The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity

May 31, 2026

Jesus is God’s love made visible.

John 3:16-18

God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

REFLECTIONS ON THE GOSPEL

From Thomas Merton, The Hidden Ground of Love, pp157-158

(nb:The brackets [ ] are editorial adjustments for inclusive language)

The contemplative life is then the search for peace no I an abstract exclusion of all outside reality, not in a barren negative closing of the senses upon the world, but in the openness of love. It begins with the acceptance of my own self in my poverty and my nearness to despair in order to recognize that where God is there can be no despair, and God is in me, even if I despair. That nothing can change God’s love for me, since my very existence is the sign that God loves me and the presence of his love creates and sustains me. Nor is there any need to understand how this can be or to explain it or to solve the problems it seems to raise. For there is in our hearts and in the very ground of our being a natural certainty which co-exists with our very existence: a certainty that so insofar as we exist, we are penetrated through and through with the sense and reality of God even though we may be utterly unable to believe or experience this in philosophic or even religious terms. O my [brother/sister], the contemplative is the person not who has fiery visions of the cherubim carrying God on their imagined chariot, by simply [one] who risks one’s mind in the desert beyond language and beyond ideas where God is encountered in the nakedness of pure trust, that is to say the surrender of our poverty and incompleteness in no longer to clench our minds in a cramp upon themselves as if thinking made us exist. The message of hope the contemplative offers you then, [sister/brother], is not that you need to find your way through the jungle of language and problems that today surround God: but that whether you understand or not, God loves you, is present in you, lives in you, calls you, saves you and offers you an understanding and light which are like nothing you have found in books or heard in sermons. The contemplative has nothing to tell you except to reassure you and say that if you dare to penetrate your own silence and risk the sharing of that solitude with the lonely other who seeks God though you, then you will truly recover the light and the capacity to understand what is beyond words and beyond explanations because it is too close to be explained; it is the ultimate union in the depths of your own heart, of God’s spirit and your own secret inmost self, so that you and He are all truth in One Spirit. I love you, In Christ.

Commentary on Exodus 34:4-6, 8-9; 2 Corinthians 13:11-13; John 3:16-18

We have now come to the end of the many weeks which were taken up with the celebration of and reflection on the “Paschal Mystery.” It began with Ash Wednesday, went through Lent, the celebration of Holy Week and Easter, the weeks following Easter and culminating in Pentecost and the handing on of Jesus’ mission to his Church. We return now for the rest of the liturgical year – the ‘Ordinary’ Sundays of the Year – and they will bring us right up to Advent and the beginning of another liturgical cycle. But, traditionally this transition is commemorated each year by our celebration of the Feast of the Holy Trinity. The doctrine of the Trinity is one of the most fundamental in our Christian faith, but it is also a doctrine which many of us have difficulty coming to terms with. We often refer to it as a “mystery” and therefore something which can be affirmed, but is not to be understood and need not be explained. “Just believe it,” is something people may be told. In the New Testament, the word “mystery” (Greek, mysterion) refers primarily to some truth which God has made known to us and which we otherwise would not have discovered. The Trinity, that in God there are three Persons, really is a mystery in this sense. It is also, of course, difficult for us to understand how one being can be three persons just as it is difficult for us to understand how Jesus can be both God and human (the mystery of the Incarnation).

Three possible reactions
We can react to this situation in three ways:
1. by saying it is all rubbish anyway;
2. by not thinking about these things at all;
3. by trying to reduce them to categories which are within our human comprehension.

None of these approaches is very helpful. Rather, we should try to understand as much as we can, and say as much as we can while acknowledging that we can only go a certain distance. However, We can go far enough to satisfy our hunger for truth and to have some understanding of our God. One thing we can say right at the beginning. We are not dealing with outright contradictions or trying to believe the impossible. We are not being asked to believe that 3=1. We are asked to believe that in the one being we call God, there are three Persons, who are, in the words of today’s Preface to the Eucharistic Prayer, …three Persons equal in majesty, undivided in splendour, yet one Lord, one God, ever to be adored.  Rather than getting ourselves tied up in theological knots, we would do far better by reading prayerfully over the beautiful Scripture readings of today’s Mass. Here there are no abstruse theological explanations or speculations. Rather the emphasis is not on what, or how, or why, but in very practical language, on the tangible way the Persons in the Trinity relate to us.

A God who is very close
The message coming loud and clear through these readings is that our God is not far away, that he is not “up there somewhere”, a kind of scary, long-bearded policeman in the sky. The message coming through is that our God is close by and he cares. In the First Reading (from Exodus) Moses is told that God is the: Lord, a God of tenderness and compassion, slow to anger, rich in kindness and faithfulness Oh, we really need to hear that and to become utterly convinced of it, especially when we find times rough and painful. In Greek drama of classical times, one could recognize the character being played by the mask that he/she wore. As well, in Chinese opera, there is something similar where the faces of the players are elaborately painted so that one can know which role is being played – a king, a general, a concubine, a soldier, etc. The mask was called a prosopon. In Latin this word was translated as persona. Even today in programs of plays we may still see the actors listed under the heading Dramatis Personae, the characters or the roles in the drama. So, in a certain sense, there are three personae or roles in our one God. With the difference that in a play, the role is assumed for the duration of the drama, while in God, the roles are permanently identified with God himself. It might be helpful to us to look at these three roles of God as they are presented to us in Scripture.

God the Father*
While traditionally Scripture speaks of God as Father, we know that in God there can be no gender differences. We call God Father in the sense of the Parent who gives life and nurture. God as Father is the originator, the source, the conserver of all life, of all that exists. Says the Acts, In him, we live and move and have our being. God as Father is no puppet operator in the clouds, but an indwelling Lord. God is IN all his creation but is not identified with it. The Jesuit poet Gerard Manley Hopkins said that “the world is charged with the grandeur of God”. Through the Father, our God is to be sought and found in all things, which he has created and keeps in being. From the simplest minerals which are alive with atomic energy, to the most gifted and creative human being, to the outermost galaxy. And so we have the lovely prayer of Moses in today’s First Reading; Let my Lord come with us.

God the Son*
If we can speak of God as Father/Mother, then the “only begotten” must equally be spoken of as Son/Daughter. The Only Begotten as such, can be neither male nor female even though incarnation de facto took place in a male. However, the Creed which we will soon recite says of the Son/Daughter that homo factus est, which should literally be translated “was made human” or “became human”. The word homo- in Latin, like anthropos in Greek, does not specify gender; both men and women are homo. We know the Son, of course, best through Jesus, born of Mary in Bethlehem. In him, there was the mysterious combination of the divine and the human in one Person. Jesus was totally God and totally human – not half and half. This is a truth as far beyond our comprehension as the Trinity itself. Jesus is the revelation, the unveiling in human form of our God. The message of this revelation is purely and simply to let us know that God, that the Father, loves us with an overwhelming love. John tells us in today’s Gospel passage: God [Father] loves the world so much that he gave his only Son so that everyone who believes in him may not be lost but may have eternal life. For God [Father] sent his Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but so that through him the world might be saved. God is not concealed behind the humanity of Jesus, but is seen precisely in that humanity. When is Jesus most clearly revealing of the Father? In his miracles? Certainly. But surely Jesus is most clearly revealing the heart of the Father when he is at his most human. We see the Father God most clearly in Jesus in his compassion for the weak, the needy, the sinner; in forgiving the sinner and his enemies; in healing the physically and mentally sick; in integrating the social outcast back into the community; in his unconditional acceptance of all irrespective of class, religion, or gender. Yes, our Father God really loves the world and that has been shown to us by the Only Begotten in Jesus.

God the Spirit
Finally, we see God as indwelling Spirit. The Spirit is described first as the subsisting Love that is generated between the Father and the Son. Again, of course, we cannot speak of either “he” or “she,” still less of this Love as “it.” The meaning of the Spirit in practice means that God is indwelling in all creation and revealing himself through it. Wherever there is Truth or Love or Beauty, there is God. Every act of truth and integrity, every act of love and compassion, every act of human empathy, every act of solidarity, forgiveness, acceptance, justice in people is the Spirit of God working in and through us. When such actions appear in us, they are a sign that we are open to the Spirit and that he is working in us and through us. Let us pray today with Paul in the Second Reading: Try to grow perfect; help one another. Be united; live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you…And Paul concludes with the lovely greeting we often use at the beginning of the Eucharist: “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,the love of God [Father] and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” And finally, One last afterword. The two great mysteries of our faith are the Trinity and the Incarnation. They are combined in a marvellous simplicity in the Sign of the Cross with its accompanying words. Let us try to say this simple prayer with ever greater meaning and awareness and form the cross on our bodies with care and dignity. St. Ignatius of Loyola had such a love of the Trinity (as the result of some mystical experiences) that every time he began celebrating the Eucharist with the Sign of the Cross he broke down in tears and could hardly go on. Let us, too, rediscover the Sign of the Cross as a means of getting in touch with the God who loves us so much that he sent his Son and fills us with his Spirit.

*There is no sexual differentiation in God, so we can speak with equal validity of the First Person as Father/Mother and of the Second as Son/Daughter. The Spirit, too, is both male and female. This is the language of the Scripture texts reflecting the times in which they were written. It is not the words that are important, but their meaning.

First Impressions by Jude Siciliano, OP

First some background. Today is the feast of “The Most Holy Trinity.” At first glance it may seem like an unusual celebration. We are used to the major feasts of the year celebrating particular events in the life of Christ: e.g. the Nativity, Easter, the Ascension. But today’s feast isn’t originally based on one event in the life of Jesus. Instead, it arose from the Church’s desire to honor the mystery of God revealed as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. From the earliest centuries Christians were already praying and baptizing in the name of the Trinity, as Jesus taught in Matthew 28:19. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations. Baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.” The early creeds of the Church, especially the Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed, with deeply Trinitarian. Christians believe in one God, yet expressed God as Creator, Redeemer and Sanctifier. In the fourth century major theological controversies forced the Church to clarify its teaching on the Trinity, addressing such questions as the divinity of Christ, or the Holy Spirit. The great teachers of the time, such as, Athanasius, Basil, Augustine, etc. defended the doctrine: the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are equal and eternal: three persons in one God. In 325 the Councils of Nicaea and Constantinople (381) helped to define the teaching of the Trinity more clearly. At our liturgical celebrations today, we will recite the Nicene Creed. We celebrate today’s feast on the Sunday after Pentecost. This is meaningful: after celebrating the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost we pause to contemplate the fullness of God’s inner life revealed to us through salvation history. But remember: the feast of the holy Trinity is not simply doctrine to be explained, but a mystery to live out in our daily lives. God is an eternal communion of love, and we are invited into that communion through Christ in the Holy Spirit. Before we move to the Gospel’s teaching let’s look at traces of the Trinity in the Hebrew Scriptures. In our reading from Exodus, Moses encounters God on Mount Sinai, after the tragedy of the golden calf. The people had broken their covenant, yet God doesn’t come forth punishing them but extending mercy. God passes before Moses and proclaims God’s name and character: “The Lord, the Lord, a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger and rich in kindness and fidelity.” This passage shows us the Trinity is not simply a doctrine about God’s inner life; it is a revelation of who God is towards us. The Trinity teaches that God is a communion of love: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Exodus is already giving us hints of that divine love. Today we are reminded that God is personal, compassionate, forgiving and faithful. The God of Moses meets is not distant, vengeful or cold, but One who desires covenant and closeness to the chosen people, despite their resistance. We Christians will come to see that this mercy is fully revealed in the Father who sends the Son and in the Holy Spirit who remains with the Church. Note Moses’ response. He bows down in worship and asks God to remain with the people. “If I find favor with you, O Lord, do come along in our company. This is indeed a stiff necked yet pardon our wickedness and sins and receive us as your own.” The Trinity is not simply a teaching to be explained; it is a mystery into which we are invited. We are drawn into the life of our God through forgiveness, covenant and communion. So, our Exodus reading invites us to enter and celebrate the Feast of the Holy Trinity by revealing the deepest and most intimate truth about God: God’s nature is merciful love, faithful presence and saving communion with humanity. The gospel today presents again the central message of the Bible: God loves the world. Instead of coming down on us humans for our sins God loves us, frees us from our guilt and offers us eternal life. The opening verse (3:16) is a summary of the whole gospel message, “God so loved the world….” In a few words we come face-to-face with the mystery of who our God is and how God has acted towards us. If you can tell a tree by its fruit, then you can learn about God by what God has done for us: loved us and demonstrated that love by the concrete sign of Jesus’ life. Love is what moves God to get involved with us. And more, Jesus tells us, God wants to give us eternal life now. Today’s gospel passage is from a conversation Jesus is having with Nicodemus. Jesus tells him that we can put faith in Jesus and what he reveals about God’s love for us – or we can self-judge ourselves by rejecting Jesus. If we do put faith in Jesus we have eternal life. We usually think of “eternal life” as something that will begin for us at the moment of death and go on and on without end. But that’s not what eternal life is in John. Jesus says that believers can “have eternal life.” He is speaking in the present tense and is offering the gift of eternal life to us – beginning right now! What might this gift of “eternal life” look like in our lives? First of all, it is union in the very life of God. We have that intimacy with God through our union with Christ and the Holy Spirit in Baptism. This union frees us from fear of judgment. In Jesus we can see the true nature of our God – who already loves us. Now we are living in a new age and have passed from death to life. For John, Jesus is our saving gift in this present moment and through the Spirit, believers can recognize God’s gifts already present to us. Not on our own human efforts, but through our faith, we can have optimism, peace and gratitude to God. We can also accept the challenge faith puts before us – to be instruments of the peace and reconciliation to others that Jesus has already given us. No image can capture the holiness and greatness of our God. What words can describe God? God is more present to us than we are to ourselves. God is at the very core of our being; the source of all we are and can do. The contradiction we must admit today on this feast of the Trinity is this: the closer we get to God, the more alien we feel from our world and its ways. The closer and more comfortable we feel with our world, the more distinctively alien we are from the God the Scriptures reveal to us.

