Adult Initiation & Sacrament Preparation

June 29th is celebrated as the Feast Day for Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles… a feast that this year happens to fall on a Sunday where we would normally be celebrating the 13th Sunday of Ordinary Time.  While these two Saints have been celebrated since the earliest days of the Church, with their own feast days (St. Peter on June 29th, and St. Paul on June 30th), the 1962 revision of the General Roman Calendar combined the celebrations.  It is also the day set aside for when newly consecrated Metropolitan Bishops (or Archbishops) receive their pallium from the Pope… the white woolen band with three “fingers” worn over their shoulders as a sign of their office.  The Pope also wears a pallium as the sign of his office as the Archbishop of Rome.  Because we are celebrating the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, our readings naturally turn our attention to these two pillars of the Church. The Word for the Solemnity of Saints Peter & Paul, Apostles Acts 12:1-11 Psalm 34:2...

This Sunday we bring the Easter Season to a close with the celebration of Pentecost… that moment when the Holy Spirit came to the Apostles, whose gifts allowed them to leave the upper room and spread the Gospel to Jerusalem and the world.  It’s the birthday of the Church. The Word for Pentecost Sunday Acts 2-1-11 Psalm 104:1, 24, 29-30, 31, 34 1 Corinthians 12:3b-7, 12-13 John 20:19-23 Our Sunday readings open fittingly with the Pentecost story from Acts of the Apostles.  It is after the Ascension and we are back with the Apostles in the upper room.  Most of us are familiar with the story… The Holy Spirit come upon the like “tongues of fire” giving them the power to go down into the streets and preach the Gospel so that this international multitude can hear them speaking in their own tongues.  While this later part of the story is the part we tend to focus on, the very beginning of the story also has great meaning… a meaning that our modern ears tend to miss… The fis...

This Sunday the Church in the United States celebrates the feast of the Ascension in place of the 7th Sunday of Easter. Traditionally a Holy Day of Obligation, we celebrate the moment when Jesus, after the Resurrection, is taken up to Heaven. Our readings for this special day are the same for all three Lectionary Cycles. The Word for the Ascension of the Lord Acts 1-1-11 Psalm 47:2-3, 6-7, 8-9 Ephesians 1:17-23 Matthew 28:16-20 Our first reading comes from the beginning of the Acts of the Apostles, where the opening act is the Ascension of Jesus. This is a far more dramatic (and detailed) version than where Luke leaves us at the end his Gospel (Chapter 24), but like many great sequels, the opening moments recap the story thus far (as a reminder of where we left off) in order to set the stage for the narrative moving forward.  It is interesting to note that the event of the Ascension is noted only briefly at the end of Luke and Mark, while Matthew and John don’t even mention it....

If you want to have some fun, ask a Catholic (or any Christian) about the Holy Spirit.  The answers you get will likely be as varied as the people you ask.  Our faith is based on a “Trinitarian” view of God:  God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit.  As a Church we do quite well teaching about God the Father, and we do an excellent job teaching about Jesus, but when it comes to the Holy Spirit we tend to treat the subject like a “third wheel” or “odd man out.”  We spend so much time learning about God the Father and God the Son that we end up with little time to spend on the Holy Spirit.  Perhaps our readings for this week can help us to better understand the Spirit… The Word for the 6th Sunday of Easter Acts 8:5-8, 14-17 Psalm 66:1-3, 4-5, 6-7, 16, 20 1 Peter 3:15-18 John 14:15-21 For this 6th Sunday of Easter we open with a story from Acts of the Apostles where we hear how Philip has had great success in bringing the Gospel to the people of Samar...

What happens when you have too much of a good thing?  When a business wins that lucrative new contract or expands into a new location?  Or taking that same idea a bit closer to home, what happens when two families merge through marriage, or when a family welcomes a new child?  We consider this kind of growth to be a good thing, but as with all things, these successes also come with their own baggage.  Our readings for this 5th Sunday of Easter have our Apostles facing similar challenges in the face of their growing successes. The Word for the 5th Sunday of Easter Acts 6:1-7 Psalm 33:1-2, 4-5, 18-19 1 Peter 2:4-9 John 14:1-12 Our reading from Acts of the Apostles learning the hard way about the challenges that grow out of their continued success when their number of followers continues to grow.  Up to this point the Apostles have been doing their best to address the needs of the community, both spiritual and physical, but the community has grown so large now that...

