Ordinary Time Cycle A

Second Sunday of Easter cycle A

April 28, 2019

Review the Readings

 

Listen to the Readings

 

 

 

 

We all know the Gospel story about the doubting of Saint Thomas.

In spite of the fact that the other apostles and some of the disciples told Saint Thomas that Jesus was resurrected, that he had appeared to them, Thomas refuses to believe.

 
When struggles and sufferings came for St. Thomas, he withdrew from the community and isolated himself.  Thomas, as were all,  was devastated by the death of Jesus.

 

Each of us have been like St. Thomas at certain times in our life when the bottom has fallen out of our plans.

When struggles and difficulties come, when we are filled with doubts and fears; it is very difficult to believe that all we are going through is God's plan for us on our journey to eternal life.  We too, like Tomas, doubt.

 

 

Jesus comes again to the Apostles in hiding so that Thomas can come to believe.  We see the great mercy and patience Jesus has for the doubter.  And that is certainly true for each of us, even in those moments when we are like Thomas.

 

 

St. John's Book of Revelation, the second reading, was written in a time of great persecution of the new Christians. It was a time when struggles and sufferings were very prevalent in the church.

 

 

 

Saint John shared with Christians in their stress and sufferings that were taking place.  But he tells the Christians to not be afraid.  A voice lets him know that..."I am the first and the last. the one who lives. Do not be afraid."

 

Each of us needs to hang onto these words, especially in those moments when we are given the cross, the sufferings, the stresses, etc. which are a part of our journey to eternal life.  Thomas came out of his isolation and returned to the community and there he too experienced the Resurrected Jesus

We too, need to pray for the grace to not isolate ourselves from the community, from the Church.

 

The first reading taken from acts of the apostles verifies that the Christian community was in great distress when they heard of the death of Jesus Christ. They, like us, were filled with fear when things did not go the way they thought they should go.

 

 

 

This first reading describes what happened to the disciples after Pentecost.

They began to understand that in the doubts and fears and struggles was where they would meet God.  They began to take the message of Jesus to all the world, and without fear or doubt.

 

 

We, like those first Apostles and disciples, at moments, want a world without struggles or problems.  We want a messiah who will take it all away now.  What they came to understand from Jesus was that suffering and death are a part of the journey which leads to that eternal peace which we all long for.  It will come, but probably not in the way that we expect.

 

 

Alleluia Christ is Risen

Allelluia Christ is Truly Risen

 

Fifth Sunday of Lent Cycle A Mass with RCIA

April 7, 2019

 

 

Below Readings for Mass with RCIA cycle A

 

Review the Readings...Mass with RCIA

Listen to the Readings...Mass with RCIA

 

Below...Reflection on Readings For Cycle A  Scrutinies with RCIA at Mass

 

 

 

 

 In the first reading, Jerusalem had been destroyed and the people taken into exile to Babylon, in 587 BC.

They had forgotten all that God had done for them in the past, and now they had lost everything.

Ezekiel, a priest in the temple in Jerusalem, up to 597 BC., had warned the people that they needed to return to God, but they would not listen.

 

 

 

Eventually, they were all taken into Exile, along with the prophet Ezekiel.

Needless to say, the people, now in captivity in Babylon were really down, depressed and they had given up. There seemed to be no hope.  They seemed dead and without hope.

 This is the background to the first reading we hear.

The prophet told them that even though they seemed dead and hopeless...

...God would raise them up again.

Courage.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the second reading, Paul writes his letter from prison. He encourages the Roman Christians, who faced many struggles, not to give up, not to turn to the flesh, to the things of the world for happiness, but to stay with the truth that they had been given. He tells them this is the real hope for all, not what the world gives.

 

 

It is hard in difficult times, when all seems to be against us, when nothing seems to go right. Then there is a great temptation to turn to the things of the world, to find some relief, to find some escape.  Then is the time to remember our call at baptism, and to again realize that God will never abandon us.  We have been called.  

Lent has been about us facing our difficulties and challenges in order to find eternal life.

 

 

Psalm 130, which we will respond to this Sunday, can give us hope and courage when we are down.

 

With the Lord there is mercy and fullness of redemption 

 

 

 

 

The Gospel comes for all of us when we are in the dumps. In those experiences of death, of seeing our sins, of facing our disappointments, etc........

 

 

 

........Christ comes to give us new life.

Wow! What a merciful, compassionate, forgiving God. Truly, through death comes life.

 

 

 

We will again hear the story of Lazarus, who had died.

 We all know the story...

 

We too, are called out of whatever tomb we may be in right now.

We, like Lazarus, are called out of our tombs and to not be afraid.

Every day we need to pray for the courage to hear that voice that calls us.  

Will we listen?  

Or will we stay within our tombs of resentment, our lack of compassion and forgiveness, our desire for revenge, our wanting things go our way,etc.

 

 

 

 

 Will we hear Christ's voice calling to each of us today

 

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