Quotable
When it is asked three what, then the great poverty from which our language suffers becomes apparent. But the formula three persons was coined not in order to give a complete explanation by means of it, but in order that we might not be obliged to remain silent. —Gregory of Nazianzus, in “Christology of the Later Fathers,” by Ed Hardy

Justice Bulletin Board by Barbara Molinari Quinby, MPS, Director Office of Human Life, Dignity, and Justice Ministries Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral, Raleigh, NC

“We were all given to drink of one spirit”—1 Corinthians 12: 13

Do you find it hard to believe sometimes that we have one spirit in common? On the surface we seem so different. We come with different life experiences and have such a variety of interests and causes that we feel take priority... the spirit seems to get lost in the weaving of lives and attitudes. Yet, if we keep that one spirit as our guide, our lives will be formed in a transformed way. Pentecost is not just another day. If we had a picture of a person of spirit, what would we notice about them? Looking beyond the superficial, would we discover a person touched by the dove of peace, a person on fire with passion and love for others, a person who is just and life-giving like water? Looking further at that person, would we discover the creative wind of service in their actions? Would we not notice them at all? A person of spirit can appear as ordinary as anyone else and at the same time, full of revealing light. At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit empowers the believer to spark the flame of this inner person who is so hidden. Announcing we are loved and anointed in an incomparable peace, we are to spread this love and peace to others, including, and especially, those who are not like us. We begin to see as God sees and act as God acts. God’s priorities for a just world become our priorities. The prophet Joel states that God will one day pour out divine spirit “upon all mankind” (Joel 3:1). Joel envisioned a world in which all people would be enlivened and transformed by the divine life breathing within them. This is a world-altering change in your own thinking and being. Pentecost will have arrived. Imagine, just imagine, a people of spirit creating a world of unity amid diversity; a just world filled with love and peace for all. Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in us the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and we shall be created. And you shall renew the face of the earth. O God, who, by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the faithful grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy your consolations. Through Christ our Lord, let us drink of the one spirit, the spirit that connects us all. Amen.

Faith Book

Mini-reflections on the Sunday scripture readings designed for persons on the run. “Faith Book” is also brief enough to be posted in the Sunday parish bulletins people take home.

From today’s first reading: (Exodus 34: 4b-6, 8-9) Early in the morning Moses went up Mount Sinai as the LORD had commanded him, taking along the two stone tablets. Thus the LORD passed before him and cried out, “The LORD, the LORD, a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger and rich in kindness and fidelity.” Moses at once bowed down to the ground in worship.

Reflection: Who is this God who is so revelatory to Moses? Who is this God who is about to take the Israelites, a broken and recalcitrant people and make them new again? This is the God who chooses to be with us, despite our own unworthiness. This is the God who comes in a cloud; who may not be seen but certainly is experienced. And what do Moses and the people experience of this God? How shall they “name” God? Judging from today’s story God is patient and compassionate; takes the initiative to reach out to us; is not dissuaded by our sins; is faithful to us, even when we have built our own idols to worship; can take a broken people and make them whole again.

So, we ask ourselves:

• From my present experience: What name would I give God?

• Has the reality of God changed for me in recent years?

• What events in my life influenced that change?

ENCOUNTER CHRIST REFLECTIONS & MEDITATIONS

PREPARATION FOR THE SESSION
Adapted from Sacred Space: The Prayer Book 2025

Presence of God: Jesus, As I come to you today, fill my heart, my whole being, with the wonder of your sacred presence. Help me to become more aware of your presence in my life, and more receptive to that presence. I desire to love you as you love me. May nothing ever separate me from you. (1-2 minutes of silence)

Freedom: Jesus, Grant me the grace to have freedom of spirit. Keep me from being bound by desires and actions that are not good for me or others. Cleanse my heart and soul that I may live joyously in your love. (1-2 minutes of silence)

Consciousness: Where am I with God? With others in my life? What am I grateful for? Is there something I am sorry for, words or actions that have hurt others, and which I now regret? I take a moment to ask forgiveness of God and of those whom I have hurt. God, I give you thanks for your constant love and care for me. Keep me always aware of your presence in my life. (2-3 minutes of silence)

OPENING PRAYER
From St Ignatius of Loyola:

Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty, my memory, my understanding, and my entire will, all I have and call my own. You have given all to me. To you, Lord, I return it. Everything is yours; do with it what you will. Give me only your love and your grace, that is enough for me.

COMPANIONS FOR THE JOURNEY

Barbara Brown Taylor, a scripture scholar and preacher, quotes Robert Farrar Capon, who says that when we humans try to describe God it’s like a bunch of oysters trying to describe a ballerina.

From “First Impressions”, 2023, a service of the Southern Dominican Province: How can God be one and three? How can God be three and one? How can Jesus operate on his own? Who is the Holy Spirit; is it the spirit of God? The spirit of Jesus? How can one come to us, leave and then send another, as Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit after he left? Don’t be discouraged by these questions. Since the beginning the greatest saints and scholars have tried to answer questions like these, and have come up short. We are going to be disappointed if we think the Scripture readings chosen for this feast will help us “explain” the Trinity. The feast  doesn’t pose a problem to be solved;  but a mystery to be celebrated -- the mystery of God’s wonderful ways of interacting with us. Those ways are more numerous than even the Bible can describe, or enumerate. But that hasn’t kept the scriptural authors from trying! We may not be able to explain the Trinity today, but we get  help from the Scriptures so we can be more aware who our God is, how God relates to us and how we are to respond in our daily lives. We earthly creatures build barricades of one kind or another. We put “those people” on one side and ourselves and those like us, on the other. We keep “them” over there and, as evidenced by the local and international news today, we will distance ourselves from them, hate and even kill them. After all, the logic concludes, they deserve to be punished because they are so bad. If it were up to me and I had God’s power, I would wreak vengeance on all the evildoers in the world. “Enough is enough!”  I would come down hard with my divine hammer of justice. Martin Luther had a similar instinct. He said if he were God and knew what God knows about the world, he would just put an end to it all and submit it to hellfire. But he wasn’t God, nor am I. On this feast of the Trinity, we need to relearn who God is and how God operates. We do that by turning a believing ear to the Word of God. Contrary to our way of thinking God  acts differently from us. The Word teaches us that we are made in the image and likeness of God and so, we are called to imitate that God whom the Bible reveals to us. Earlier in the Exodus account Moses had asked God, “Show me your glory, I pray” (33:18). God responded, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and I will proclaim before you the name, ‘the Lord’….But you cannot see my face; for no one shall see me and live” (3:19-20). God tucks Moses into the cleft of the rock and covers him until God passes by. Moses is allowed to only see God’s back (32:23). Then God speaks and it is necessary for us to hear the description of who our God is, “The Lord, the Lord, a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger and rich in kindness and fidelity.” Thus, along with Moses, we hear an oft-repeated biblical description of God. Is it not also how our gospel reading describes God for us today, “God so loved the world….?” God’s love has been constant and faithful, proven by the gift of the Son for us. This is a good time to ask how does our own image of God and our actions, measure up to the revelation of God the Scriptures present to us today and throughout both the Hebrew texts and the New Testament? In 2 Corinthians Paul encourages the community, “to mend your ways.” He instructs them to live together in love and peace. His concern is for the unity of the church community. He knows well the dissension among those Corinthians, the barricades between rich and poor, old timers and newcomers. On their own they could never reflect the peace and unity he wants for the community of believers. But grace can make it possible and so he prays, “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.” Our church today has the same human tensions Paul observed among the Christians in Corinth. So, as we hear his prayer, we pray it for ourselves. Who is this God Paul preachers and calls upon to bless the divided Corinthians? Paul clearly believes that our triune God loves us, freely graces us in Jesus and, through the Holy Spirit, is the source of our communion with each other. The gospel today presents again the central message of the Bible: God loves the world. Instead of coming down on us humans for our sins, God loves us, frees us from our guilt and offers us eternal life. The opening verse (3:16) is a summary of the whole gospel message, “God so loved the world….” In a few words we come face-to-face with the mystery of who our God is and how God has acted towards us. If you can tell a tree by its fruit, then you can learn about God by what God has done for us: loved us and demonstrated that love by the concrete sign of Jesus’ life. Love is what moves God to get involved with us. And more, Jesus tells us, God wants to give us eternal life now. Today’s gospel passage is from a conversation Jesus is having with Nicodemus. Jesus tells him that we can put faith in Jesus and what he reveals about God’s love for us—or we can self-judge ourselves by rejecting Jesus. If we do put faith in Jesus we have eternal life. We usually think of “eternal life” as something that will begin for us at the moment of death and go on and on without end. But that’s not what eternal life is in John. Jesus says that believers can “have eternal life.” He is speaking in the present tense and is offering the gift of eternal life to us—beginning right now! What might this gift of “eternal life” look like in our lives? First of all, it is union in the very life of God. We  have that intimacy with God through our union with Christ and the Holy Spirit in Baptism. This union frees us from fear of judgment. In Jesus we can see the true nature of our God—who already loves us. Now we are living in a new age and have passed from death to life. For John, Jesus is our saving gift in this present moment and through the Spirit, believers can recognize God’s gifts already present to us. Not on our own human efforts, but through our faith, we can have optimism, peace and gratitude to God. We can also accept the challenge faith puts before us—to be instruments of the peace and reconciliation to others that Jesus has already given us. Jesus did not wish to see anyone condemned. Today’s reading shows that once we acknowledge Jesus as the one who will determine our life’s orientation, then we judge ourselves by his life and teachings. In his own life he shows what faithfulness to God entails. If we reject him we bring on our own self-condemnation (“Whoever does not believe has already been condemned.”) Sent by God, Jesus unites time and eternity. In him our future is made present. No image can capture the holiness and greatness of our God. What words can describe God? God is more present to us than we are to ourselves. God is at the very core of our being; the source of all we are and can do. The contradiction we must admit today on this feast of the Trinity is this: the closer we get to God, the more alien we feel from our world and its ways. The closer and more comfortable we feel with our world, the more distinctively alien we are from the God the Scriptures reveal to us. —by Jude Siciliano, OP

LIVING THE GOOD NEWS
What action can you take in the next week as a response to today’s reading and discussion? Keep a private journal of your prayer/actions responses this week. Feel free to use the personal reflection questions which follow.

Reflection Questions:
Do I treat the Trinity as an unsolvable theological puzzle or as a model for personal relationships?

When I pray, to which person of the Blessed Trinity do I most often do so?
Why?

From Daniel J Harrington, S.J.:
Who is God for you?
How do you explain this to someone?
How does your experience of God correlate with the approach found in the Bible?
Do you often invite God to “come along in your company?”
Why or why not?

Through Him and with Him and in Him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is yours Almighty Father. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are each unique. Can there be unity in diversity?
Can I praise the uniqueness of those in my life, or do I want them to think, believe and act as I do?
Can I, upon reflection, share in the rhythm of God’s own life?
How?

Adapted from Sacred Space: a service of the Irish Jesuits:
It has been said that if we lost all of the four gospels except John 3:16, that would be enough for us. Pope Francis put it this way: “When everything is Said and done, we are infinitely loved”.
Do I believe this in my heart?

John’s entire gospel is “God is Love”. What does this passage say to you about God’s love for you?

What is the most common Christian interpretation of Jesus’ death on the cross?
Do you think of The Cross as punishment/reparation or as love/self-donation?

Do you believe that “whoever does not believe has been condemned?”
How do you interpret this sentence?

St Augustine said: “Are you looking for something to give God? Give him yourself.” So to love is to give oneself.
To whom or what do I give myself?
Is there something I am withholding?

What do I give God (obedience, prayer, Mass attendance, good works, personal sacrifice)?

Father William Bausch wrote: We are at our best, most human, most moral, most divine, when we are in loving relationships. I think of some of my relationships: Do I give love or merely receive it?
Do I act lovingly towards even the most annoying people in my lie?
Do I believe my loving relationships are a mirror of the loving relationship that is the Trinity?

CLOSING PRAYER
Don’t forget to provide some prayer time at the beginning and at the end of the session (or both), allowing time to offer prayers for anyone you wish to pray for. (The first sentence is from Thomas Merton.)

How far I have to go to find you in whom I have already arrived! God, You are puzzle to me in so many ways. Keep me from distracting myself with endless theological questions, and keep me from giving up on knowing you better. For you know me, with all my faults, and love me utterly. That is all I need to know.

FOR THE WEEK AHEAD

Weekly Memorization:
Taken from the gospel for today’s session: God so loved the world that He gave His ony son.

Meditations:
A Meditation in the Dominican Style/Asking questions: How do you explain the sentence: “God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish, but might have eternal life?” One theory, resurrected every now and then is called Divine Retribution, which posits that God’s anger at sinful humanity could only be appeased by God becoming human and dying to assuage that anger. Otherwise, God, in his righteous sense of true justice, would keep all of us from union with himself because we, as heirs of Adam and Eve and sinful people ourselves, do not deserve salvation. Jesus purchased our salvation with His life. Another possibility is that God “gave his only son” to show us how to live. If so, His death was a fully expected outcome of being human; in addition, his kind of death was not wholly unexpected, given what he was preaching. The death of an innocent Son of God proclaims solidarity with all those in the world who have suffered abuse, who have been wrongly accused, who have died violently in their innocence. Which theory do you prefer?

A Meditation in the Dominican Style/Asking questions: Read the following hymn from Philippians 2:5-8. “Have among yourselves the same attitude that is also yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross.” Do I see in Jesus a reflection of my own humanity? Do I seek to emulate Jesus in not desiring rank and power for myself? Am I, like Jesus, motivated by love to act as I do? What am I willing to endure for the sake of someone in my life whom I love? What am I willing to endure for the sake of God whom I love?

A Meditation in the Franciscan style/Action: The following was taken from Praying with Julian of Norwich, by Gloria Durka. “I saw and understood that the high might of the Trinity is our Father, and the deep wisdom of the Trinity is our mother, and the great love of the Trinity is our Lord; all these things we have in nature and in our substantial creation. Thus in our Father, God almighty, we have our being, and in our Mother of mercy we have our reforming and restoring, in whom our parts are united and all made perfect man, and through the rewards of Grace of the Holy Spirit we are fulfilled. (excerpted from Julian of Norwich, Showings pp. 293, 295) Reflect for a time on the image of God as our Mother with wisdom and mercy, reforming and restoring us. Does this image offer you a new way of experiencing God’s love? How have you shared your wisdom and mercy lately? Bring to mind some of the ways in which you have been a wise counselor and merciful mother to people in the last week or so. Think about some ways in which you have increased in your own love of God. Compare your love for God with what it was when you were a child. Thank God now for this increasing in your life. Pray for awareness of how you can help someone else think of God’s love as being like a mother’s love—someone in your family, a friend who is distressed, or someone else who is in need of love and loving.

A Meditation on the Franciscan Style/ Action: Read 2 Corinthians 13: 11-13. Imagine God saying these things to you. “Mend your ways, encourage one another, agree with one another, live in peace…” How do you see yourself concretely living out these exhortations? Where do you need some extra help from the Spirit? Pick one circumstance in your life which needs to change, or one relationship which could use improvement and talk to God about ways in which you need to change. Then do it.