This coming Sunday is knows as Good Shepherd Sunday because our Gospel is the well known “Good Shepherd” story, where in John 10:11 Jesus is quoted as saying “I am the good shepherd. A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”  In an interesting twist, however, our Gospel reading stops just sort of this verse, ending with verse 10.  Regardless of the fact that we don’t actually hear the phrase “The Good Shepherd” used in the Liturgy, the understanding of Jesus in the roll of “Shepherd” is well understood, and perhaps in avoiding the often used quote, we have an opportunity to better understand the context of the story, because it’s not so much about Jesus’ roll as shepherd but how we as “sheep” responding to our shepherd’s call. The Word for the 4th Sunday of Easter Acts 2:14a, 36-41 Psalm 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6 1 Peter 2:20b-25 John 10-1-10 Our first reading from the Acts of the Apostles picks up shortly after where we left off last week.  As we remember, Peter was s...

Easter is about revelation! On Easter Sunday we revealed that the tomb was found empty. Last week Jesus revealed himself to the Apostles in the upper room, reminding us that “Blessed are those who have not seen, but still believe.” This Third Sunday of Easter, Jesus is revealed through the breaking of the Bread. The Word for the 3rd Sunday of Easter Acts 2:14, 22-33 Psalm 16:2, 5, 7-11 1 Peter 1:17-21 Luke 24:13-35 In our first reading from Acts of the Apostles we have Peter standing before all of Jerusalem giving witness to who Jesus was and what happened there. Not only is this meant to remind those who witnessed these events, but it provides those of us who were not there (and Luke’s primarily Gentile audience) the understanding that this messiah was in fact killed by his own people, but through that act it was also their greatest king, David, and the many other prophets who followed, who prophesied his coming.  Our Psalm takes up this theme, reminding us that the Lord will show...

He is risen, Alleluia, Alleluia!  Easter is not over… it has only just begun!  While some folks might be ready to pack up the Easter decorations, many of us know that the party is just getting started!  Easter is not just one day, but an entire 50 day season!  Having traveled through the 40 days of Lent reflecting on the story of our salvation, the focus of our readings now turn to the story of the birth of our Church. The Word for the 2nd Sunday of Easter (Divine Mercy Sunday) Acts 2:42-47 Psalm 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24 1 Peter 1:3-9 John 20:19-31 For the Season of Easter, our first reading during Mass, instead of being from the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament), we read from The Acts of the Apostles.  Why the change?  Because it is in this book we get the sequel to the “Greatest Story Ever Told.”  After Luke completed his Gospel, he soon came to realize that this was not the end of the story, but a beginning… the beginning of the Church.  And like ...

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 If you were a person who only attended Mass on Easter Sunday, your exposure to the whole Story of Salvation would be limited to just these four passages used every Easter Sunday.  If someone were to attend Mass every week, they would find themselves exposed to over 600 different passages from Scripture.  If they were to do this for only one year they would get at least 200 different passages.  My point is, our beloved "Easter Catholics" are only getting a very small part of the story.... yes, a very important part, but 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 week in the RCIA, gives me the same problem.  I can't really give you a sense of the importance of these r...

With this Sunday’s celebration of the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, the Church brings the Christmas Season to a close and transitions to a period of Ordinary Time.  Baptism marks a new beginning…  a rebirth.  For Jesus, this marks the beginning of his ministry, and serves as an excellent transition from the infancy narratives to the story of his life and ministry.  So this week we begin a new journey… The Word for the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7 Psalm 29:1-2, 3-4, 3, 9-10 Acts 10:34-38 Matthew 3:13-17 Our first reading, from the Isaiah, tells us about “the servant of the Lord”… in this case, the prophet chosen by God to save Israel.  This prophecy comes from the section of Isaiah that predicts the coming glory for Israel.  That not only will he raise it up in gleaming splendor, but through is servant, make it a beacon, a shining example to all the other nations.  No small task given that Israel, at this time, is still living...

