By Pamela Patnode     “When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church.” ~ Acts 15:4 “I wish Pope Francis would clarify this situation,” the woman lamented to me. “I sometimes wonder if there is an answer or if we just figure this out on our own.” This woman is not alone in wondering about the Church’s teaching on a variety of issues. Many people today have questions about divorce and remarriage, birth control, gender ideology, climate change, the Eucharist, immigration, bioethics, and more. Fortunately, when we have questions about the faith, today’s readings give u ..read more

By Elizabeth Westhoff   “I made known to them thy name, and I will make it known, that the love with which thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.” ~ John 17:26   John 17:20-26 is a powerful passage where Jesus prays for unity among believers. He expresses his desire that all who believe in him may be one, just as he and the Father are one. This unity is not only for the disciples who were with him then but for all who would come to believe in him through their message. Jesus emphasizes that this unity would testify to the world of God’s love and the truth of Jesus’ miss ..read more

By Kathleen Bordo Crombie   I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. ~ John 10:11 It’s true what we’ve been taught about reading familiar scripture passages over and over, and one day something pops out at you. This time, for me, it’s the word “shepherd.” Like many others, I thought all those working with a flock of sheep to be shepherds. To my surprise, I finally heard something particular about this passage: only one shepherd to a flock! Leading from the Front The shepherd is not a sheepherder. He is committed to the sheep because they belong t ..read more

By Mary Ellen Barrett     Today is the last day of the greatest feast in the history of the world, the octave of the Resurrection. God, in His infinite goodness, recognizing such a great day and concluding a great feast, gifted us the greatest of gifts: His infinite mercy. Thanks be to God. The Fulfillment of God’s Promise In the Old Testament, God gave Moses specific instructions on preparing a feast of atonement. They were to deny themselves and offer animal sacrifices, and at the end of atonement, they were to be forgiven by God of all their sins.  “And this shall be an eve ..read more

By Marge Steinhage Fenelon     Now on the first day of the week Mary Mag′dalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb.  So she ran, and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.”  Peter then came out with the other disciple, and they went toward the tomb.  They both ran, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first; and stooping to look in, he saw ..read more

By Melanie Rigney     “And they were very sorrowful, and began to say to him one after another, ‘Is it I, Lord?’ ” ~ Matthew 26:22 It never fails to pierce our hearts. Jesus says one of the Twelve will betray Him, and eleven of them are quick to fear it’s them. We know that Judas, the 12th, is not the only one who will come up short. Peter will deny Jesus three times; Peter, John, and James will fall asleep instead of keeping watch. The synoptic Gospels make no reference to any of the apostles’ presence at the crucifixion; John refers only to his own presence and that of the women ..read more

By Allison Gingras     “Truly this man was the Son of God!” ~ Mark 15:39b   Ah, Palm Sunday. My sons used to refer to it as “the Mass that requires us to stand forever and ever (amen).” It is the Mass that turns most healthy, able-bodied children (and even some adults) into spaghetti-legged blob-o-kids.  There was a time when even my body balked when I heard the priest announce, “This morning, we’ll be following the LONG form of the Gospel.” Since 2010, I have viewed every Mass differently because that is when I began to interpret the Mass for my daughter, Faith ..read more

By Michelle Muff       “Jesus then said to those Jews who believed in him,  “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples,  and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”” ~ John 8:31-32   The truth will set you free.  True freedom comes from knowing, loving, and serving God. We can learn the truth by studying God’s word. By living and breathing in the sacraments of the Catholic church, we can strive to open our hearts to grace and live free. A Slave to Sin Jesus spoke to the Jews who believed in Him but did not understand. They ..read more

By Elizabeth Westhoff       “But it was for this purpose that I came to this hour.” ~ John 12:20-33   Transition Today is the Fifth Sunday of Lent, and today’s Gospel deals with transition. As women, we spend our lives in transition. We begin as our parents’ new babies; we transition into a child who must be helped and taught everything we need to know to survive, and then we transition into teenagers and stumble toward womanhood and new relationships. For most, we transition into someone’s wife with the new experiences of living in that role. We might transition into ..read more

By Deanna Bartalini       “I can do nothing on my own authority; as I hear, I judge; and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of the one who sent me.” ~ John 5:30 How often do I say, “I want to know and do God’s will,” and then go off without ever speaking to him and do what I think is best? More times than I can count and certainly more than I want to recall. Yet, remembering those times is what helps me not do it again. Father & Son Jesus is the second person of the Trinity—God the Son. This passage from John’s Gospel reminds us to pause and ..read more