A Meditation in the Augustinian Style/Relationship: Think of someone you love. How often does she come to mind? Do you have a pet name for him, or do you have several? Does thinking about her make you smile? What do you do that you know makes him happy? How do you picture God (Do you pick one person of the Blessed Trinity, or do you pick all three symbolized by two men (one old, one young) and a bird?) How often during the day do you think of God? What do you call God? (Anne Lamott says she has a friend who calls God ‘Howard”, as in, “our Father Howard in heaven.) If you don’t have a pet name for God, try to think of one—it tells you something about your relationship to God. What do you think would make God happy? Do you do it? St. Peter, when asked by Jesus if he loved him, responded in the affirmative, but used the Greek word philia instead of the Greek word agape—a more self-rewarding kind of love, which prompted Jesus to tell him that love for Jesus meant feeding Jesus’ sheep—caring for others. How often does your love for God (or for only one of the Trinity) motivate you to care for others?

A Meditation in the Augustinian Style/Relationship: (From Sacred Space, a service of the Irish Jesuits) It has been said that if all the Gospels ahd been lost early on except “for God so loved the world that he gave his only Son”, that would be enough for us. Once we know that God loves the world to bits, we have hope. God is hard at work to save us—from evil and faiure and ruin and darkness. God’s plan is to bring all of us imto eternal life. Pope Francis puts it daringly: “When everything is said and done, we are infinitely loved.” (The Joy of the Gospel). Let this be my mantra for today and every day. Relationships are transformed when I catch on to the fact that the other person in infinetely loved. I speak to God ( in whatever personal I imagine) in thanksgiving for being loved so much.

POETIC REFLECTIONS

Thomas Merton, monk and poet, enters a mystical realm as he contemplates the Trinity:

For the sound of my beloved,
The voice of the sound of my Three-Beloved
(One of my Three of my One Beloved)
Comes down out of the heavenly depths
And hits my heart like thunder;
And lo! I am alive and dead
With heart held fast in the Three-Personed love.
And lo! God! My God!
Look! Look! I travel inThy Strength
I swing in the grasp of Thy Love, Thy great Love’s
One strength,
I run Thy swift ways, Thy straightest rails
Until my life becomes Thy Life and sails or rides
Like an express!

—from Collected Poems

——————————————————————————————

How does this poem help us see different “persona” of God as reflected in the Trinity?

From Narrow Places by Ed Ingebretsen, S.J.

From narrow places
the strength of our voice
rises:
our every breath
is prayer,
the great poem of need,
a constant scattering
of praise.
Early
we reach to God
in the claim of our hearts,
while he,
our father,
mothers us
in his

——————————————————————————————

Read the following poem Do you see in this an affirmation of God’s love for us?

Gather the People by Ed Ingebretzen, S.J.
What return can we make
for all the Lord has done in our lives?
We bring bread, wine, our clay dishes
and our clay feet
to this altar
and we pray that we may here
make a beginning--
that somehow in our days
we can begin to see the promises
the Lord has made us.
The promises do not always
glow with obvious light, or
overwhelm us by their obvious truth.
No matter what anyone says,
it is difficult to understand an invisible God
and belief is not always
the easy way out.
So we gather the people
and we tell the story again
and we break the bread
and in the memory of the one
who saves us,
we eat and drink
and we pray and we believe.
We gather, we pray, we eat.
These things are for human beings.
God has no need of them.
Yet he himself gathered the people,
prayed, broke bread
and gave it to his friends.
And so the invisible God became
visible
and lives with us.
—from Psalms from the Still Country

Pentecost Sunday

May 24, 2026

The Spirit of God is upon us.

READINGS

First Reading — Acts 2:1-11

When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together. And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim. Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven
staying in Jerusalem. At this sound, they gathered in a large crowd, but they were confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language. They were astounded, and in amazement they asked, "Are not all these people who are speaking Galileans? Then how does each of us hear them in his native language? We are Parthians, Medes, and Elamites, inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya near Cyrene, as well as travelers from Rome, both Jews and converts to Judaism, Cretans and Arabs, yet we hear them speaking in our own tongues of the mighty acts of God."

Second Reading — 1 Corinthians 12:3b-7, 12-13

Brothers and sisters: No one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit. There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; there are different forms of service but the same Lord; there are different workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone. To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit. As a body is one though it has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body, so also Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons, and we were all given to drink of one Spirit.

Gospel — John 20:19-23

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." When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained."

REFLECITONS ON THE READINGS

Unity is not easy. It is not just similarity. Unity doesn’t mean we all pretend all is well. It’s living with, accepting, even enjoying differences. Some differences are too much for friendship or family but we can still value the other and not fight. The past does not disappear. As unity demands tolerance, at times it will demand forgiveness and a wish for healing and freedom. At other times if we are to get along side by side it means reconciliation, and a new relationship. The Spirit in each of us can help unity. Pray for someone you are at odds with—believe that he or she has the Spirit of God like you. It helps! This is some of the Spirit of Pentecost. A great gift of the risen Lord is the forgiveness of our sins. The claim that he could forgive sins was one of the reasons he was brought to death, for only God could forgive. Forgiveness is given day by day in various ways. Through the community of his followers in the church we are given the forgiveness of our sins. We need this gift and the grace of knowing that God is always the God of another chance, never remembering our sins forever. Jesus repeats his greeting, “Peace be with you.” As Jesus wishes the same blessing for me I consider what might come between me and the blessing Jesus offers. Fear caused the disciples to lock the doors. This security did not, however, bring them peace. Closing people out leads them to be seen as a threat and seems at odds with Jesus’ way. In the Book of Genesis God breathes on human beings to bring them life. Now Jesus breathes his Spirit into his disciples to give them new life. They will have power over sin, which otherwise deadens the human heart. Holy Spirit, I welcome you now into my small heart. Let today be ‘the first day of the week’ for me, which means the first day of my renewed creation. Let us celebrate this together. Jesus passed through the locked doors of the house in which the disciples were. His arrival among them was completely unexpected. Did they dread his reproaches, all but the beloved disciple, having abandoned him in his terrible hour of need? Before they could express any remorse, he simply said to them, ‘Peace be with you’. It is an expression of unconditional love. We are called on to show the same unmerited forgiveness in our own lives. Only when we believe ourselves to be forgiven, can we do the same to others. Is there someone I need to forgive this very day? In a gesture of wonderful intimacy, Jesus ‘breathed’ the Holy Spirit into his disciples. The act evokes God’s promise to Ezekiel centuries earlier, to give us hearts of flesh instead of hearts of stone. If we refuse to believe ourselves forgiven, how can we forgive others? Today we celebrate Pentecost when the Spirit was given to the disciples. It is the birthday of the Church, the day when the timid and uncertain apostles were transformed into bold preachers of Jesus and his resurrection. The same Spirit is still as active in the Church today, transforming it—and us—into better missionaries. I pray in a special way for the Church, spread throughout the world under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. I ask for the grace to grow in love for the Church, which is the body of Christ himself, and of which I am a living part. It is through her that I receive the Word, the Eucharist, forgiveness of sins and so much more. It is the holy bride of Christ, but it is also full of sinners, like myself. I pray for the Church to be open to the Spirit, as it carries out Jesus’ command to be his witness in the world of today. Jesus came to the disciples at the time of their great fear. He came to them although the doors were locked. He comes to me too, wherever I am locked in by fear, and he gives me his peace. I think now of those areas in my life where I am afraid. I imagine Jesus coming and standing before me and saying “Peace be with you”. I stay there for a little while, looking at Jesus, hearing his words of peace, feeling calm return to my heart. And Jesus breathes upon me and gives me the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of peace and truth and joy. I can turn to this Spirit for help whenever fear threatens to overwhelm me in my life. Fear of the Jews! What causes me to be afraid? Is faith a source of peace for me? Have I ever found myself in that room with the disciples? and then what happened? He ‘breathed’ on them! Reminiscent of Genesis and God breathing on the chaos. Can I ask him to breathe on my chaos? Can I ask for the gift of his Spirit to fill me with his peace and his light? The disciples recognise Jesus, but he is not the same Jesus they had known; and His first words to them are ‘Peace be with you’. This peace he offers is ultimately a deep and heartfelt awareness of Emmanuel, ‘God with us.’ Have you ever had an experience like the disciples? At a time of crisis and fear have you been made consciously aware of this ‘God with us’? Sit with this memory. Maybe chat with Jesus about that memory and its significance for me in my life. Did an awareness of God with me have any effect on my fear and how I coped with it? Take time today and allow the word ‘Peace’ echo in your mind and heart. Let the word and all it may mean fill your body, and remain within you. It is the constant promise of Jesus to his followers. It is a gift nobody can take from us. Give time each day to receive this gift of God’s Spirit. He gives it without even being asked. As you receive peace form God send this peace in a prayer to those close to you or those who may sorely need prayer today. The disciples are baptised in the Holy Spirit. This is a new birth and a new baptism. The regenerative power of the Spirit makes it possible for us to become children of God. With this new birth, we become a new creation, formed by the same Spirit of God which moved over the world in the opening lines of Genesis, when: “the earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep.” What is it that blinds me to the reality of what I read about Pentecost? What makes me refuse to acknowledge that it can happen to me just as it did to the Apostles? That, within my unworthy self, there is a temple in which the Spirit adores without easing? Lord, is it a fear that, by accepting your greatness at the centre of myself, great things will be asked of me? Is it possible that, in my desire to avoid pain, I also deprive myself of experiencing joy? The risen Jesus penetrates the disciples’ defences, overcomes their fears, and brings them joy. I ask him to pass through all my security systems and liberate me from whatever prevents me from “having life and having it in all its fullness”.Jesus always brings peace and reconciliation. Saint Augustine called peace “the tranquillity of order,” meaning order in my relationships with God, with other people and within myself. Where is there lack of peace in my life? Who do I need to make peace with? Do I make space to experience God’s forgiveness and gift of peace? I ask for his peace so that I may bring others peace. Let me take this time to be still, to wait on the Lord, to realise that Jesus approaches me as he did the disciples, wishing me peace. I hear him say, ‘Peace be with you,’ I notice my reactions, my protests. I see, too, where I am able to receive his gift of God’s Spirit and pray that I may pass these gifts freely to others. When things are not going as we think they should, we too cower behind locked doors. Jesus understands this fear and no amount of door locking on our part will keep him from being present to us. Jesus calls his disciples into mission. We too are to be the Good News in our own place and time. Holy Spirit, I welcome you now into my small heart. Let today be ‘the first day of the week’ for me, which means the first day of my renewed creation. Let us celebrate this together. I listen to Jesus speak to me, “Peace be with you.” I bring before him those aspects of my life most in need of peace and hear him say again, “Peace be with you.” Jesus speaks of peace but shows his hand and his feet: he reminds me that there is a cost to being a presence of peace in the world.

First Impressions by Jude Siciliano, OP

Dear Preachers: I have heard people pray out loud to Jesus. We all have at liturgies and prayer gatherings for special needs: peace, the sick, those in need, etc. I don’t mean those times when we pray in community, but rather the prayers people utter at specific moments in their lives; prayers under duress and in times of testing. For example. I had an aunt who died a slow, painful death from emphysema. More than once, she prayed in misery as she gasped for breath, “How long, O Lord?!” A while ago a boat carrying Libyan refugees capsized in the stormy Mediterranean and 600 people drowned. Someone, moved by what they saw on television moaned, “How long, O Lord?!” Another report of sexual abuse and cover-up in the Church surfaced bankrupting another diocese, and I said the prayer out loud as I heard the news over the car radio, “How long, O Lord?!” We pray that prayer because we feel stuck in the in-between time: between Jesus’ departure from his disciples and his promised return. We want him to come back quickly, especially when life presses in on us or those around us. The disciples gathered with Jesus the moments before he was to leave. They put the prayer in another way, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom of Israel?” Who could blame them for the impatience their question reflected? They wanted him to wrap things up. Instead, they wouldn’t have him with them as they had, especially during the 40 days after his resurrection. They and we will have to wait till he returns for the completion of his vision for us. Easier said than done. It’s the waiting during that “in-between time” that will test the faith, hope and love of the disciples and us, their descendants, in the faith. The church, right up to the present age, has prayed during times of stress the all-too-familiar prayer, “How long O Lord?!” How long do we have to endure the times our faith is tested by persecution from without and the sinfulness of our own members – ourselves included? Jesus initiated a new age, but we don’t always feel its presence as we wait, wonder and pray. The disciple isn’t named who asked Jesus that question about whether, “at this time,” he was going to “restore the kingdom of Israel.” It doesn’t seem to have been any particular person. Acts says, “They asked him” – it’s a church question. The community of believers asked the question then and it continues to ask it now, “When will you bring your work to completion? How long must we wait for you to do that?” Jesus didn’t give an answer to the disciples’ pressing concerns about when he would return to fulfill their longings. It would happen someday; meanwhile he was leaving. What a dreadful, sinking feeling they must have had in their stomachs! They were being told to continue his mission in his absence. The sense of responsibility they would have felt must have been pressing on them. I was watching a documentary about a team of climbers preparing to scale Everest. The film showed the elaborate preparations they had to go through before they put even one foot forward to begin their climb. They needed special clothing, oxygen tanks, tents, ropes, a communication system, maps, pinions and, of course, an experienced team of Sherpas to guide, protect and teach them how to get up and then down from Everest. The climbers would have to be prepared, as best they could, for the unexpected – which was sure to happen. I suspect that the most valuable asset they would have on the mountain would be those experienced Sherpas. We all could use the help of those stronger, wiser and more experienced than ourselves to help us navigate through our lives as Christians. Jesus was promising help to those first Christians. He knew the responsibilities he was leaving them. He also knew their past records of failures, internal conflicts and, finally, their betrayal. They would need help facing the mountains of opposition and problems the world would put before them. He also knew them well enough to foresee the conflicts and divisions that would develop among them. So, he promised them the coming of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit would enable, guide, strengthen and renew them in the many ways they would be called upon to witness to Jesus–“in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth.” The account of Christ’s Ascension in Acts is the way Luke terminates the post-Easter appearances of Jesus to his disciples. Luke depicts the risen Christ instructing his disciples about God’s kingdom. Now, with his departure, they are to be his witnesses–they will speak and act on his and the kingdom’s behalf. But first they have something to do. They must wait – wait for the Spirit Jesus will send them so that then they can go and announce the new age Christ inaugurated. We are living in the “in-between time” – a moment of pause between Jesus’ first coming and his return. It has been a long pause! There’s the danger in each generation that the waiting church will lose its fervor and enthusiasm for Christ, who can seem a long way off in the distant past. We can get nostalgic about the past. Our churches are not supposed to be memorial places for a long-dead leader. It’s clear from the angel’s message to the disciples staring up at the space left by their departed leader, that we are not just to be Jesus’ fan club which meets regularly to bask in nostalgia. Instead, as Jesus promised, we are gifted with the same powerful Spirit that animated Jesus and sustained him, not only through his preaching and healing ministry, but through his long suffering and death. It is that same Spirit that keeps us from stagnating and being just a curious, antiquated relic from the past. Because of the Spirit people should not say of us, “Aren’t they quaint? Aren’t their beliefs and practices so historic and original!” Thanks to the Spirit, we are called and empowered to be modern witnesses to the living Christ still with us, who is reaching out in a new age to do through us, what he did in his lifetime–preach the gospel, heal the sick and bring people back to God. Remember those mountain climbers who took such care to prepare for their climb of Everest? Jesus takes extra care to furnish his disciples with what they will need when challenged by the sometimes-steep mountains in their lives and ministry. When the time is right he will send them his Spirit. How could these disciples and we possibly go out into the world without being equipped by that Spirit? Luke doesn’t show the Spirit’s coming immediately after Jesus’ departure. Instead, the disciples had to trust his word and wait. That’s the first thing Jesus tells them to do - wait. When we disciples wait on God, we do that in prayer. So, they gathered with Mary and men and women disciples in the upper room, where they waited and they prayed. I a little over a week we will celebrate Pentecost when the promised Spirit was poured out on the gathered disciples. We and the whole church are in constant need for renewal in that Spirit. We may not be sent out into “the whole world” to witness to Jesus; but to places closer to home – to our family, school, job, etc. Still, we are called to bring to those people and places our faith, energized by the Spirit. During the week ahead of us we do again what Jesus instructed his disciples to do – we wait. While we wait we bring to prayer our personal needs for a renewal of faith in the risen Christ. We also pray for those we know who have lost their commitment to our church community, as well as for those whose spirits are battered in any way because of loneliness, poverty, violence, sickness etc. We pray this week, “How long, O Lord?!” And we hear Christ, ever ready to pour out his Spirit on us, respond, “Soon, very soon.”

