In the Gospel we hear Jesus praying that His band of followers may be one. “Father, may they be one in us as you are in me and I am in you. It is so “natural” for groups, families and nations to fall apart and fight each other, that any organization, like the church or a family becomes a “supernatural” sign of God’s life, if they hold together...
In the midst of Our Lord’s touching words that call to mind the soft and cuddling images of Jesus as the Good Shepherd we get His strong and challenging words that contain the teaching that got Him crucified in the first place...
For those of us who love and are devoted to the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, we are familiar with the ending prayer; “Eternal God, in whom mercy is endless, and the treasury of compassion inexhaustible, look kindly upon us, and increase Your mercy in us, that in difficult moments, we might not despair, nor become despondent, but with great confidence, submit ourselves to Your holy will, which is Love and Mercy Itself...
As we begin Holy Week and try to enter into the deepest mysteries of our faith, I wish to comment on the invitation that went out to participate in a kind of communal spiritual exercise...
Each Lent we’re treated with the story of the man born blind. It’s a long gospel, so I think the church is just trying to get us ready for the real long Passion reading. But there are so many details in this narrative worth contemplating...