Love One Another
The Gospel is from John 15:9-17
The homilist is Fr. Blaise Berg
This week, we continue to reflect on a section of the “Farewell Discourses,” which fill chapters 14 through 17 in the Gospel of John.
Along with the apostles, we prepare to bid farewell to Jesus before He ascends to the Father on the Feast of the Ascension.
Among Jesus’ last words is the command to love one another as He loves us. To carry out this command means that we are to love everyone without restrictions.
This is the mark of a Christian… and the mark of authentic Christian love is that it makes all human and divine relationships new.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Remain In Me, As I Remain In You
The Gospel is from John 15:1-8
The homilist is Fr. Blaise Berg
When Jesus tells us that He is the vine and we are the branches, it’s clear that He is the only reason we exist.
We cannot live without Christ, just as we cannot breathe without air. Everything we do during the day, should be seen in this light.
Our daily lives should be permeated by spiritual exercise.
In the Second Reading, St. John makes it clear that our activity needs to be founded on a contemplative spirit.
Allowing God to prune away our unfruitfulness through life’s challenges, the Sacrament of Confession and in other ways, helps form us into contemplative-active, spiritual disciples of Christ.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
The Good Shepherd Lays Down His Life For His Sheep
The Gospel is from John 10:11-18
The Gospel is proclaimed by Deacon Steve Schwartz
The homilist is Fr. Blaise Berg
On “Good Shepherd Sunday” and on the “World Day of Prayer for Vocations,” we give thanks and praise to the Good Shepherd, our Lord Jesus Christ, for looking after us, protecting us, guiding us and dying for us.
Each of us is called to holiness, whether one is single, married or consecrated the Lord as a religious or a priest.
Each of us has the task of doing a self-examination from time to time, to see how well we have responded to the voice of the Good Shepherd.
Jesus never tires of calling our name. We pray that we might respond with full hearts to his loving invitation.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
See Me, Touch Me
The Gospel is from Luke 24:35-48
The homilist is Fr. Blaise Berg
By giving us an extended period to celebrate Easter, the Church invites us to enter into the concrete joy of this Resurrection.
The joy of Jesus’ rising from the dead is experienced by those who encounter our risen Lord.
When the risen Christ meets with his followers after his Resurrection, often He reminds them that the purpose of his dying and rising is founded on the forgiveness of sins. We witness to the Resurrection by seeking God’s forgiveness in the sacrament of Confession.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
What St. Thomas Teaches Us
The Gospel is from Jn 20:19-31
The Gospel is proclaimed by Deacon Steve Schwartz
The homilist is Fr. Blaise Berg
St. Thomas is criticized because he doubted that Jesus had really risen from the dead.
Thomas made two mistakes.
• First, he removed himself from the community
• Second, he relied too much on his experience
In his mercy, Jesus showed Thomas his mistakes and challenged him to live his faith more strongly and trustingly.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
The Resurrection Offers Us a Second Chance
The Gospel is Jn 20:1-9
The homilist is Fr. Blaise Berg
On Easter morning, the first information that Saints Mary Magdalene, Peter and John received was that Jesus’ dead corpse had been stolen.
To rise from the dead was something that went beyond their initial understanding.
Yet, when they experienced the Resurrection of Jesus first-hand, they were able to grasp it. Mary, Peter and John became strong witnesses to the power of the Resurrection.
Easter is all about being given a second chance and making a decision. If we truly believe that Jesus rose from the dead, then our words, thoughts and actions need to reflect our belief.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Homily: Mass for Palm Sunday (Extraordinary Form)
The Homily is entitled: Jesus of Nazareth
The Epistle is from Phillipians 2:5-11
The Gospel is Mt 27:45-52
The homilist is Fr. Blaise Berg
In the second volume of his beautiful work “Jesus of Nazareth”, Pope Benedict reflects on the scriptural accounts of the Last Supper, Our Lord’s arrest, crucifixion and Resurrection.
Regarding the timing of the Last Supper, the Holy Father argues (as St. John recounts) that it took place on the preparation day for the Passover and not the Passover itself (as the Synoptics report).
With this timing, according to John, Jesus dies at the same time as the lambs are being slaughtered in the temple area in preparation for the Passover feast.
Jesus is the true Lamb and the true King whose throne is the Cross. We pray that we may walk with him with devotion and love to the Cross.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Jesus’ Prayer
The Gospel is Jn 12:20-33
The homilist is Fr. Blaise Berg
In order to understand the words of the Author to the Letter of the Hebrews, it is important to look at what Jesus means when he speaks of his “troubled” feelings and “glorification.”
A superficial interpretation will not suffice. Our Lord’s glory lies in His willingness to die to self. We bathe in the Lord’s glory when we follow his example.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
The Homily is entitled: Live in the Light
The Reading is from Ephesians 5: 8-14
The homilist is Fr. Michael Baricautro
The Letter of St. Paul is brilliant and challenging. It goes to the heart of the Christian calling: either choose to live in the light or live in darkness.
It has special bearing to those preparing for the sacrament of initiation.
Once baptized, we are no longer of darkness but are commanded to live as children of light, producing every kind of goodness and righteousness and truth.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Jesus Gets Personal
The Gospel is Jn 2:13-25
The homilist is Fr. Blaise Berg
We find the connection between the Gospel and the First Reading when we realize that Jesus not only wants the temple cleansed, but also our temple which is our bodies, where the Holy Spirit dwells, the Father creates and the Son shines through.
True worship of God, as defined in the first three Commandments, means that we allow God into our lives, our souls and our bodies which are temples of the Holy Spirit so that we can truly worship God free from any clutter that obstructs His grace.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