Justice Bulletin Board by Barbara Molinari Quinby, MPS, Director Office of Human Life, Dignity, and Justice Ministries Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral Raleigh, NC

May the eyes of your hearts be enlightened.”—Ephesians 1:18

I find myself wondering if American Christians understand that Palestinian Christians, numbering about 134,000 people in the Holy Land (45,000 in the West Bank), are being robbed of their land (by an illegal occupation that has gone on for years), their religious liberties, their freedom to travel, and their freedom to build lives of dignity. Here is a little history lesson from: http://www.ifamericansknew.org/history/maps.htmlHistorically, the land of Palestine was populated by a people known as the Palestinians. Palestinians have always been religiously diverse with the Muslim majority maintaining friendly relations with their Christian, Jewish, and Druze brethren. At the turn of the 20th Century, a new Jewish nationalist ideology called Zionism was developing to create a Jewish homeland in Palestine. During this time, increasing numbers of Jewish Europeans immigrated to Palestine, causing the Jewish population to grow from a tiny minority to 35% of the population. In 1947, the United Nations partitioned Historic Palestine, giving 55% to the Jewish population and 45% to the Palestinian population. The indigenous Palestinians rejected the division of the land on which they had lived and farmed for centuries. At the time of partition, the Jewish population owned less than 6% of Palestine. In 1948 Israel declared its “independence,” but chose not to name its borders. Between the time of partition and the declaration of Israel, the newly formed Jewish state had depopulated (through massacres, expulsion orders, and fear tactics) over 400 villages and made refugees of at least 726,000 Palestinians. In 1967, Israel occupied the remaining 22% of historic Palestine: the West Bank and Gaza. Since then, Israel has transferred many of its citizens to Jewish “settlements,” (colonies, which are illegal according to the fourth Geneva Convention). Today 40% of the West Bank is off-limits to Palestinians, as they are not allowed to live in Israeli settlements, drive on Israeli-only roads connecting these settlements, or even live or travel through “security zones,” surrounding the settlements. Catholics and people of other faiths are praying and working for a just peace where dignity, reconciliation, and peace prevail. Join us for an educational event Wednesday, May 20 at 7PM in the Parish Center on the situation in the Holy Land and its impact on Christians and learn how we must frame it within our Catholic social teaching framework and the context of the kerygma. This will be facilitated by Deacon Joshua Klickman, Sherry Kilgus-Kramer, and Deacon Dave Wulff.

Faith Book

Mini-reflections on the Sunday scripture readings designed for persons on the run. “Faith Book” is also brief enough to be posted in the Sunday parish bulletins people take home.

From today’s Gospel reading: “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.’

Reflection: Pentecost is not simply the celebration of a past event; it is an identity to be lived. The risen Christ still enters our guarded spaces, still speaks peace, still breathes his Spirit upon us, and still sends his Church into the world. We may not be perfect, but through the gift of the Holy Spirit we are empowered so that fear does not leave us locked away as frightened disciples.

So, we ask ourselves:

• For us modern disciples:

  • What gift of the Spirit have I received?

  • How am I using that gift to strengthen the Church and serve others?

  • Do our communities reflect unity amid diversity, or division and rivalry?

Postcards to Death Row Inmates

“The use of the death penalty cannot really be mended. It should be ended.”—Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick

Inmates on death row are the most forgotten people in the prison system. Each week I post in this space several inmates’ names and addresses. I invite you to write a postcard to one or more of them to let them know we have not forgotten them. If you like, tell them you heard about them through North Carolina’s, “People of Faith Against the Death Penalty.” If the inmate responds you might consider becoming pen pals.

Please write to:

• Randy L. Atkins #0012311 (On death row since 12/8/93)

• Terry L. Ball #0017060 (2/3/94)

• Frank J. Chambers #0071799 (3/10/94)

Central Prison, 1300 Western Blvd., Raleigh, NC 27606

For more information on the Catholic position on the death penalty go to the webpage of the Catholic Mobilizing Network: http://www.catholicsmobilizing.org/

ENCOUNTER CHRIST REFLECTIONS AND MEDITATIONS

Preparation for the Session

Presence of God: Jesus, As I come to you today, fill my heart, my whole being, with the wonder of your sacred presence. Help me to become more aware of your presence in my life, and more receptive to that presence. I desire to love you as you love me. May nothing ever separate me from you. (1-2 minutes of silence)

Freedom: Jesus, Grant me the grace to have freedom of spirit. Keep me from being bound by desires and actions that are not good for me or others. Cleanse my heart and soul that I may live joyously in your love. (1-2 minutes of silence)

Consciousness: Where am I with God? With others in my life? What am I grateful for? Is there something I am sorry for, words or actions that have hurt others, and which I now regret? I take a moment to ask forgiveness of God and of those whom I have hurt. God, I give you thanks for your constant love and care for me. Keep me always aware of your presence in my life. (2-3 minutes of silence)

Opening Prayer

Give me, O God, stillness and attentiveness so that I may be receptive to the movement of Your Spirit within me. Keep me from fear; reassure me when I falter. Look into my small heart and make it bigger so as to encompass all that you love--the earth itself in all its beauty and those who dwell in it, in all their beauty. Help me, inspired by Your Spirit, to radiate the joy of Your gospel to all those I meet along life’s way.

Companions for the Journey

Adapted from Living Space, a service of the Irish Jesuits:

Today we round off more than seven weeks of celebrating the Paschal Mystery: Passion and Death – Resurrection – Ascension, Exaltation – Coming of the Holy Spirit. Although in the liturgy it is spread over seven weeks, all the elements are actually there on the cross on Good Friday. At the moment of death Jesus passes to life, is exalted to the Father and breathes forth his Spirit. Today is also the birthday of the Church. What is the Church? The Church is basically that community and complex of communities spread all over the world which is continuing the visible presence of God and his work by living openly in the Spirit of Jesus and offering its experience of knowing Christ to the world. “The Word was made flesh and lived among us”.These words apply not only to Jesus but to all those who are now the visible Body of the Risen Jesus. It is for each of us, individually and in community, to incarnate the Word of God in our world.

Pentecost day—Today’s first reading from the Acts of the Apostles gives us one account, perhaps the most familiar one, of how the mission of Christ was transferred to his followers. The scene is full of biblical imagery. There was a sound “like the rush of a violent wind”. In Greek the words used here for “wind” and “Spirit” are very similar. The whole house was filled with the very Spirit of God. Then “divided tongues, as of fire” were seen resting on each person present. Fire, again, speaks of the presence of God himself. God spoke to Moses from out of a burning bush. As the Israelites wandered through the desert on their way to the Promised Land, a pillar of cloud accompanied them by day, and a pillar of fire by night. God was with his people. The fire here was in the form of tongues, as if to say that each one present was being given the gift and power to speak in the name of God. And in fact:…all of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.

Amazement—Because it was the Jewish feast of Pentecost, the city of Jerusalem was filled with pilgrim Jews from all over the Mediterranean area. They were amazed to hear the disciples speaking to them in their own languages. How is it that we hear, each of us, in our own language? In our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power. In the Book of Genesis, men tried to build a tower to reach right up to heaven. For such arrogance, they were punished by being made to speak in different languages. No longer able to communicate, they could not finish their project. Now the time of the Tower of Babel is reversed. The disciples have a message which is offered to and can be understood by people everywhere. People are being called to be united again as brothers and sisters under one common Father, revealed to them by his Son Jesus Christ.

A different account—The Gospel from John presents us with a different account of the coming of the Spirit. It is Easter Sunday. The disciples are locked into the house, terrified of the authorities coming to take them away as collaborators with the recently executed Jesus. Suddenly the same Jesus is there among them and greets them: Peace with you… It is both a wish and a statement. Where Jesus is there is peace. The presence of Jesus in our lives always brings peace and removes our anxieties and fears. He shows them his hands and side to prove it is himself: the one who died on the cross and the one who is now alive. Then he gives them their mission: ”As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” Their mission and his are exactly the same. Our mission and his are exactly the same. He then breathes on them. As God breathed on the earth and created the first human being. In Christ, we become a new creation. The breathing also symbolizes the Spirit of God and of Jesus. So he says,  Receive the Holy Spirit. With the giving of the Spirit comes also the authority to speak and act in the name of Jesus. If you forgive sins, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained. This is not just a reference to the Sacrament of Reconciliation and the power to forgive sin. Forgiving sin, reconciling people with God is the very core of the work of Christ and the Christian mission. The disciples are now the Body of Christ, the ongoing visible presence of Christ in the world. This Body will experience injuries and wounds and disease. It will wander at times far from God. It will need healing and forgiveness and reconciliation. It will also try to bring the same healing and reconciliation to a broken world.

A body with many parts—Finally, the Second Reading speaks of the effect of the Spirit on the Christian community. The Church and each community within it reflects unity and diversity. We are not called to uniformity. We are not clones of Christ or each other. Unity presumes diversity and a variety of gifts and talents and responsibilities. So, on the one hand, we are called to be deeply united in our faith in Christ and in our love for each other. At the same time, each one of us has a unique gift. It is through this gift or gifts that we serve and build up the community. They are not just for ourselves, or for our families and friends.To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. We are like a body. Each body has many members, each with its own particular function, yet they all are ordered to one purpose – the good functioning of the body as a whole. So it is with the Christian community, which is the Body of Christ. Each member is to be aware of his or her particular gift. This gift indicates the role the member has to play in building up the whole Body, the whole community. Today let us ask God to send his Spirit into our hearts. Filled with that Spirit, may we each individually make our contribution to the community to which we belong. And, as a community, may we give clear and unmistakable witness to the Truth and Love of God, revealed to us in Jesus our Lord. Come, Holy Spirit, Come!

Living the Good News

What action can you take in the next week as a response to today’s reading and discussion? Keep a private journal of your prayer/actions responses this week. Feel free to use the personal reflection questions which follow:

Reflection Questions:

Check the page which says EC Scripture for Pentecost A (the First Reading and the Gospel for Pentecost A.) Which reading for today’s Pentecost liturgy do I prefer? Why?

The disciples were in a locked room because of fear. In what ways has fear kept me locked off from others?

Jesus repeated his greeting:”Peace be with you”. Peace demands tolerance and forgiveness. Which is harder for me?

Fr. William Bausch said that Jesus Imposed the “Spirit of Second Chances” on them, sending them out to impart to others the spirit of God’s love and forgiveness. Do I look on the Spirit that way?
To whom am I called to go out and extend love and forgiveness?

What if this passage is less about the clerical notion of the priest’s ability to forgive sins, but instead is about our own ability to work with the Holy Spirit in forgiving others?
Whose sins do I need to forgive?
What sort of sins would I consider “unforgivable” and thus, retained?
Do I think Jesus would refuse to free anyone of his or her sins?

How does my church extend peace to sinners or to those who disagree with our teachings?

What is the difference between seeing and recognizing?
What is the difference between hearing and understanding?
Where can I do better in each?

What might it mean to “renew the face of the earth” today?

Do I ever pray to the Holy Spirit?
Where does the Spirit figure in my spiritual life?

Have there been experiences in my life through which the Spirit was speaking to me?
Did I listen?

How do I expect to hear the Lord’s voice?

What do I regard as my spiritual gifts?
How do I use them?

What gifts of the Spirit do I see in this community?

How might the church be more effective in the process of enculturation?
What dangers might enculturation pose?

Has some person in my life been a source of inspiration and/or courage for me?

What do I see as my mission to the world at large right this moment?
In the future?

Closing Prayer

Don’t forget to provide some prayer time at the beginning and at the end of the session (or both), allowing time to offer prayers for anyone you wish to pray for.

Adapted from Sacred Space 2023, a service of the Irish Jesuits: I pray, Lord, in a special way for the church spread throughout the world under the guidance of Your Holy Spirit. I ask for the grace to grow in love for the Church of which I am a living part. I ask Your Spirit for patience and understanding when I think the Church is changing too swiftly or not changing fast enough. Please guide the Church in being open to the Spirit as it moves through the process of synodality, in order that we all may be witnesses to Your love, Jesus, in the world.

For the Week Ahead

Weekly Memorization: Taken from the gospel for today’s session…Receive the Holy Spirit

Meditations:
A Meditation in the Augustinian Style/Relationship: Read today’s responsorial psalm which is Psalm 104. Using Lectio Divina, pray this scripture hymn. Which words or phrases speak out to you? Sit with them and savor the meaning for you. Is God speaking to you these beautiful words? What works can you do to reflect the role of the Spirit in your life? How can you help the glory of the Lord endure forever? Then speak to God, using your own words and from your heart, about how you want to respond to the gift of the Spirit in your life.

