The Holy Spirit is not a dove…Nor a fiery tongue resting over someone’s head. The Holy Spirit IS the Love of God. Intense. All-embracing. Attentive and faithful.
Scripture and Liturgy
Surrender
Surrender. This word in today’s world may not have positive connotations connected to it. It speaks of giving up, losing to another, being defeated.
Meeting Mary for the First Time
When we meet Mary for the first time in Scripture, it is in the context of her encounter with Gabriel, an Archangel who appears to this young, innocent girl. She is troubled and he reassures her: “Do not be afraid, for you have found favor with God.”
Resurrection Power
We hear of this mystery as the Exultant sung by the Deacon during the Easter Vigil Mass. Speaking of Adam and Eve’s sin, the ancient words recall, “O happy fault which earned for us so great a Savor.”
A Friend of Jesus Christ
Are you a friend of Jesus Christ? It is an acceptable time to ask during Holy Week, for love is demanding. For example, God asked Adam in the garden, “Where are you?” It wasn’t that God couldn’t see Adam hiding. The question begged a response, “Where are you with me?”
Laying Down Our Cloaks for Jesus
As Jesus entered Jerusalem, the people responded to Him with what they had readily available, their cloaks. These they offered in a practical and symbolic way: laying them on the colt for Jesus to ride and spreading them on the path before Him.
Radical Dependence on the Father
In today’s Gospel, Jesus reveals yet another counter-cultural truth. He, who is the picture of perfect human maturity, “can do nothing without His Father”.
I Love to Hear Your Voice
“If today you hear His voice, harden not your hearts” (Ps.95). I have to be honest, as a youth growing up and attending Mass, I got tired of this refrain being sung or read over and over and over during Lent…