Adult Faith Formation & Initiation

Growing up Catholic I was always lead to believe that Easter was our most important holiday, and for us Easter meant Easter Sunday.  After all, that’s when the Easter Bunny left us treats.  As I grew into adulthood, however, with an ever growing understanding into the depth and breadth of our faith, I learned that Easter Sunday wasn’t our most important Liturgical celebration.  Instead that distinction falls on the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday evening… the conclusion of our Pascal Triduum. The Word for Easter Sunday Acts 10:34a, 37-43 Psalm 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23 Colossians 3:1-4, OR 1 Corinthians 5:6b-8 John 20:1-9 While the readings for Easter Sunday are important, they are also just a very small piece of the story of our relationship with God.  It's like eating only one hors d'oeuvre at a banquet... it gives you a foretaste of the great food to come, but could hardly be considered nutritious or filling.  Unpacking the readings for this Sunday, like we do every we

How quickly things can change.  One moment we are celebrating, and the next we are brought to shock and grief.  This is Palm Sunday.  The same crowd that cheered as Jesus entered the city of Jerusalem is the same crowd that only a few days later is shouting for his execution.  How can this be?  We see this in our own culture today.  Celebrities, politicians, and other people of note who were once the praised and envied are quickly vilified when we learn of their unacceptable behavior, and we’re all too ready to cry,”crucify them” in the court of public opinion.  The same was true for Jesus, though he never did anything wrong.  This is Palm Sunday. The Word for Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion Luke 19:28-40 Isaiah 50:4-7 Psalm 22:8-9, 17-18, 19-20, 23-24 Philippians 2:6-11 Luke 22:14-23:56 As is our tradition, our gospel readings for Palm Sunday come from the current Lectionary Cycle, which this year is from Luke (Cycle C).  Our Mass begins with a prelude and processio

Practice what you preach.  Pope Francis, when declaring the Jubilee Year of Mercy for 2016, he stressed the importance of doing just that – being a living example of God’s mercy and love.  In our readings this week we learn that righteousness without mercy is nothing short of being a bullying, beating up on others without consideration for the humanity of another and the context of their situation.  What would Jesus do? The Word for the 5th Sunday of Lent Isaiah 43:16-21 Psalm 126:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 6 Philippians 3:8-14 John 8:1-11 Our first reading is from Deutero or Second-Isaiah.  Israel is sitting in Exile in Babylon, and here the prophet is telling us that God sees the events of the past as just that, the past.  In other words, whatever sin the people of Israel may have committed in the past should be put aside.  God, who can make all things happen, sees a rebirth for his people (the same rebirth we encounter in our Baptism).  God says, “See, I am doing something new!”  Go