A Meditation in the Dominican Style/Asking questions: (Adapted from The Holy Longing: The Search for a Christian Spirituality, by Father Ronald Rolheiser, O.M.I)

We need to be on fire again,
for our hope is no longer an easy hope.
We live in a culture of despair
within which Pentecost can no longer be taken for granted.
Hence we must take upon ourselves the burden of the times and refuse to make the Holy Spirit a piece of private property
but a spirit that matters. —Mary Jo Leddy

Rolheiser asks us to examine the following questions and relate them to the presence of the Spirit in our lives:

• What should I be doing?

• To whom should I be listening?

• Must I get involved in this or can I choose to ignore it?

• What is important?

• What are the pillars upon which I build my spiritual life?

A Meditation in the Augustinian Style/Memory: Someone who had been through hardship and endured, sought forgiveness and it was granted said: “There are moments in life when God lifts you up and gives you moments of ecstatic clarity… there are moments that give all of our crosses meaning and revealed their goodness. The Spirit has ruled again.” (Fr. William Bausch in From No to YES) Think back on instances in your life when you have been given a second chance; think of a time when you have given someone else the gift of forgiveness. Try to look at your present circumstances be thankful for the chances to start anew, try to forgive yourself for mistakes you have made, and extend a non-judgmental hand to another.

A Meditation in the Ignatian Style/Imagination:

Read Acts 2: 1-6. Imagine that you are one of the twelve apostles whom Jesus left behind. What have you been doing since Jesus’ death? What are you feeling about keeping the group of believers together? Has a natural leader emerged? What are your immediate plans for spreading the Good News? Suddenly you hear a sudden wind growing stronger and stronger in volume until it seems there is only noise in the house you are in, and then you see the fire (fire!) hovering over the room, appearing to split into individual tongues of flame and seeming to come to rest over the heads of your companions. Has anything like this ever happened to you before? Were you expecting this? Are you afraid? How does it feel to speak in tongues? Do you feel any different now that you have been filled with the Spirit of God? Return to the present and reflect on any times in your life in which you have felt extraordinary strength from the Spirit to do God’s will. Talk to God about your response to this outpouring of love from the Spirit.

Poetic Reflection

Read the following poem by Denise Levertov. Does it capture for you how we are protected by the Spirit, the Sustainer of Life?

The Avowal

As swimmers dare
to lie face to the sky
and water bears them;
as hawks rest upon air
and air sustains them,
so would I learn to attain
freefall, and float
into Creator Spirit’s deep embrace,
knowing no effort earns
that all-surrounding grace.

Music Reflection

Listen to “Veni Sancti Spiritus” from the Taize community. Let it lift you up.

Ascension of the Lord

May 17, 2026

Jesus is always with us, helping us spread the good news of the kingdom.

Matthew 28:16-20

The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them. When they saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted. Then Jesus approached and said to them, “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”

REFLECTIONS ON THE GOSPEL

Note that the story we most associate with the Ascension is not in any of the Gospels, but is in the Acts of the Apostles

Acts of the Apostles 1:6-11 — When they had gathered together they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going *  to restore the kingdom to Israel?” He answered them, “It is not for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has established by his own authority. But you will receive power when the holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” When he had said this, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him from their sight. While they were looking intently at the sky as he was going, suddenly two men dressed in white garments stood beside them. They said, “Men of Galilee, why are you standing there looking at the sky? This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven.”

The endings of the three synoptic Gospels in the order in which they were written

Mark 16:15-20 — He said to them, “Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned. These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive out demons, they will speak new languages. They will pick up serpents [with their hands], and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them. They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover. So then the Lord Jesus, after he spoke to them, was taken up into heaven and took his seat at the right hand of God. But they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word through accompanying signs.

Matthew 26:16-20 — The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them. When they saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted. Then Jesus approached and said to them, “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”

Luke 24:46-53 — He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.

NB: The Gospel of John ends with the little breakfast barbecue by the lake after a little night fishing. It does not reference the Ascension at all and may have been appended later.

John 21 — After this, Jesus revealed himself again to his disciples at the Sea of Tiberias. He revealed himself in this way. Together were Simon Peter, Thomas called Didymus, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, Zebedee’s sons, and two others of his disciples. Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We also will come with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. When it was already dawn, Jesus was standing on the shore; but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, “Children, have you caught anything to eat?” They answered him, “No.” So he said to them, “Cast the net over the right side of the boat and you will find something.” So they cast it, and were not able to pull it in because of the number of fish. So the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord.” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he tucked in his garment, for he was lightly clad, and jumped into the sea. The other disciples came in the boat, for they were not far from shore, only about a hundred yards, dragging the net with the fish. When they climbed out on shore, they saw a charcoal fire with fish on it and bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you just caught.” So Simon Peter went over and dragged the net ashore full of one hundred fifty-three large fish. Even though there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, “Come, have breakfast.” And none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” because they realized it was the Lord. Jesus came over and took the bread and gave it to them, and in like manner the fish. This was now the third time Jesus was revealed to his disciples after being raised from the dead. When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” He then said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was distressed that he had said to him a third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” [Jesus] said to him, “Feed my sheep. Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” He said this signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when he had said this, he said to him, “Follow me.” Peter turned and saw the disciple following whom Jesus loved, the one who had also reclined upon his chest during the supper and had said, “Master, who is the one who will betray you?” When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about him?” Jesus said to him, “What if I want him to remain until I come? What concern is it of yours? You follow me.” So the word spread among the brothers that that disciple would not die. But Jesus had not told him that he would not die, just “What if I want him to remain until I come? [What concern is it of yours?]” It is this disciple who testifies to these things and has written them, and we know that his testimony is true. There are also many other things that Jesus did, but if these were to be described individually, I do not think the whole world would contain the books that would be written.

First Impressions Vol. 2: The Ascension of the Lord May 18 2023

Acts 1:1-11; Responsorial Psalm 47: Ephesians 1:17-23; Gospel Acclamation Matthew 28: 19a, 20b; Matthew 28:16-20

“Go, therefore, make disciples of all the nations; baptise them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teach them to observe all the commands I gave you.” When I was growing up, there was a very great leader of the Catholic church in my country who seemed for me, as a small boy, to embody the entire personality of the Church. I won’t tell you his name but he was the then Cardinal Archbishop. In every way, he was a big man - 68 when I knew him. 6 foot 4 inches tall, broad and strong. But the biggest thing about him was an enormous booming voice which filled every room he ever entered. And with this enormous voice, he pronounced absolute certainty on any issue you cared to mention. He knew exactly the right way forward for the Church, for the Country, for Society at large and indeed for anyone else he happened to be talking to at the time. To put it mildly, he did not immediately give the impression of a man who was much troubled by self-doubt. So, I was rather surprised when, a long time after his death, I came across his autobiography in which he said that there was once a time when he was not happy as a priest. He had come from a very wealthy background and he was sent to serve in a very poor parish. There he struggled as he discovered that he was in fact a little too accustomed to the comfortable things in life and a little too used to the company of his own upper class. To put it more simply, he saw in himself a soft-living snob and he didn’t like himself very much.But one day he was sent to see a little old lady who had severe rheumatoid arthritis and was dying of cancer. She lived with her daughter in circumstances of great poverty. This was in the days before the NHS and adult social services. When he arrived, he found the place so smelly and dirty that he could not even bring himself to sit down. He said that even today the clearest memory was of the terrible smell of her leg ulcers that he couldn’t get rid of for months. But there he met a truly holy woman. She was 92, had been bedridden for four years, was dying in obvious pain and distress and in fact she died that very night. He did not remember a word of what passed between them. All he remembered was that every motion, every gesture, every word that she uttered was filled with grace and serenity. He realised that he was in the presence of a Saint – someone who was close to God in every way. And the only actual words he remembered from that encounter were not hers, but his own. As he left her room, he made himself a promise — that he would not give up on what he believed to be his vocation unless and until he could honestly say that he had suffered more for Christ than she had. He has remembered that brief encounter throughout his life because it is a memory of how God can use us, wherever we are in life, to bring His love and healing into the lives of one another. There is never a moment in the life of any true Catholic Christian when she or he is not obeying this final command of the Lord – to be a missionary of the Faith. That does not mean shouting what we believe at other people. Nor does it mean knocking on their doors uninvited and trying to force our beliefs upon them. It is those things that get Christian missionaries a bad name. What it means is showing in our lives what Christ has done for us. And offering to everyone who comes to us the peace and love of Christ, not just in our words, but in every gesture and every action. And let us hear for ourselves Jesus’ last words on earth: “Go, therefore, make disciples of all the nations; baptise them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teach them to observe all the commands I gave you.” — Paul O’Reilly SJ

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It is common that laity think of themselves as delegating their worship to the presider at Mass or to Monks and Nuns in cloistered communities or to preachers and religious women. This is how the culture of the church after Trent devolved into two sections – those who were close to God and the rest who were spectators in the works of those clergy and religious and hierarchy. This certainly was not caused by Trent as it was a fantastic Ecumenical Council as is evident to anyone who studies the acts of that Council. Along came the Enlightenment (many church leaders renamed it “Modernism”) which was the advent of constantly growing science. Those sciences included, to the horror of many pious persons, the human sciences. The scriptures so often understood literally, began to be studied in their historical context, with an understanding of the culture and meaning of words in the time of the and life experience of those who put down these Revelations from God. That included a changed understanding of history as the constant expansion in scope and understanding of the truths in Scripture. St. Vincent of Lerins in the fifth century of Christianity spoke about the truth of faith being an incomprehensible treasure, something that searchers of the depths of reality, of God, and of self could mine and come to greater understanding. Vatican II applies that understanding to the truths of faith. It’s called Development of Doctrine and helps us understand God, Reality, and Self, all living in a vital and expansive manner. 1878 St. John Henry Cardinal Newman, one of several gifted scholars of the Oxford Movement in England, wrote an essay: An Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine. In the Ecclesial reaction to the Enlightenment, against Modernism that essay appeared to deny the truth of Revelation. In a search for an authoritative agent to decide truth and fabrications, Pius IX called the first Vatican Council. That Council was never officially closed because of the outbreak of war that disassembled that council so that bishops could be near and with their flocks. John XXIII officially closed that Council when he called the Second Vatican Council. The highlight of Vatican I was the decree on the authority of the Pope to speak infallibly. When the Pope declared a truth, a doctrine, a moral decision in his official capacity as Pope, successor of Peter, that was truth. In the two pronouncements that claim infallibility – the Assumption of Mary and Her Immaculate Conception, the decrees each begin with a statement about the source of this in the living faith of the people of God. That faith is confirmed by the Bishops and declared by the Pope. That decree of infallibility appeared to the non-Catholic world as overruling the burgeoning results of science – especially the human sciences of sociology, of psychology and psychiatry, of medical advances, of science applied to the difficulties of human existence, physical, mental, and psyche. Infallibility was thought erroneously as divine intervention alleviating humanity of its responsibility. That responsibility, over thousands of years under the urging of the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, came to understand that humanity was given responsibility for the FLOURISHING of all creation – including humanity’s. That’s the unfortunate translation of the word “dominion” in the narrative of Genesis. Dominion to the ancient meant the role of leadership to make certain the people of society had what they needed to flourish. That’s more akin to the role of a shepherd caring for his/her flock. There’s that word again: FLOURISH. That’s exactly what it means. The human sciences include politics and are mandated for the common good of Creation for each representative. Putting morality and politics in the same sentence may seem a stretch. But there it is. In addition to a renewed study of history being more than dates and events, scholars began studying the waves of history, or as Matthew in his gospel would state it, the ages. According to Matthew we are in the consummation age when all will be completed. That age begins with the Ascension of Jesus into his rightful, and powerful place as the Person (Divine and Human) who changed the relationship of creation – not merely humanity – to its Creator. Before anyone gets nervous about a cataclysmic terror, recall that from the theory of the Big Bang, millions of years have transpired – even before life in its simplest form arrived on our Common Home. Our sun is scheduled to burn out in about 14 million years according to those who study such things. In my youth, the hue and cry that arose from the Scopes Trial about evolution was a great concern. Besides that, the Son of God said it was not in his purvey to know when that was to happen: only the Father and the Father isn’t telling us. What theologians and others holding to literalism in the Hebrew Scriptures overlook is that God doesn’t have to fit into our categories. If we think we can box up God and put God in a golden receptacle so we can approach, beg, confess when it’s our convenience – how silly is that?The point is that humanity continues to understand more and more about Creation, about Revelation, about persons. Fundamental to persons is relationship. I find it important for my Love of God - which I insist I learned how to do in my marriage to Carol – to be like a child who is excited about things that come in their experiences. They are excited as if by the cultural trappings of Christmas, Easter, Fourth of July, and all the other civil and religious holidays. That’s what they are for; to help us celebrate the great events of humanity. And in the remembering and celebration, we live them over again, drawing once again from the vitality and understandings of those event. What’s this to do with Ascension? There is a word in the reading to be understood. That word is worship. The eleven (twelve minus Judas) worshipped Jesus when they saw him on the Mountain in Galilee – the region in which Jesus began his public ministry. They worshipped Jesus. Did this mean they fell to the ground? Did they become mute and unable to speak? Who knows except Jesus and the eleven. Worship – what does it mean? It is derived from an Old English word that is an attitude, a perception of a person, place, or event. It’s recognition of worth, a recognition of value, especially a value, a reality well beyond the person worshipping. It is an acknowledgement of God, lifting the mind and thus the heart of awe. Oh, my goodness. AWE! That is the word used to describe the movement of the heart and mind of a person when recognizing the presence of the Transcendent Being – what we understand to be the Trinity of Three Equal Persons that is God united. That awe in the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures is named “fear of the Lord.” It’s not being afraid – it’s being overwhelmed with magnificence, with beauty, with the power to accomplish any and everything. This Ascension is Jesus passing the baton to the eleven. We think of it as a triumphant entrance of Jesus, returning Him to the Father. This Ascension instead, let us think about Jesus handing off his responsibility, his extension of salvation to the world. Actually, let’s personalize this – Jesus is handing off his ministry and service for Creation to each of us. We are afforded the freedom to choose how we do that. The foundation of that service is the Love Jesus demonstrated. We baptize as laity, not with water and ritual. We baptize the world in which we live and are socially connected by our example, by our encouraging others, by our lifting up those who are struggling. The ending of Mass is an imperative to us – “Go, you are sent.” —Dennis Keller

