“The centurion… said, ‘This man was innocent beyond doubt.’” – Luke 23: 47 In the Gospel for Palm Sunday, we hear the story of Jesus’ betrayal, arrest, trial and death on the Cross. In the liturgy, as members of the community read various parts in the Passion narrative, we are reminded that Jesus’ Passion is […]
Sixth Week of Lent: Palm Sunday 2022 Read More »
“Then Jesus said, ‘Neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on do not sin any more.’” – John 8: 11 In this Sunday’s Gospel, the Scribes bring before Jesus a woman caught in adultery. When they ask Jesus to condemn her, he says, “Let the one among you who is without sin be
Fifth Week of Lent 2022 Read More »
“[The father] said to him, ‘My son, you are here with me always. Everything I have is yours.” – Luke 15: 31 For the fourth Sunday of Lent, we hear the powerful parable of the Prodigal Son. In this parable, the younger of two sons takes and squanders his inheritance. On returning home, he expects
Fourth Week of Lent 2022 Read More »
“I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it; it may bear fruit in the future.” – Luke 13: 8-9 In the Gospel for this third Sunday of Lent, Jesus speaks of the need for all people to repent of their sins. He tells a parable of a person who owns a fig tree
Third Week of Lent 2022 Read More »
“While he was praying his face changed in appearance and his clothing became dazzling white.” – Luke 9:29 In the Gospel reading for the second week of Lent, we hear the story of Jesus’s transfiguration. The Christian tradition understands the transfiguration to be a glimpse of Jesus’ heavenly glory, which occurs just before he travels
Second Week of Lent 2022 Read More »
“[The] same Lord is Lord of all, enriching all who call upon him.” Romans 10:11-12 The Season of Lent offers us the opportunity to prepare our hearts for the joy of Easter. In this time, we are invited to examine our lives to see where we have fallen short of our vocation to love God
First Week of Lent 2022 Read More »
This first appeared in the State Journal-Register, February 21, 2021 under the title Now! Near! Turn! Believe! Think about what happens when you sight a rainbow. First you see and are caught by the vision. There is an immediacy, a now-ness, to it. If alone, you might give it your whole attention until it fades
It’s Ash Wednesday. Are you ready for Lent? Read More »
Since 1969 the Triduum has been recognized as its own liturgical season in the Roman Catholic liturgical calendar. Triduum, meaning three days, is a bridge between Lent and Easter that begins at sunset on Holy Thursday and concludes at sunset on Easter Sunday. In between, the church’s liturgical life is centered on the paschal mystery—the
Are you ready to celebrate the Triduum? Read More »
For a number of years the sisters at Sacred Heart Convent and the students and faculty “across the blacktop” at Sacred Heart-Griffin High School have enjoyed a wonderful mutuality. Students are allowed to give one study hall period a week in service at the convent, where they come to read to sisters, or write letters
Service in the Community: A Reflection on Service from Current SHG Students Read More »
“‘One does not live by bread alone but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.’” – Matthew 4:4 In this first Sunday of Lent, we are offered two stories to reflect on. In both stories, we are challenged to recall our radical dependence on God, our Creator. In the creation story,
First Sunday of Lent
March 1, 2020 Read More »
In this season of Lent, we are invited to step back and closely examine our lives and our hearts. It is not an invitation to a mere moment of reflection, but to a deep, challenging, and rewarding journey of repentance and renewal. At the end of this six-week journey is the joy of Easter –
Ash Wednesday February 26, 2020 Read More »
“Jesus cried out in a loud voice again, and gave up his spirit.” – Matthew 27: 50 On this last Sunday of Lent, we hear two gospel passages with contrasting tones and images. The first is the joyous procession of Jesus into Jerusalem, where he is hailed by a large crowd. The second is the
Palm Sunday
April 5, 2020 Read More »
“Jesus became perturbed and deeply troubled and said, ‘Where have you laid him?’” – John 11:33-34 In this week’s gospel reading, we hear the powerful story of Jesus raising his friend Lazarus from the dead. In the middle of the gospel narrative, one line in particular jumps out: “And Jesus wept.” What does it mean
Fifth Sunday of Lent
March 29, 2020 Read More »
“So they said to him, “‘How were your eyes opened?’” – John 9:10 The readings this week play on the themes of light and darkness, blindness and sight. In the second reading from St. Paul to the Ephesians, we are told to expose the hidden, “fruitless works of darkness” and instead “live as children of
Fourth Sunday of Lent
March 22, 2020 Read More »
“Whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst.” – John 4:14 In this third week of Lent, the readings offer us the imagery of thirst and of water, inviting us to reflect on our deepest needs and desires, both spiritual and physical. In the gospel story, Jesus interacts with a Samaritan woman at
Third Sunday of Lent
March 15, 2020 Read More »
