is an interesting relationship that comes back to the roots of both words.   

Furthermore, such a commitment to change (conversatio in Latin) is another commitment that is closely allied with vow of stability/fidelity and unique to Benedictine monastics. This Latin word means a commitment to all practices oriented toward the search for God. (Sorry, I could not resist overusing the formatting in Word).

By practices we do not mean a rote, rigid adherence to regimen. Conversatio includes disciplines such as commitment to a regular daily schedule of prayer and work, to silence, to lectio divina, community meals, and community of goods. Everything is oriented toward a faithful living of the Gospel.[i]

Of even more significance is the word conversatio, a term that is difficult to translate. Conversatio connotes a commitment to live faithfully in unsettled times and to keep one's life open. Such a paradox: remain settled; stay open to change! For the monks of the Middle Ages, living faithfully meant listening to an inner voice and responding to the call.[ii]

Action

Nicodemus gives a pretty good model for how you or I might react if we wanted to learn more about what someone meant.  We mightgo up to them and start a conversation that demands more than a “Yes” or “No”answer. 

What’s your story?
What personal passion project are you working on right now?
Working on anything exciting lately?

What was the highlight of your day today?

What’s your biggest fear?
If you had to pick any character in a book, movie or TV show who is most similar to you, who would you choose? Why?
When you were growing up what was your dream job? Is any part of that still true?

Group reunion is one of those crucial conversations. Who will you have a critical conversation with this week?

Come toward the light. Come toward the light. Come toward the light.

---

[i] http://www.osb.org/acad/benval2.html

[ii] http://www.eileenmcdargh.com/article_changemasters.html

Of One Heart and Mind

Image credit is By Fyodor Zubov / Фёдор Зубов (c. 1689)

(http://nesusvet.narod.ru/ico/icons/u_011.htm) 

[Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons. 

Tuesday of the Second Week of Easter

By Melanie Rigney

The community of believers was of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they had everything in common. (Acts 4:32)

The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty. (Psalm 93:1a)

(Jesus said to Nicodemus:) “If I tell you about earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?” (John 3:12)

Piety

Lord, deliver me when I am tempted to compare the works and praise that I give you with those offered by others.

Study

Do you start each day with the daily readings… and shake your head a bit at those who don’t?

Do you log in hours every week or month at a homeless shelter or food pantry… and feel just a mite superior to your friends who don’t?

Have you at any point in the past year served as sacristan, lector, and EM all at the same Mass (!)… and wondered about those people in the pews who do none of it?

This community of believers we call the Church is weakened every time we compare our journey with those of family members, friends, and “those people.” The Lord places us on different paths for reasons we may never understand. No one path to Jesus is inherently better or worse than another. All require sacrifice, obedience, faith, and love. All require sharing the Good News with others.

In today’s first reading from Acts, we see how it can work. There’s no more of John and James vying for the best seats. There’s no more of Peter doubting the Lord’s love for him. They were of one heart and mind, focused on Jesus… and having that in common, they had everything.

Action

Engage in some spiritual self-mortification today. Don’t compare your prayer life or your works to anyone else. Stay focused on the One for whom you offer it all.

WITH-NESS

Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord

Listen, O house of David! Is it not enough for you to weary people, must you also weary my God? Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign: the virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel, which means “God is with us!”   Isaiah 7:13-14

The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. And coming to her, he said, “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.”  Luke 1:26-28

Jean-Francois Millet, "The Angelus."

Piety

V.  The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary: 

R. And she conceived of the Holy Spirit. 

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen. 

V. Behold the handmaid of the Lord:

R. Be it done unto me according to Thy word. 

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen. 

V. And the Word was made Flesh:

R. And dwelt among us. 

Study

Part of what we stress in the Cursillo is the witness…the testimony of women and men about how the Lord works in their lives.  Overcoming obstacles.  Showering grace. Being a friend.

Witness is only possible because the Lord established in the Hebrew Bible how he would treat us and then he fulfilled that promise in the New Testament.  The promise is for relationship.  We celebrate Christmas because God is WITH us.  We know that from the witness of the shepherds and the magi.  But we know that because God spoke it thus. 

“The virgin shall be WITH child…shall name him Emmanuel which means God is WITH us.”

That message is fulfilled in the first Joyful Mystery…the Annunciation.  “Hail full of grace!  The Lord is WITH you.”

Action

Like Mary, we commit to doing God’s will because God has already done the best part.  God is WITH us.  First as a physical being in Jesus Christ.  Then in the real presence of the Eucharist and the enduring gifts of the Spirit.

How do you witness the Good News?  How do WITH-ness the Good News of God being WITH you in your close moments?  

Take a moment today and pray the Angelus at noon, another time during the day when you are out working in your "field," or when you hear a bell ring. 