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I have a picture on my wall, a gift from a rabbi. It shows her blessing an unfurled scroll of the Torah. The scroll was old and tattered, so the community removed it from the tabernacle and from its beautiful cloth covering. They had it restored, but before putting it back into the tabernacle, they blessed and rededicated it. This is how they did it. With the congregation assembled in the synagogue they unrolled the scroll and encircled the community with it -- some members of the community, wearing white gloves, held the scroll, all the rest were inside the circle made by the unfurled scroll. The rabbi, dressed in liturgical robes and on the inside of the circle with the community, is shown in the process of rededicating the scroll before putting it back in the tabernacle. A member of the congregation said, “We couldn’t just put it away, after all it’s not an antique, a dead book. It’s the living Word of God.” The community was also rededicated along with the scroll. Another symbol, or sign of the Jewish community’s dedication to God’s Word, is also evident, closer to home -- in fact, at the entrance to Jewish homes. It is the mezuzah, a cylinder that is placed on the doorpost of a home. It contains a scriptural quote. For example, the one Jesus quotes in part today,  “Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone! Therefore you shall love the Lord, our God, with all your heart and all your soul and with all your strength” (Dt.6:4).  Where I grew up I used to see my Jewish neighbors kiss their fingers and then touch the mezuzah on entering and leaving their homes. Such is the devotion to God’s Word by our Jewish sisters and brothers: to encircle a community of worshipers with the written word; to kiss it as they come and go each day from their homes. Of course the mazuzah is not a good luck charm, nor kissing it mere superstition, but an expression of their desire to live a life guided by and strengthened by God’s Word, as part of a community, in their homes and beyond. When asked about the greatest commandment Jesus quoted the central commandment of Jewish faith, the one posted on the door frames. Then he takes another teaching, one among many more in the Old Testament, and places it alongside the first. Total love of God is the first commandment and joined to it, love of neighbor as yourself. If a pagan were to ask a Jew, “Where is your image of God?” They would respond, “In God’s image we were made.”  I.e. “The image of our God is to be found in each human being.” That’s what Jesus is implying in today’s gospel. How can we mere humans pay proper homage to an invisible God in our world, in our daily life? Jesus shows us how. He takes the command about loving God with all of ourselves and puts with it the love of neighbor. As Scripture suggests elsewhere: if you want to love the God you can not see, love the human you can see. Each of us is a dwelling place of God, “In God’s image we were made.” As I write this Israel is about to invade Gaza. Thousands have died on both sides, and thousands more will die from violence, hunger, destroyed hospitals, missals, etc.  Do both sides see what both believe, “In God’s image we are made.” I shed tears watching the nightly news of the war. I have no easy answers, none are possible. From this distance I can pray and send messages to my government representatives — “Don’t forget the civilians caught in the middle. Don’t forget to work for peace!” For a narrative preaching the preacher might pick a favorite saint, or one relevant to the local community and show how they were characterized by an intense love of God and neighbor. For example, one of our great Dominican Saints was Rose of Lima. She was born in Lima Peru in 1586 and her name was Isabel. But they called her Rose because of her extraordinary beauty. She was besieged by suitors. The parents hoped for a “good marriage;” a good financial arrangement, because they needed the money. Rose longed for the day when she could live for God alone. Her model was Catherine of Siena (another great woman Dominican). Catherine spent three years in her parent’s home under a staircase in constant prayer. Rose imitated Catherine, moved into a little hut in the garden and devoted herself to constant prayer. Remember, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart with all your soul, and with all your mind.” But like Catherine, Christ urged Rose out and she practiced works of mercy for the poor, the indigenous and slaves. In addition, she wasn’t just concerned about personal sin, but social sin; the Spanish had conquered and oppressed the natives. Rose had wanted to love God with all her heart, with all her soul with all her mind and she did that by devoting her heart, soul and mind to loving her neighbor. Just like us gathered in worship,  Rose was encircled by the Word of God and it was as if she kissed that Word and was guided by it in her going to and coming from serving others. These two women show us what God’s grace can accomplish within us; that we mere humans are capable, with God — of loving God with all our heart, soul and mind -- and our neighbor as our self. The first reading from Exodus shows that God has always been especially concerned about the neediest in society. Today’s selection comes from a section in Exodus called the “Book of the Covenant,” which is a teaching of social ethics based, not on laws, but on compassion. For those in most need, laws that prohibit certain acts are not enough to protect them. Because the Israelites experienced God’s compassion when they were slaves in Egypt and as they traveled through the desert they, in turn, were to be compassionate to those in similar need. Their laws were to reflect the compassion they received. For example, they were to remember that they were once aliens in Egypt, so they were not to wrong the alien, or stranger in their own land. What does that say to our current refugee crisis here at our borders and those bused to our cities? The media coverage of our own border situation these days has made us aware of the dire circumstances of those who have had to leave their homes because of poverty and violence to find refuge in our country. Strangers and immigrants in a strange land are vulnerable to abuse and being taken advantage of.  They have left the support of their families, culture and familiar surroundings in an attempt to flee their homeland and find protection. In many ways they are like the Israelites in Egypt, strangers in a foreign land and totally dependent on the hospitality of its native people — us.

Justice Bulletin Board by Barbara Molinari Quinby, MPS, Director, Office of Human Life, Dignity, and Justice Ministries Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral Raleigh, NC

You shall not molest or oppress an alien, for you were once aliens yourselves in the land of Egypt. —Exodus 22:20

I had an argument awhile back with my cousin who was upset by the children at our border. He thought we should send them back. I had to remind him that our own grandmother came to this country as an unaccompanied teenager at the turn of the last century. She worked as a maid in the household that took her in. I am so grateful that she had the courage to make the trip and that this country didn’t turn her away. She and my grandfather raised four children and their two sons, my uncles, both served our country in World War II. My grandmother’s parents sent her to America to escape death by tuberculosis that was sweeping Poland. The families at our borders today are facing death by drug gangs and the hopelessness of extreme poverty. It takes so much courage to do what they are doing, to leave loved ones, to cross unknown paths. And isn’t courage, a value that our country reveres? We have a broken immigration system that is long overdue for a legislative overhaul. Meanwhile, many migrants and/or refugees suffer and are dehumanized. Towns at the border of our country are struggling to respond. As Catholics, we believe that everyone is made in the image of God and deserving of respect. This is a complicated problem in need of well-thought-out solutions. Cardinal Blase Cupich recently commemorated the 40th anniversary of his predecessor Cardinal Joseph Bernardin’s “consistent ethic of life” speech at the site of that 1983 address, Fordham University. During the speech, Cupich proposed an “integral ethic of solidarity.” Cupich said, “that [this] ethic grounds our respect for life both interpersonally and within the human family. Solidarity points to the interconnectedness of all human beings, to the unity that they should strive for, and the responsibility for the common good that we all share. Solidarity is a moral virtue. It is a disposition of gratitude to God for the gifts he bestows upon us, and of service to those who suffer” (ncronline.org 9/27/2023). We need more standing together as fellow human beings these  days. Perhaps, solidarity could become a basis of all discussions around this issue of immigration.

Faith Book

Mini-reflections on the Sunday scripture readings designed for persons on the run.  “Faith Book” is also brief enough to be posted in the Sunday parish bulletins people take home.

From today’s Gospel reading: Jesus said... “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

Reflection: The way we know that we are living Jesus’ commandment of total dedication to God, who is unseen, is to make that love visible by loving our neighbor as self. Jesus’ life shows us whom he considered his neighbor. Besides his disciples and friends, neighbor for Jesus included the least likely, the overlooked, the vulnerable and the people who are usually described in stereotypes.

So we ask ourselves: Is God at my center, the inspiration and impetus behind my thoughts, feelings and actions? Who is the surprising neighbor Jesus is calling me to love?

PREPARATION FOR THE SESSION

Adapted from Sacred Space: The Prayer Book 2025

Presense of God: Jesus, As I come to you today, fill my heart, my whole being, with the wonder of your sacred presence. Help me to become more aware of your presence in my life, and more receptive to that presence. I desire to love you as you love me. May nothing ever separate me from you. (1-2 minutes of silence)

Freedom: Jesus, Grant me the grace to have freedom of spirit. Keep me from being bound by desires and actions that are not good for me or others. Cleanse my heart and soul that I may live joyously in your love. (1-2 minutes of silence)

Consciousness: Where am I with God? With others in my life? What am I grateful for? Is there something I am sorry for, words or actions that have hurt others, and which I now regret? I take a moment to ask forgiveness of God and of those whom I have hurt. God, I give you thanks for your constant love and care for me. Keep me always aware of your presence in my life. (2-3 minutes of silence)

OPENING PRAYER

I pray for hope, Lord. Hope for those who are lost, afraid, homeless , lonely and tired, many of whom are invisible to me. Hope for my friends, who are dealing with their own issues and challenges, but who often put on a brave face. Hope for my family members, for their happiness and joy. And finally, hope for myself in times of stress or worry. Teach me to be thankful for all the gifts you give me each day, including life on this earth. Help me to show your face to others in all that I do and say.

COMPANIONS FOR THE JOURNEY

Excerpted from, The Story Revealed, by Rev. William Bausch

The disciples of Jesus were surely disappointed at his pending departure. They loved this man. There was nothing they would not do for him. He was their friend, their teacher, their Lord. Now he would be missing from their company. It was a moment of great sadness. But they did realize that Christ was too big for Galilee, too big for Jerusalem, too big even for earth. The physical world could not contain him. He needed to be set free from the confinements of this earthly body so that his spirit might soar and be accessible to all. They were right, and so that Spirit was bequeathed to them. The Ascension is that turning point, that transitional point. Ascension celebrated the passing on of that Spirit to that assembly of disciples who would collectively be known as the mystical body of Christ, the Church. The Spirit was given to ordinary people to witness to Jesus, to do the works of Jesus in this world, to celebrate his memory and invoke his presence in the sacraments, especially the Eucharist. The Ascension is, then, if you will, our swearing-in time. You are now Church. You are the priesthood of the faithful. You are Christ in the world. Get busy. You have been empowered to witness to the wonderful works of God. Move! Again, from another of Bill Bausch’s books: As an old Quaker story puts it, by accident a lady happened in on a small Quaker congregation. They were all sitting in silence, as Quakers are wont to do. “When does the service begin?”, she whispered to a man sitting near her. His answer: “when the meeting is over.”

LIVING THE GOOD NEWS

What action can you take in the next week as a response to today’s reading and discussion? Keep a private journal of your prayer/actions responses this week. Feel free to use the personal reflection questions which follow.

Reflection Questions:

Have I ever felt deserted by someone in a moment when I needed him/her the most?
Have I ever felt deserted by God?
What did I do?

What have been some important transitions in my life?
Did I celebrate them?
Did I mourn them?

In this version of the last time with Jesus, the disciples have returned to Galilee. What does that indicate to you about their state of mind?
Is it a reminder that Jesus is to be found on our home ground, in ordinary circumstances?

In this passage, although used for the Feast of the Ascension in this particular liturgical cycle, there is not an actual “ascension scene.”Why is that?

This is also on the mountain where the transfiguration took place. Is there a connection between that event and this scene?
What does that tell you about the risen Jesus?
Do I think of heaven as “up there” in outer space somewhere?

How can Jesus be in Heaven and here with us?

In this passage, some disciples doubted. What are my doubts about God?
What are my doubts about the future?

Do I believe that Jesus was also speaking to me on that last day?
Do I believe that I am disciple?
Do I think that they were better prepared, better educated than I am?

Do I believe God wants me to bring hope and healing into the life of another?

Do I have to be perfect to be a witness to Jesus Christ?
Am I afraid to leave my comfort zone?

What is the role of prayer in discerning my commission from Jesus?

What do I do to make the presence of Jesus real to others?
Do I ever teach others about God, Jesus, the Church?

How am I called to preach with my life?

Do I believe Jesus when he says: “And behold, I am with you always.”?
Do I really believe Jesus is with me always?

CLOSING PRAYER

Don’t forget to provide some prayer time at the beginning and at the end of the session (or both), allowing time to offer prayers for anyone you wish to pray for.

Adapted from J. Janda; Julian: A Play based on the life of Julian of Norwich
Life is a precious thing to me
and a little thing
My life is a little thing
When it will end here is Your secret.
And the world is a little thing
In your hand
But it is in Your ever-keeping, It is in Your ever-loving, it is in Your ever-making
How can anything be amiss?
Help me to trust that:
Yes, all shall be well
And all will be well,
And all manner of thing shall be well…

FOR THE WEEK AHEAD

Weekly Memorization: (Taken from the gospel for today’s session) And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.

Meditations:

A Meditation in the Dominican Style/Asking Questions: (This commentary is from Rev Jude Siciliano, O.P.; the questions are mine.) Read today’s first reading--Acts of the Apostles 1:1-11. Thomas Troeger, the famous Presbyterian preacher, in a sermon preached on Ascension Day, recalls the frustration of the disciples and the early church in their waiting and longing for the fulfillment of the reign of God. He says we too know that frustration. After having given our lives over to Jesus Christ, we experience not triumph, but a mixture of triumph and defeat. Has anything really changed? What difference does our faith make? “When will things come together in some whole and enduring pattern?” he wonders. We are wearied by our waiting. With Yeats we voice our longing, “Surely some revelation is at hand; Surely the Second Coming is at hand.” It’s a lament, a prayer of need and dependence. We need help that we cannot provide for ourselves. Troeger invites us to hear again what the early church heard in its anguish and yearning, “It is not for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has established by [God’s] own authority.” How difficult it is for us to hear these words surrounded, as we are, by the kind of events we see and hear on the evening news–pictures and sounds of refugees from war and civil strife, and the scenes of poverty that persist in our prosperous nation. What we have, Troeger reminds us, is the belief that Christ reigns and will send the Holy Spirit to help us live as we must. We cannot force the hand of this Spirit, it is a gift constantly coming upon us. And one that still requires waiting. What am I waiting for? How hard is it to wait? “Wait for the promise of the Lord.” What does that mean for me? If I have not “waited” in the past, but acted too soon, what was the outcome? If I waited too long, what was the outcome? How hard is it to know when the time is right to act?

A Meditation in the Augustinian Style/Relationship: (From Julian of Norwich) For our soul is so wholly united to God, through His own goodness, that between God and our soul nothing can interpose. (Showings, p 259) And so I understood that any man or woman who voluntarily chooses God in their lifetime for love, they may be sure that they are endlessly loved, with an endless love that makes His grace in them. For He wants us to pay true heed to this, that we are as certain in our hope to have the bliss of heaven whilst we are here as we shall be certain of it when we are there. (Showings, p 308) In what areas of your life do you experience hope? Make a list of all the things you are currently hopeful about, and then a list of those things you want to be hopeful about. Then compose your own litany, interposing “Jesus you are our lasting hope” after each item. Pray this litany each day this week.

Meditation in the IgnatianStyle/Imagination: Read the account of Mathew again. Imagine that you are one of the disciples trying to make sense of all that has happened to Jesus. Think of his death, his appearances after death and all that has happened in the last month or so. Then imagine yourself there on that mountain in Galilee. What do you see and hear? What is your reaction to seeing Jesus again on the mountain top? Why would Matthew say that the disciples “worshiped and doubted.” Do we do the same? Why? What is your reaction to the words of Jesus telling you: “And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age?” Have there been times in your life when you have been comforted by the presence of Jesus during difficult times? Close your eyes and thank God for the gift of Jesus’ love and presence in your life.

