A reflection for the 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B. The readings are, Wisdom 1:13-15, 2:23-24; Psalm 30; 2 Corinthians 8:7, 9, 13-15 and Mark 5:21-43.
God did not make death. That’s what I kept thinking last Saturday. You see, I was in Poland and last Saturday I had the chance to spend the day at the memorial at the Auschwitz-Birkenau extermination camps. All I kept thinking was, “God did not make death.” But there was a lot of death at Auschwitz.
Between 1940 and 1945, some 1.2 million men, women and children were brought by the Nazis to the extermination camps of Auschwitz and Birkenau in Nazi-occupied Poland. Of these, 90% were killed and of those who were killed, about 90% were Jews. People would be brought to Auschwitz in box train cars (for cattle). When they arrived, they would be forced off the trains and separated by gender: men to one side and women to the other. Then they would be separated again: Those who were deemed suitable for work and those not suitable for work. If you were found not suitable for work, you would be sent directly to the gas chamber. 75% of the people who arrived in Auschwitz never stayed there; they went straight from the train into the gas chamber. Among them, a Jewish woman converted to Catholicism by the name of Edith Stein and her sister Rosa. Edith Stein was a Carmelite Sister and is now known as St. Teresa Benedicta of Cross.
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A reflection on the Solemnity of the Ascension, cycle B. The readings are Acts 1:1-11, Psalm 47, Ephesians 1:17-23 and Mark 16:15-20.
I was speaking at a high school recently and I did my usual spiel about having one destination (Heaven) and then I say that actually there are two destinations but the second one is not such a great option. I want the kids to know that they have to aim for Heaven. Afterwards, the chaplain, who’s a good friend of mine, said to me, “I know why you tell the kids that they have to aim for Heaven, but for some of these kids that’s so far away. These are kids who are dealing with addiction and abuse issues, with gender issues and the breakup of the family. They need to know how to live right here on earth. And I thought, “That’s exactly why I tell them about Heaven.” Heaven is the anchor that helps us navigate through life.
Catholic singer, Sarah Hart has a great song that says, “any road will do if you have no destination.” Heaven is our destination. Knowing that helps us pick the right road: We keep our eyes on Heaven and our feet planted right here on earth.
And then I thought that this is in part what the Ascension story is about.
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A reflection for the 4 Sunday of Easter, Cycle B. The readings are Acts 4:8-12, Psalm 118, 1 John 3:1-2 and John 10:11-18.
I don’t own sheep nor do I know the first thing about sheep. But I do own a dog.
Have I told you about our dog? We own a 9-year-old, 85lbs, blond, golden retriever by the name of Max. And Max knows my voice. Max hears my voice. If I say, “Max come,” he comes. If I say, “sit,” he sits. “Lie down,” he lies down. If I say, “Max stay,” he stays… most of the time – at least for a little bit. If some food falls on the floor and I say, “Max leave it!” he leaves it. Max hears my voice very well… when we’re inside the house. If he’s in the yard and I call him, he probably will come, eventually. But if I whistle, he comes right away, because he knows that a whistle means he’s going to get a treat. Our hope is that if he’s ever off running down the street, we can whistle and he’ll come straight home. It hasn’t happened yet. If Max were out in the field or in a forest, it’s likely that, if I call him home, he won’t come – not immediately anyway. Now, if I were to bring Max into Church one Sunday and I called him, I’m pretty sure that he would not come. Not with 300 new people to smell and say hello to. There are just too many distractions that are more interesting than me. See, Max knows my voice; he hears my voice; but he doesn’t always listen.
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A reflection for the 3rd Sunday in Easter, Cycle B. The readings are Acts 3:13-15, 17-19; Psalm 4
1 John 2:1-5a and Luke 24:35-48.
When reading and praying about these readings, I came across a homily by Fr. Richard J. Fairchild of Spirit Networks. He used three stories that really illustrate what I’d like to share with you today, and so I am sharing them as part of this reflection. I hope that, as his sharing them allowed them to touch me, my sharing them now with you, will help the Word of God touch your heart.
There was once an explorer who, after many years in the Amazon, returned home to England, where he proceeded to share with everyone he met about his wonderful adventures. But he really struggled with really sharing the reality of the Amazon. He could draw pictures and maps, he could write stories and descriptions but, how could he describe the taste of a tropical fruit or the smells of the tropical flowers that he had discovered. How could he describe the sounds of the exotic birds at sun down? So he shared as much and encouraged people to go to the Amazon themselves. He gave them clear descriptions as to how to get there and how to prepare for such a trip. He told them how to avoid dangers and gave them all the information they needed. His adventures were well received. In fact, an organization was founded and a museum was opened so people could read his writings and look at his pictures and maps. Everyone was very excited to learn about the Amazon, but no one went. Years later, the museum still stands and many have studied the writings and descriptions of his journey. There are many experts on his journey and many people who now know about the Amazon because of him – but no one really knows the Amazon, because no one ever went after he did. Read more…
deacon pedro 