His Mercy Endures Forever

Second Sunday of Easter - Sunday of Divine Mercy

By Melanie Rigney

A large number of people from the towns in the vicinity of Jerusalem also gathered, bringing the sick and those disturbed by unclean spirits, and they were all cured.” (Acts 5:16)

Let the house of Israel say, “His mercy endures forever.” Let the house of Aaron say, “His mercy endures forever.” Let those who fear the Lord say, “His mercy endures forever.”  (Psalm 118:2-4)

When I caught sight of him, I fell down at his feet as though dead. He touched me with his right hand and said, “Do not be afraid. I am the first and the last, the one who lives. Once I was dead, but now I am alive forever and ever.” (Revelation 1:17-18)

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.”  (John 20:19)

Piety

For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world. (From the Chaplet of the Divine Mercy)

Study

What is Divine Mercy? It’s as simple as ABC, devotees say: Ask for the Lord’s mercy; he desires us to approach Him in pray, repenting and asking for mercy. Be merciful; let that mercy we receive flow through us to others. Finally, Completely trust in Jesus.

St. Faustina Kowalska was passionate about obeying the Lord’s command to her to remind the world of His mercy for all of us. It wasn’t always easy; her mental stability was questioned, and she was far from the most popular woman in her convent. But Faustina heard… and obeyed.

The first words of the resurrected Jesus to the gathered, frightened disciples were, “Peace be with you.” We will not always find peace on this earth. Evil abounds. But by accepting the Lord’s mercy, and sharing it with others, we can find peace in our hearts and souls. They go hand in hand. Open yours up fearlessly and you will be blessed. His mercy endures forever.

Action

Consider praying the Chaplet of the Divine Mercy in addition to or in place of the rosary today. It doesn’t take long. Ask the Lord to open you up to His mercy.

What Are We To Do With These Men?

Saturday in the Octave of Easter

“What are we to do with these men? Everyone living in Jerusalem knows that a remarkable sign was done through them, and we cannot deny it. But so that it may not be spread any further among the people, let us give them a stern warning never again to speak to anyone in this name.”  Acts 4:16-17

When Jesus had risen, early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons. She went and told his companions who were mourning and weeping. When they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe.  Mark 16:9-11

Piety

Jesus, give us the courage of Mary of Magdala to visit you in the tomb.  Give us

Image Credit: “Resurrection” by He Qi.

the fortitude of Mary to endure the sight of the empty tomb.  Give us the joy of Mary to witness you in the world.  And give us the hope of Mary to share that Good News with others.

Study

Christianity all boils down to the Resurrection. Twenty centuries of Christianity—and the faith of billions—rest on this singular event. The Resurrection could not occur without the Nativity.  The Resurrection could not occur without Good Friday.  But, our faith does not culminate in the Incarnation or Passion alone. 

And who is the primary witness to this momentous miracle, the first person to whom Jesus revealed himself?  Mary Magdalene is the first person to whom Jesus Christ appears after he is risen.  That makes her of immense importance to the church.  As Fr. James Martin has said in interviews, articles and books, at that very moment, she WAS the church.  She was the only person who knew about the resurrection for that hour or two until she spread the good news with the Apostles.  

Nothing would have happened without her first witness. Mary tried to pass that faith on to the men.  Even when she told them, they did not believe.  What are we to do with these men?  Why do they have such a prominent role while Mary all but disappears?

What happened to her?  She was there at all the key moments of Jesus’ public ministry, at the end of Jesus’ life and at the Resurrection. 

The gospel writers are specific in noting that Mary and a number of other women had followed Jesus from Galilee. The first mention of her is in Luke 8:2-3, so we know that she was with Jesus from the beginning of his ministry. The last mention is in John 20, where we find Jesus appearing to her at the empty tomb.  This means that Mary left home and all that she had to follow Jesus for most of his three year public ministry. [i]

Unlike other women in the Bible, Mary of Magdala is not identified in relation to another person; she is not anyone’s mother, wife, or sister. Instead, she is called Mary of Magdala, a title that implies some prominence in the city, a center of commercial fishing on the northwest bank of the Sea of Galilee. She left her home to follow Jesus, and it is believed she was among several well-off, independent women who financially supported Jesus’ ministry.  These female followers of Jesus—disciples, really—became central when everything started to fall apart. While others fled, the women were faithful, and they were led by Mary of Magdala.[ii]

Flickr photo cc by GlasgowAmateur

Several early church writers portray her as a leader in the early church movement.  St. Thomas Aquinas reserved the special title, “Apostle of the Apostles” (apostolorum apostola), dedicating to [Mary Magdalene] this beautiful comment: ‘Just as a woman had announced the words of death to the first man, so also a woman was the first to announce to the Apostles the words of life’.[iii]

Action

Think of the women in your life who have been the Church to you?  Your wife?  Mother?  Sister? Teacher?  Think of them and thank them.

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[i] http://juniaproject.com/mary-magdalene-5-things-should-know/

[ii] http://www.uscatholic.org/articles/200806/who-framed-mary-magdalene-27585#sthash.qj9foBl2.dpuf

[iii] Super Ioannem, ed. Cai, § 2519