Stories of Mission

Corpus Christi Our feast today is Corpus Christi, the Body of Christ; more formally, it is termed: The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ.  Today’s Gospel is drawn from chapter six of John’s Gospel, often termed the “bread of life” chapter.  Here Jesus declares: “I am...

Today is Trinity Sunday; it comes just one week after the beautiful feast of Pentecost that celebrates the dynamic presence of the Holy Spirit in the Church and in the entire world.  Our “Trinitarian” Christian faith asserts that there is one God who is three distinct...

On this beautiful feast of Pentecost, we affirm that the Holy Spirit is alive in the Church.  Diverse Spirit-given gifts flourish in Christian communities across the globe.  Today we Catholics are privileged to live in a renewed Church, in a unique age of “a new...

As we celebrate the feast of the Ascension today, we are reminded that the task of Christians is to preserve the dynamic, enriching, and salvific memory of Jesus.  Mission permeates the entire New Testament; some important mission texts are simply listed here: Matthew...

Today’s Scripture readings all speak of God’s continuing and abiding presence with us.  The first reading narrates how God remains with the people of Samaria as they receive the Holy Spirit.  Next, the Apostle Peter speaks of Christ’s presence in people’s hearts.  In...

In today’s Gospel we hear Jesus saying: “I have come so that they may have life and have it to the full” (Jn 10:10).  Reflecting on this passage about the “fullness of life,” I am reminded of a special anniversary the Church is celebrating this year: the 150th...

The narrative from Luke’s Gospel of the journey of two disciples to Emmaus is well known and loved (Lk 24:13-35).  We can imagine the scene: two men are walking; they are dejected, sad, and overwhelmed by recent events.  Jesus, their dear friend and presumed messiah,...

With deep faith and courageous hope, Saint Maximilian Kolbe endured the extreme horrors of Auschwitz, the notorious Nazi concentration camp in Poland.  He proved that self-giving love and compassion can thrive even in extreme darkness and cruelty.  His heroic life...

Allow me to tell you about a unique celebration of Easter from the Philippines, where I happily served as a missionary for over five decades.  Filipinos celebrate a ritual, known locally as the “meeting” (encuentro); it dramatizes the encounter of the risen Lord and...

Today on Palm Sunday as the second reading, the Church gives us a beautiful Christological hymn from Saint Paul.  Philippians 2:6-11 speaks about the kenosis, the “self-emptying” of Jesus.  While maintaining the full divinity and full humanity of Jesus, Paul says that...

Today, on the Fifth Sunday of Lent, we hear the astounding story of the resurrection of Lazarus.  There is a marvelous amount of detail in this Gospel account!  We learn so much about Jesus, his person, his mission, his compassionate heart. Authentically Human.  This...

As we read the scriptures during Lent, we should recall that the readings are specifically chosen to be a “catechesis” [faith instruction] for those who will be baptized during the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday; we all renew our baptismal promises during that...