A Meditation in the Dominican style/Asking Questions: Review the various scripture references to the Ascension event, which are on a separate sheet. Notice that the three synoptic gospel versions close each book, and the Acts version opens the book. (Note, the Gospel of John make no reference to the Ascension event at all) What does that tell you? Which version leaves you still looking for either comfort or more information? Which version speaks to you the most? Read that passage every day this week.

POETIC REFLECTIONS

This frightening poem was written by William Butler Yeats shortly after the First World War, when the world seemed to him to be in chaos and despair. In our present dystopian culture, with its chaos and fear, does the agony of this poem resonate? How is the grim prediction of this poem offset by the poem ASCENSION (by Colleen Hitchcock) which follows?

Excerpted from “The Second Coming”
Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.
Surely some revelation is at hand;
Surely the Second Coming is at hand.
The Second Coming! Hardly are those words out
When a vast image out of Spiritus Mundi
Troubles my sight: somewhere in sands of the desert
A shape with lion body and the head of a man,
A gaze blank and pitiless as the sun,
Is moving its slow thighs, while all about it
Reel shadows of the indignant desert birds.
The darkness drops again; but now I know
That twenty centuries of stony sleep
Were vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle,
And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,
Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?

Ascension
And if I go,
while you’re still here...
Know that I live on,
vibrating to a different measure
—behind a thin veil you cannot see through.
You will not see me,
so you must have faith.
I wait for the time when we can soar together again,
—both aware of each other.
Until then, live your life to its fullest.
And when you need me,
Just whisper my name in your heart,
...I will be there.

—Colleen Hitchcock

6th Sunday of Easter

May 10, 2026

Jesus will always be with us; if we truly love Jesus, we will act like it…

John 14:15-21

Jesus said to his disciples: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always, the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept, because it neither sees nor knows him. But you know him, because he remains with you, and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me, because I live and you will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father and you are in me and I in you. Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me. And whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him.”

REFLECTIONS ON THE GOSPEL

Reflections from “Sacred Space”, a service of the Irish Jesuits

Jesus is aware that the imminent loss of his physical presence will be a big blow for his disciples. He reassures them “‘I will not leave you orphaned”. The loss of his physical presence will be made up to them by the sending of the Holy Spirit, who will be with them permanently. I do not need to rely on my own resources but turn to God who promises to help me, ready to send the Holy Spirit. To be open to the spirit, I must quieten first my body, then my heart. In this time of quiet God teaches me to see my world differently; I don’t act in it alone but am accompanied by God’s ever-present Spirit. Again today Jesus talks about the Holy Spirit, whom he calls the Spirit of Truth. This is the Spirit who reveals to me the truth of who I am —a child of God within whom God lives. I hold within myself a spark of the Divine! I sit quietly with this thought in the presence of God. How does this knowledge make me feel about myself? How does it affect my relationships—because within everyone is that same spark of the Divine. How does it affect my relationship with God? I talk to Jesus about these things. Jesus is aware that the imminent loss of his physical presence will be a big blow for his disciples. He reassures them “‘I will not leave you orphaned”. The loss of his physical presence will be made up to them by the sending of the Holy Spirit, who will be with them permanently. In our changing and increasingly secularised society, one can easily feel a sense of loss and abandonment, but the Holy Spirit continues to guide and inspire us into new and creative forms of communicating the Good News in ways that are relevant to today’s world. I do not need to rely on my own resources but turn to God who promises to help me, ready to send the Holy Spirit. To be open to the spirit, I must quieten first my body, then my heart. In this time of quiet God teaches me to see my world differently; I don’t act in it alone but am accompanied by God’s ever-present Spirit. The Father will give you another Counsellor, the Spirit of Truth; you know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you/. I know, Lord, that the same Holy Spirit joins me to you as joined Jesus to his father. That spirit dwells in me, an abiding presence whose voice can easily be drowned by my everyday plans and concerns. To be open to the spirit, I must quieten first my body, then my heart. Jesus speaks about being still alive even after his death. Mostly we find Jesus to be alive for us in the love of others. There is an energy of love which is connected to the energy of God, for God is love. This is the working of the Spirit of god, alive in love, care and compassion, and in all other good works. Love is evident in action and any activity can be tiring. I do not need to rely on my own resources but turn to God who promises to help me, ready to send the Holy Spirit. Like a bargain-hunter or a bird-spotter, I train my heart to recognise the ways of God. In this time of quiet God teaches me to see my world differently; I don’t act in it alone but am accompanied by God’s ever-present Spirit. The peace that Jesus promises is not an escape from trouble—the peace that the world gives—but rather the courage to face it calmly. As he spoke these words of peace, he was walking out to Gethsemane and his passion. Lord, that is the peace I seek: to be able to face sorrow and pain without the overwhelming fear that all is lost. Jesus’s farewell discourse to his disciples includes a gift of peace. ‘Peace!’ (Shalom) is the normal Jewish greeting and farewell and Jesus uses it when he appears to his disciples after the Resurrection. Originally it meant soundness of body but it came to signify perfect happiness and the liberation that the Messiah was expected to bring. This wholeness is the aim of Jesus’ mission. But it is not the peace as the ‘world’ understands it. Peace for Jesus is not simply the absence of violence. It is something much more positive, much deeper. Paradoxically, it can exist side by side with times of great turmoil. It is something internal, not external. It comes from an inner sense of security, of a conviction that God is with us and in us and that we are in the right place. It is something that not even the threat of death can take away. Again, I imagine Jesus sitting with me here where I am at the moment. I see him looking at me with love and I hear him saying to me “I am giving you my peace”. How do I feel? I sit with Jesus for a while, allowing these words to sink into my heart. Where in my life do I need the peace of Jesus at the moment? Perhaps it’s in a relationship, or in my work, or just in my own heart, peace with myself. Can I talk honestly now to Jesus about my need for peace, asking him to let his peace touch me where I most need it? Once again, these are extraordinary and moving words. Jesus speaks of peace and comforts his friends, hours before he is arrested and his violent and cruel passion begins. Jesus, a political criminal, will be a victim of the pax Romana. This is the “peace” of the Roman Empire, maintaining law and order. The peace Jesus brings is nothing like this…Jesus’ heart too will be “troubled,” during his moment of anguish, in the garden. But for now, he is the one urging confidence and hope. There is even some humour: “if you loved me you would have been glad...” Once again, we are hearing these words in Easter time, knowing that Jesus’ trust in the Father was fulfilled. ”You heard me say: I am going away and I shall return.” We are reminded of the lovely image of Jesus, the servant, going ahead of us to prepare our rooms, and returning to bring us when they are ready. “The prince of the world” is on his way; the darkness which seeks to extinguish the Light. But the Light is stronger: “he has no power over me.” Jesus speaks from the depths of his heart to his dearest friends. He is facing into his Passion. He wants his friends to know that he is with them, his father is with them. Jesus’ farewell wish is ‘Peace!’ His gift of peace is not a state, but a relationship. It is the fruit of deeply abiding in him. This relationship will never fail. It will enable the disciples to endure suffering and rejection. The peace that Jesus gives is available to me; I have to do nothing to receive it. But maybe that’s the problem – I want to do something to earn what Jesus offers as a free gift. Lord, help me to do nothing in this time of prayer but to be ready to receive what you offer. There is a certain peace and joy that comes from knowing and loving God directly, that nothing else can give. Once we know God as source of being, we love all of creation as expressions of this love and goodness. Creation, including all our beloved, are not rivals for God’s love but expressions of God’s love. If you love someone you would want the greatest good of all for them, which is that they would know the peace that surpasses all understanding—a peace the world cannot give on its own—a peace that comes only from knowing and loving God and God’s presence in creation. I thank you Lord for your being, and the miracle of your presence in my life. Lord, I need your gift of peace! So often I find myself unsure, anxious, worried, angry. Talk to me about how you coped when things were out of control in your life, especially at the end. What kept you going? You seem to have had such a deep sense that your Father was with you, and that he was asking you to reveal the limitless scope of divine love for the world.  Help me always to rise from prayer with renewed trust in you as I face the things you want done. May I always act out of love. The peace that Jesus gives is available to me; I have to do nothing to receive it. But maybe that’s the problem—I want to do something to earn what Jesus offers as a free gift. Lord, help me to do nothing in this time of prayer but to be ready to receive what you offer. Jesus’ farewell wish is ‘Peace!’ His gift of peace is not a state, but a relationship. It is the fruit of deeply abiding in him. This relationship will never fail. It will enable the disciples to endure suffering and rejection. Lord, may the prayer of the Sacred Space community shape us to be instruments of your peace in a divided world. As I emerge from prayer each day, may I be more peace-filled than when I began. Throughout the Old and New Testament there are echoes of the words ‘Do not be afraid’ and ‘Do not let your hearts be troubled.’ The evil forces of this world have no power over Jesus, and need have no power over us as his disciples. That is why we need not be afraid. Do I rejoice in the peace which Jesus gives me? Love changes everything, and my troubles and fears are to be put in their place within the limitless love which God has for me. This is the peace Jesus offers, not a life free of challenges or suffering. The peace that Jesus promises is not an escape from trouble—the peace that the world gives—but rather the courage to face it calmly. As he spoke these words of peace, he was walking out to Gethsemane and his passion. Lord, that is the peace I seek: to be able to face sorrow and pain without the overwhelming fear that all is lost. At one of Jesus’ most frightening moments he encourages his friends not to be troubled or fearful. A big message that God gives to us is not to fear. God knows that we are easily made fearful, anxious and troubled. At that moment God walks with us, hand in hand, with deep care, wanting us to be safe. Even when in fear or anxiety, we are safe because we belong to God. In that is our peace. Peace can exist in the heart at times of great turmoil and trouble, pain and illness. The peace of Christ sort of invades us gently and fills the spaces of our personality which are open to peace and often need peace. It is the peace of healing and forgiveness, and the peace which comes from doing what we know to be our calling. Sometimes, even within the toughest times of life, we can sense this peace of Jesus. I repeat Jesus’ promise, making it my prayer for today, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.” I quietly review my life, seeing what has helped my peace, recognising what is broken it down. I think of what I need to do to preserve this gift of peace that Jesus has in heart for me. The troubles that concern me sometimes seems so heavy. Jesus does not just want to take them away but wants to give me instead his gift of peace and of trust. Even as I bring my troubles before the Lord I hear Jesus speak to me saying, ‘Peace, rise, let us be on our way.’ I may not recognise the peace that Jesus gives immediately; it is not like the peace that the world gives and a troubled or fearful heart may miss the blessing. I take some time to dive deeper, beneath the surface concerns of my life, to acknowledge the peace about which Jesus speaks. Jesus blesses me with his peace. It makes me feel reassured and secure. The peace that Jesus gives, however, is followed by an invitation to get up and go. When I recall the words of Jesus and am reminded of what he said, the Holy Spirit is at work. I pray that I may be more aware of the quiet working of God’s Spirit in my life. I pray that my thoughts, inspirations and desires be open to the prompting of the Advocate. I might think of myself as a Temple of the Holy Spirit or I might consider Jesus’ more domestic image as he says that God is ‘at home’ with me. I rest with this thought —that God is comfortable and available in my being. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not them be afraid. We can feel the affection and deep care Jesus has for his friends as he approaches the great crisis of his arrest, passion and crucifixion. He himself is anxious and stressed, but he does his best to encourage his friends to be strong in times of trouble. I hear his soothing and caring words addressed to me, as I share my troubles and fears with him. Jesus promises peace, a peace that the world cannot give. We all yearn for inner peace, for peace in our families and in our communities. We are shocked at wars that seem never-ending, where no one seems willing to seek peace. I ask Jesus for the peace he offers me, I ask for the grace to be like him, bringing peace wherever I am.

First Impressions by Jude Siciliano, OP

Acts 8: 5-8, 14-17; Psalm 66; 1 Peter 3: 15-18; John 14: 15-21

When we preachers tell one another, “I am preaching on Sunday,” the usual response is, “What’s the Gospel?” That’s fine, but the scriptural possibilities for preaching are much richer than just one passage. So today, let’s broaden our scope and look at the riches of another Scripture: the Acts of the Apostles, today’s first reading. The Acts of the Apostles is attributed to Luke the Evangelist. It is important for contemporary readers because it shows how faith moves from belief into action. It is the bridge between the life of Jesus and the life of the Church. Without Acts, Christians might know what Jesus taught, but we would have far less guidance on how disciples actually lived those teachings in real communities. Acts shows believers how the Church began and how it continues to grow. Acts is not just a document about a long-gone past; rather, it reminds modern Christians that the Church was not born fully grown and perfect. It grew slowly through prayer, mistakes, discernment, and courage. These are not ancient values once needed but no longer applicable. Leaders like Peter and Paul struggled and disagreed—sounds familiar? Yet, they also learned to trust the Holy Spirit. That is reassuring for believers today who experience many challenges in the Church. There is a strong message of hope for us in Acts because it teaches that growth often happens through tension and perseverance. Acts emphasizes the role of the Holy Spirit in everyday life. It is a constant reminder to contemporary readers that Christianity is not just about rules and fixed traditions; it is about a living relationship with God’s Spirit. The Spirit guides decisions, strengthens courage, and inspires compassion among us. When we are in conflict, seek wisdom in prayer, hope to reconcile differences, or serve the poor, we are participating in the same Spirit-led mission described in Acts. Acts calls us to be witnesses, not spectators. One of its most important messages is that every believer has a role in the mission of the Church. In Acts, the Gospel spreads not only through apostles and Church leaders but also through ordinary people – families, merchants, refugees, and converts. Acts is important for contemporary believers because it reminds us that faith is perseverance in the face of struggle. Early Christians faced misunderstanding, persecution, and internal disagreements. Many were expelled from their families. Their story encourages us today, especially when we feel discouraged by division, secular pressures, or personal hardships. Acts reminds us that God works through imperfect people and difficult circumstances to accomplish surprising, good. The Acts of the Apostles is important to modern believers because it tells us: the Holy Spirit is still active; the mission of Christ continues; and hope and courage are always possible. Acts is not time-bound. It is not just the story of the first Christians; it is the story of the Church still being written in our own time. We can also see the link between Acts and today’s Gospel. Jesus speaks tenderly to his disciples as he prepares to leave them. He tells them that love is not just a feeling, but a way of living. “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” Love shows itself daily in the choices we make how we treat others, how we forgive, and how we remain faithful even when it is difficult. Jesus also promises that we are not alone. He says his Father will send the Advocate, the Spirit of truth, to remain with us. For those who come to worship each week, this is comforting— a reminder that the Holy Spirit is active in our lives: in our families, in our parish community, and in the quiet moments when we seek guidance. Even when we feel uncertain about the future, God’s Spirit dwells within us, strengthening our determination to live as disciples. Finally, Jesus says, “I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.” These words speak to every believer who has known loss, confusion, and disappointment. Our faith tells us that Christ is present—risen and alive—working with us through every season of our lives. He encourages us to trust his presence and let it shape how we love one another. In the Acts of the Apostles, when the deacon Philip the Evangelist casts out unclean spirits, the story is not only about dramatic exorcisms. It is also a proclamation that the power of Jesus brings freedom, healing, and joy wherever people are bound by forces that diminish their humanity. For us today, in the name of Jesus Christ, “driving out evil spirits” usually means confronting the real forces that enslave hearts, communities, and societies. Most Christians are not called to perform formal exorcisms—that ministry in the Catholic Church is carefully entrusted to trained priests—but every Christian is called to resist evil and promote healing. What might “unclean spirits” mean today? What are the destructive forces that take hold of people and communities? For example: hatred and violence; despair and hopelessness; racism and prejudice; greed and the exploitation of others; fear that paralyzes us; shame that convinces a person they are beyond forgiveness. How can we “drive out” these spirits today? Not primarily by dramatic gestures, but by faithful, everyday discipleship in the spirit of Christ: by prayer, inviting God’s presence into places of darkness; by truth, challenging lies and injustice; by compassion, standing with those who suffer; by forgiveness, breaking cycles of resentment; by community, refusing to leave people alone in their struggle. In short, the Acts of the Apostles is important for contemporary believers because it tells us: The Holy Spirit is still active. The mission of Christ continues. Courage and hope are always possible. It is not just the story of the first Christians—it is the story of the Church still being written in our own time.

