Second Sunday of Easter_C - Divine Mercy Sunday_042725

Deacon Tom Writes   

“Peace Be with You!”

Second Sunday of Easter (or Sunday of Divine Mercy), Year C

Today on the Octave of Easter we celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday. It is the eighth day after Jesus’ triumphant victory over death, the reason for our wholehearted joy today. It is fitting that we reflect on God’s unconditional and constant love for us on this day that has been set aside in honor God’s Divine Mercy for it is thorough God’s Mercy we were redeemed by the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross.

We read today about the life of Jesus’ Apostles and the early days of the church. They weren’t looking to establish a religion to rival their own cherished Jewish faith. They had no such grandiose plans to create a new, competitive spiritual organization. Their simple intention was to spread the word about all they had seen and heard as they experienced the life and ministry of Jesus. They had to keep Jesus’ story alive. And, to this end, they were very successful, as we read today, “…the people esteemed them” as they themselves, like their teacher, worked signs and wonders among their fellow Jews. The Apostles were sharing the powers that they had received from the Holy Spirit, “On the evening of that first day of the week.” Enlivened by the Holy Spirit they left the room they had locked themselves in and fearlessly began to proclaim the Gospel, the Good News, the evangelion, that God’s reign had begun. And the people were eager to hear that Good News, for not only were “…great numbers of men and woman were added to them,” but also, “…the sick and those disturbed by unclean spirits … were all cured.” And so, it began!



Today it might be a good exercise for us to ask ourselves in what ways God has shown us his mercy and reflect on the many ways God’s Mercy has touched our lives. We may recall the words with which Jesus greeted his Apostles as we begin our contemplation, “Peace be with you.” It is so fitting for us to call to mind the peace of Christ for most of us are desperate for God’s peace, a peace the world cannot give. In the shadow of Christ’s rising from the dead and being witnesses to the chaotic and fragmented world around us, Christians should desire to be filled with Christ’s gentle spirit and humble heart. After all, we’re no different than those people who heard and witnessed the Apostles and followed them. They were looking for inner peace within themselves, peace in their families and neighbors, and in the world around them; they too were eager to ease their troubled hearts and be connected with inner peace of the risen Lord. Don’t we all?

As we witness the horrific tragedies taking place in the Ukraine and see first-hand the suffering of so many new refugees, let’s strive to find little ways to bring God’s peace into our lives and the lives of our family and friends around us. We are summoned to be instruments of Christ’s peace because we have experienced God’s love and mercy in so many ways. We have the power to bring good out of evil if we but help lighten the burden of those whose suffering is unimaginable. No one can do everything to ease the suffering of the many around us BUT, everyone can do some one thing. We are the One Body of Christ... and we need to act as the One Body of Christ, in our effort to bring God’s Love, Mercy and Compassion to all.

Enjoy the day!
Deacon Tom

Please Visit www.deaconspod.com and listen in as the three deacons engage in a contemporary conversation exploring the treasures our Catholic faith has to offer to those on the threshold, those thinking of joining our Catholic Community or walking away from it.

 

OTHER RESOURCE

Recommended Reading:

Living Justice by Fr. Thomas Massaro, S.J., He is professor of moral theology at Fordham University. His books and articles are devoted to Catholic social teaching and its recommendations for public policies oriented to social justice, peace, worker rights, and poverty alleviation.

 

Podcast Recommendation:

Busted Halo Show with Fr. Dave Dwyer, C.S.P. Join in to the Busted Halo podcast to hear a reflection on Pope Francis and His Papacy with John Allen, Jr.

Easter Vigil_C - Nonsense_042025

Deacon Tom Writes,

“Nonsense”

 

Easter Sunday, The Resurrection of the Lord , The Mass of Easter Day, Year C

 

For many people the story of that first Easter morning is sheer nonsense. Even the Apostles didn’t believe it at first when the women told them they had seen Jesus.  And the passage of time hasn’t made believing any easier. As a matter of fact, the dawning of the age of cynicism and the challenges of living in a materialistic society are formidable obstacles to having any faith in anything today, let alone belief in the resurrection of the dead.

 

Let’s face it we all have doubts!  We all have a little bit of “Thomas” in us, the Thomas who would not believe until he put his hands into the wounds where the nails had been. Thomas was lucky; he was able to see with his own eyes. But we fall into that “blessed” category, as in, “Blessed are they who have not seen and have believed”.   

 

Many people of our day have abandoned their faith completely. Others are “casual worshipers” whose faith is a matter of convenience. We seem to have lost that excitement, the awesome bewilderment of what lies in store for those who believe in Jesus, who, by His Resurrection, tells us that one-day we too will rise from the dead.  It really does seem too good to be true.

 

Our journey of faith is a gradual one. We grow a little at a time; we mature in our faith slowly. A prayerful spirit, a generous heart, charitable words and deeds deepen our faith and peal away our skepticism and disbelief and Jesus becomes real to us. When Jesus is a part of our lives, when we know that He lives, we experience today’s remarkable story with excitement and joy knowing with absolute certainty that Jesus is not to be found among the dead. And, although it sounds like nonsense, for those who believe, death will not get the last word. For we were all created to live in the kingdom where Jesus, the firstborn from the dead, will reign forever.  

 

Happy Easter!

Deacon Tom

 

Palm Sunday_C - For Crying Out Loud_0041325

Deacon Tom Writes,

“For Crying Out Loud” 

Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion, Year C

 

The tide of public opinion can change quickly. But the tide of public opinion is often nothing more than the collective mindset of the crowd that happens to prevail at any particular moment. Today the crowd gathers to welcome Jesus and to sing his praises. Why not? He has a good reputation. He speaks kind words. He does good things. He even challenges the religious leaders. Word of his good adventures has spread throughout the land. He is a healer, worker of miracles and an advocate for the poor and disheartened. To some he is a prophet; to others he is the Messiah; to the religious authorities, he is a pain in the .... well, let’s just say that he is a big problem!

 

Word spreads throughout Jerusalem that Jesus has arrived in the city to celebrate Passover with his friends and many turn out to welcome him. The people are in a festive mood and they greet Jesus waving their palm branches and raising a chorus of “Hosanna,” for somehow, they recognize the presence of God in their midst. As the spirit of hope fills the air, the Pharisees, the ones for whom Jesus is a problem, tell him to, “Rebuke your disciples”. They could not tolerate to see the adulations the people were placing upon him. But Jesus responds, “If they were to keep quiet, I tell you, the very stones would cry out.” (Lk 19:40)

 

What a difference a few days can make. As Jesus stands before Pilate several days later, the Pharisees don’t appeal to Jesus to control his disciples; instead, they’re fueling the crowd’s ignorance, stirring them up to advance their agenda – to get rid of the thorn in their side, Jesus. The finger pointing, the false accusations, the skillful manipulation of the emotions of the crowd work in their favor and Jesus is condemned to death. (Aren’t we all too familiar with this technique)??? The only spirit at work in the crowd on that day is the hardness of heart that, to this day, continues to blind many to God’s presence in their lives.

 

Our scripture readings today help us to see Jesus as both the hope for and the scourge of our world. For believers Jesus is the, “Way, the truth, and the life”. For others Jesus is a hindrance, an obstacle to living a life unchecked, unrestrained by any moral or ethical code. With Jesus out of the way, there are no restrictions to living a self-absorbed, it’s all about me, taking care of number one, a selfish, indifferent to the needs and suffering of others lifestyle. Any good that one may do in this state is done solely because it gives one individual pleasure, a sense of feeling good. There is no sense of any common good, let alone any awareness of belonging to the “Mystical Body of Christ.”

 

I suspect that many of the people in the crowd on Good Friday were also there to greet Jesus on Palm Sunday. Today we have a chance to imagine what we would have done if we were present at these two remarkably polarizing events. Better yet, we can look into our lives and see what crowds we side with today. Being champions of the poor, the alienated, the marginalized and the abused is the best way to let our hosannas rise above the crowd around us.

 

Enjoy the day!

Deacon Tom

 

Please Visit www.deaconspod.com and listen in as the three deacons engage in a contemporary conversation exploring the treasures our Catholic faith has to offer to those on the threshold, those thinking of joining our Catholic Community or walking away from it.

 

OTHER RESOURCE

Recommended Reading: Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis who explores the common ground upon which all of the Christian Faiths stand together.

 

Recommended YouTube Video: Shortest Way Home: C.S. Lewis & Mere Christianity

 

Fifth Sunday of Lent_C - Old Problems - New Solutions_040625

Image Credit: Song of David by Hilary Sylvester

Deacon Tom Writes,

“Old Problem – New Solution”

 

Fifth Sunday of Lent, Year C

 

The language in today’s readings tells us how much the Lord does on our behalf… “The Lord… opens… ways in the sea / paths in mighty waters.” … “The Lord does something new.”  The Responsorial Psalm proclaims, “The Lord is doing great things for us, we are filled with joy.”

 

In today’s gospel, Jesus had another difficult encounter with the scribes and the Pharisees. They bring a woman who, witnesses say, committed adultery. They want Jesus’ opinion on whether they should put her to death. It’s a trick question and Jesus is aware of their insincerity. So, offering no opinion of his own as to the merits of the Mosaic Law, he simply tells the authorities and crowd that had gathered earlier to hear him teach, “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”

 

Jesus avoids their trap and sets their heads, and ours, spinning. Not surprisingly, Jesus had no takers. When everyone has left, Jesus is alone with the woman. The exchange between them is profound. “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She replied, “No one, sir.” Then Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go and from now on do not sin any more.”

 

The new approach to the OLD problem of “sin” that Jesus demonstrates today is the NEW way of compassion. It is subtle yet profound. Jesus knows that the woman before him is frightened and ashamed. She may have even preferred death by stoning than public humiliation. Yet Christ does not condemn her for her sin, he does not quote her the citation from Leviticus she was guilty of violating; he does not accuse or blames or point the finger. He does none of these. What he does do is encourage her to go and sin no more. He gives her a new beginning, a fresh start.

 

What a grace-filled, inciteful, affirmative way to encourage someone to make a course correction in their lives. You are familiar with the expression, “You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink!” So too in our own experiences and those of our brothers and sisters in Christ. Being there to help others in their time of crisis, simply being available without judging or condemnation has the possibility of setting into motion real healing and the desire to make necessary changes in our lives. Or, as Jesus said, “Go and sin no more.”

 

What a new way to fix a persistent problem. What an experience of freedom… What a practice to make our own the remainder of this Lent, to remember that it is God who stands in judgment and it is our job to simply be there to listen and give comfort whenever the opportunity arises. Because who doesn’t like a fresh start every once in a while? Who doesn’t like the slate wiped clean every now and again? That’s the heart of the Easter message: Jesus will give all who follow his ways a fresh start by raising us to new life with him this Easter!

 

Enjoy the day!

Deacon Tom

 

 

Please Visit www.deaconspod.com and listen in as the three deacons engage in a contemporary conversation exploring the treasures our Catholic faith has to offer to those on the threshold, those thinking of joining our Catholic Community or walking away from it. 

OTHER RESOURCE

Recommended Reading:  Christ Among Us by Anthony J Wilhelm C.S.P is one of the most popular guides to modern Catholicism.

 

 

Recommended YouTube Video: The Spirituality of Everyday Life, Part 2 by Thomas Keating, O.C.S.O