Faith Book

Mini-reflections on the Sunday scripture readings designed for persons on the run. “Faith Book” is also brief enough to be posted in the Sunday parish bulletins people take home.

From today’s Gospel Reading: And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always, the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept, because it neither sees nor knows him.

Reflection: Jesus also promises that we are not alone. He says the Father will send the Advocate, the Spirit of truth, to remain with us. This is a comforting reminder that the Holy Spirit is active in our lives—in our families, in our parish community, and in the quiet moments when we seek guidance. Even when we feel uncertain about the future, God’s Spirit dwells within us, strengthening us to live as disciples.

So, we ask ourselves:

• How do my daily actions show my love for Christ?

• When have I sensed the guidance or comfort of the Holy Spirit in my life?

• Is there someone I am being called to love more patiently or generously this week?

Closing Prayer: Lord Jesus, you promised never to leave us alone and to send your Spirit to guide and strengthen us. Help us to show our love for you by the way we live and care for others. Fill our hearts with your peace and make us faithful witnesses to your presence. Amen.

PREPARATION FOR THE SESSION

Adapted from Sacred Space: The Prayer Book 2025

Presence of God: Jesus, As I come to you today, fill my heart, my whole being, with the wonder of your sacred presence. Help me to become more aware of your presence in my life, and more receptive to that presence. I desire to love you as you love me. May nothing ever separate me from you. (1-2 minutes of silence)

Freedom: Jesus, Grant me the grace to have freedom of spirit. Keep me from being bound by desires and actions that are not good for me or others. Cleanse my heart and soul that I may live joyously in your love. (1-2 minutes of silence)

Consciousness: Where am I with God? With others in my life? What am I grateful for? Is there something I am sorry for, words or actions that have hurt others, and which I now regret? I take a moment to ask forgiveness of God and of those whom I have hurt. God, I give you thanks for your constant love and care for me. Keep me always aware of your presence in my life. (2-3 minutes of silence)

OPENING PRAYER

Lord, I need not rely on my own resources if I turn to you who promises to help me, ready to send your Holy Spirit. Open my eyes and heart to recognize your Spirit working within me, sustaining me. Allow me to see your Spirit working within those around me, and free me from judgment about how they individually respond to that Spirit. Help me to understand what it means to keep your great commandment to “love others as I love myself”.

COMPANIONS FOR THE JOURNEY

From ‘First Impressions’, a service of the Southern Dominican Province

Jesus is about to pass to God and he is concerned for the disciples’ well- being; how will they get along without him? In addition, they are in need of consolation in the light of what he is telling them about his departure. They won’t have him with them in the same way; he won’t be there when they need encouragement, prodding, advice or comfort during difficult times. Today’s gospel is part of his farewell speech and reflects his awareness of what is about to happen to him and his concern for those he is leaving behind. This is his last will and testament and he wants to leave them something of great value; but not an inheritance that will rust, wear out, get stolen, cause a squabble, or be irrelevant for future generations of believers. He wants, in a manner of speaking, to leave his descendants the family jewel, the pearl of great price, the unfailing treasure. He is like the parent providing for the children’s future well- being; he is giving them something that will remind them of him, help them to grow together, but also get them through difficult times First, he instructs them: “keep my commandments.” That will be the memorial they will raise in his honor after he is gone—not a tombstone, granite monument, wall mural or triumphant arch. Not even a grand cathedral can be as eloquent a testimony of our love for him. Very simply, before they set about forming a building committee, he wants them to show reverence for him by keeping his commandments. Which commandments? Let’s do a little background and then approach this question. Some have a rather harsh image of God. They envision a distant God, ruling over everything and everyone from an on-high vantage. This God is a ruler and tester, expecting us to live up to a set of regulations and requiring us to pass the “final exam” which weighs our accomplishments against our transgressions. In this perception, Jesus’ role was crucial: to go before God and assuage God’s anger over our sins. God was deeply offended by our sin and Jesus was our Advocate before a fearsome God. We needed him to get us on the straight and narrow and die to appease an angry God. God and the Son are kind of like a “good cop, bad cop” duo. Jesus is our “good cop” persuading us in a nice tone of voice to change our lives. If we don’t, we get the “bad cop” who will shout, pound the desk, threaten us with punishment and scare us to reform. In this perspective of our situation before God, the Advocate is seen as our ongoing intercessor before the throne of God. In other words, the Advocate becomes our next lawyer after Jesus leaves, our defense attorney before the throne of the Judge. Scratch the surface and we will find that in the way some speak about God and how they pray---- a lot of people in our congregations still hold these notions of God. Another perspective is necessary, one that fulfills the hope Jesus has for us in the gospel, especially in this last discourse section in John’s gospel (chapters 14-17). There he promises to take us to a place of intimate union with God. Maybe we need the Advocate, not to argue our case to God, but to argue God’s case to us. The Advocate Jesus will send his followers, will intercede on God’s behalf and remind us of God’s love for us and help us live Jesus’ way of love for others. The Advocate will persuade us and enable us to do what Jesus tells his disciples, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” Jesus’ commandments are about love; we are asked to love as he loved. At the table he had just demonstrated this love by his washing the disciples’ feet; he will further demonstrate his self-giving love the next day by giving his life on their behalf. Such love will require an enormous bigness of spirit and persevering commitment. These days, battered and struggling, we pray for the healing of all those harmed by the sickness and crimes of our past and present. We pray too in this breaking-open- time that we have the courage to face the truth and make whatever changes we must make in our society and in our church. We are encouraged this day in Jesus’ promise that we are not left as orphans. We need a loving and strong parental hand to guide us on our path to become the community that faithfully reflects Christ’s loving and caring presence in the world. In almost every verse of today’s gospel passage Jesus assures us that we will not be left on our own—“another Advocate to be with you always”...”You are in me and I in you”... “reveal myself to him/her.” Jesus is just like a mother giving last orders to her children before she leaves the house (“no fighting, go to bed on time, wash your dishes, not too much television, do your homework, etc.”). A person’s last words before parting usually sum up the essentials. These are Jesus’ last words and he repeats himself because he wants to make a point, “No matter how bad it gets or how severely you mess up remember, I will not abandon you.”

LIVING THE GOOD NEWS

What action can you take in the next week as a response to today’s reading and discussion? Keep a private journal of your prayer/actions responses this week. Feel free to use the personal reflection questions which follow.

Reflection Questions

I think of a time in my life when I felt “orphaned”—left out or abandoned by friends or loved ones, or maybe even a colleague or professor.

What, in our society, writ large, creates a sense of abandonment?
Is there anything in my current life right now that makes me feel abandoned and alone?
Is this a time to pray?

What in our present world, cannot accept the “Spirit of Truth”?
What has to happen for this to change?
What in myself do I have to change?

Jesus said: “Because I live, you also will live.” Do I believe this?

Do I find Jesus’ love for me in the love of others?

Jesus, in his last discourse to his beloved disciples, promised to send his Spirit--also known as the Paraclete, which could be translated as comforter, advocate, counselor, helper. (Paraclete is never translated as a bird; I’m jes’ sayin’). Which of those translations of the term Paraclete speaks to me the most?

Paul never met Jesus, yet he felt the strong presence of the Spirit of Jesus within him, which made his extraordinary missionary work possible.
How do I access the Spirit of God within me?

Have Iever felt the presence of God in my life, assuring me that I am not alone?
What signs around me help meto be aware of God’s presence in my life?
Is it ever too late to recognize the presence of God in my life?

Do I have hope?
Can I explain why I do so?
What voices and motivations in my life keep me from hearing the voice of your Spirit within me?

What is my motivation for living as I should—fear of God, or love of God? What is the difference?

Do you read a difference between the phrase “Keep the Commandments”, and the Phrase “Keep my commandments”?? If so, how would you list the commandments in each category?

Which of Jesus’ commandments is the hardest for you? Which is the easiest?

What would qualify a person as a “real Christian?”
What daily practices would they have to observe?  
What basic knowledge must they have?
Does keeping Jesus’ commandments mean the absence of bad behavior or something more?

Father Paul O’Reilly, S.J., once wrote: “Love is not in words; it is in actions”. Do you agree?
How does that impact your understanding of the commandments we are to keep?

The reverend William Sloane Coffin once said: “If we fail in love, we fail in all things.” Do I agree or disagree?
In what ways did I love today?
In what ways did I not love today?
What can I do about the “not loving” part?

For John, faith is to be in a loving relationship with Jesus. What is my understanding of faith?

What is the role of prayer in my personal life?
What is the role of guilt in my personal life?
What is the role of “doing” Jesus’ commandments in my personal life?

CLOSING PRAYER

Don’t forget to provide some prayer time at the beginning and at the end of the session (or both), allowing time to offer prayers for anyone you wish to pray for.

Lord, the peace that I seek is not necessarily freedom from care, although that would be nice. The peace you give is the ability to face uncertainty, disappointment, failure and sorrow without the overwhelming fear that all is lost.. Strengthen me in adversity and in joy so that I may live in your love through attention to and fulfillment of your command to love unconditionally. I pray that others may experience your presence and comfort when they are facing adversity or loss. May I be a presence and comfort to them as your representative on this earth.

FOR THE WEEK AHEAD

Weekly Memorization
From the gospel for today’s session….I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.

Meditations

A Meditation in the Dominican Style/Asking Questions: (Adapted from “First Impressions”) Jesus isn’t speaking about how we feel towards others.  How could he command us to "feel" love for another?  How could we maintain such a feeling for those we barely know; people not in our family?  It’s a lifetime effort to act lovingly towards those we do feel love for, so how could we possibly have and convey those feelings toward others who are strangers?  Even enemies? Jesus’ teaching is not merely about liking a person. Rather, he wants us to make an act of our will and do what is for another’s good.  It’s not about liking everyone because, I don’t know about you, I don’t! How can we mere humans, who have a mental list of those we love, those we like, and those we dislike, ever live up to Jesus’ commandment of love?  We already know the answer to that: on our own, we can’t. But Jesus makes some promises to us today that make what he asks of us possible. Jesus is soon to depart, but the Spirit he sends back will never leave us on our own, “I will not leave you orphans.” How often do I, in my personal prayer life, address myself to the Spirit, who is with me always? Towards whom, in my life, do I find it difficult to act lovingly? How do I continue to love this person as Jesus would? Have I ever called out to Jesus for help and in my heart felt the presence of his Spirit standing with me, to help me be the kind of loving person I am called to be? I pray in thanksgiving for those moments of comfort and strength.

A Meditation in the Augustinian Style/Relationship: (Adapted from “Sacred Space” 2023, a service of the Irish Jesuits) I imagine Jesus sitting with me here where I am at the moment, I see him looking at me with love and I hear him saying to me: “I give you peace”. How do I feel? Where in my life do I need the peace of Jesus at the moment? Can I talk honestly now to Jesus about my need for peace in relationships, work, or just in my own heart? “I give you peace”. I sit with Jesus for a while, allowing these words to sink into my heart.

A Meditation in the Ignatian Style/Imagination: I read Luke 8: 22-25 (Jesus calms the storm). In this story, Jesus has been standing in a boat to teach the crowds because there are so many people along the shore of the lake who have come to see and hear him. I imagine how tired Jesus must be after trying to come up with parables to explain his message and then projecting his voice for several hours to so many people. Then I imagine that I am one of the disciples to whom he gives orders to go to the other side of the lake. As I start rowing, what does Jesus do? I try to picture the size of the boat, the look of the sky above as the storm blows in. I imagine the sound and feel of the wind, the waves, the water coming inside the boat. Is the water cold? Am I wet? afraid? What is Jesus doing now? Why do I wake him? Am I afraid we will drown if the boat goes down? Do I want him awake to share my fear? Do I think he can do anything to help? What does Jesus do when he is awakened? Am I surprised? How do I feel when he turns to me and asks why I am frightened? What kind of faith did he expect me to have? I reflect on the times I have been in a panic and turned to God—did I think God would ignore my well-being unless I begged for help? Did I ever stop to consider that God is watching out for me always, whether I know it or not?

POETIC REFLECTION

Janet Lewis, in The Dear Past, looked to the Last of the Mohicans as inspiration for a prayer of trust when we are spiritually, physically or emotionally lost. See if it somehow reflects the thoughts of today’s readings.

Four Hymns
Let us lift up our grateful Hearts to Thee
Who are the light of all who strangely roam.
Thy rod, thy staff, shall ever comfort be,
Thy love shall never fail to guide us home.
In our own hearts we find a wilderness,
lurking despair and hidden cruelty;
From mindless fear, from blind revengefulness
Shield us so that we may come unharmed to thee.
Lord God, who art the sum
of mercy and of love,
Though we are far from home,
And lost the way thereof,
Let us not blindly roam
But to thy kingdom come.
All loving God, in my most deep despair,
As I am Thine, receive my trembling soul.
For in Thy will, in Thy will only rest
Hope and salvation and acceptance blest.