This week we celebrate the end of the Easter Season with the Feast of Pentecost, the remembrance of when the Holy Spirit descends on the Apostles just as Jesus foretold prior to his Ascension (which we celebrated last week). The Word for the Pentecost:         Acts 2:1-11         Psalm 104:1, 24, 29-30, 31, 34         1st Corinthians 12:3b-7, 12-13 OR Romans 8:8-17         John 20:19-23 OR John 14:15-16, 23b-26 Confirmation, tradition says, is when we receive the Holy Spirit, and gain the gifts of wisdom, understanding, counsel (right judgment), fortitude (courage), knowledge, piety (reverence), Fear of the Lord (awe of God).  Confirmation is our adult “Amen” to our Baptism (which is why adults going through the RCIA receive this Sacrament right after their Baptism).  But how are these gifts manifest in us?  Are we any differe...

Instead of the celebrating the 7th Sunday of Easter, the Church in the USA uses this coming Sunday to celebrate the Ascension (which under the traditional calendar is celebrated this coming Thursday).  Our readings for this Sunday recount that moment.  Our first account is from Acts of the Apostles… a much more detailed account (right down to the traditional 40 days) than any of the Gospels recount.  By now we have learned that Acts of the Apostles is the sequel to Luke’s gospel… but as with all Hollywood blockbuster sequels, Luke begins his new narrative with a recounting of the end of the previous book, but with much more detail and special effects… taking a moment from the previous work and fleshing it out to build into the continuing story.  The Word for the Ascension of the Lord:         Acts 1:1-11         Psalm 47:2-3, 6-7, 8-9         Ephesians 1:17-2...

The Word for the 6th Sunday of Easter:         Acts 15:1-2, 22-29         Psalm 67:2-3, 5, 6, 8         Revelation 21:10-14, 22-23         John 14:23-29 Our readings this week open with a problem… do you need to become a Jew (that is, be circumcised) before you become a follower of Jesus?  Paul and Barnabus have been traveling and spreading the Gospel, but in their wake others are traveling and preaching as well, and the community is getting mixed messages.  This story is ripe for discussion!  Were these “others” right?  What authority did they have?  Most importantly, how did the Church respond? In addition to our reading from Acts of the Apostles, we continue our journey through John's Revelation, with yet another amazing vision of a new Jerusalem... only in this version of Jerusalem, there is no temple... what do...

The Word for the 5th Sunday of Easter:         Acts 14:21-27         Psalm 145:8-9, 10-11, 12-13         Revelation 21:1-5a         John 13:31-33a, 34-35 This week Jesus gives us a new commandment:  "Love one another."  Forget the 10 commandments... forget the rest of the Law, because these three words embody all these codes and more.  Jesus said, "This is how they will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."  A love that is genuine pours out such that it cannot help but be noticed by others. Sounds easy... right?  Or is it?

This 4th Sunday of Advent is referred to as Good Shepherd Sunday, where our readings show Jesus and the Apostles defining their roles as shepherds to the world. The Word for the 4th Sunday of Easter         Acts 13:14, 43-52         Psalm 100:1-2, 3, 5         Revelation 7:9, 14b-17         John 10:27-30 Our first reading from Acts of the Apostles has us traveling with Paul and Barnabas’ on their first journey to Antioch.  Their first visit to the Synagogue went so well that they are invited to come back the following week.  Our narrative opens with that visit the following week, only this time their reception is mixed.  This rejection by some of the Jews drives Paul to take their message to the Gentiles in Antioch, but the disaffected Jews manage to get the Apostles ejected from the city, thus giving rise to the phrase “shaki...

The Word for the 3rd Sunday of Easter         Acts 5:27-32, 40b-41         Psalm 30:2, 4, 5-6, 11-12, 13         Revelation 5:11-14         John 21:1-19 What does it mean to be a Christian? This is the question posed by this Sunday's readings, and as you will see, there is no simple answer. In our first reading from the Acts of the Apostles, the Twelve are brought before the Sanhedrin and beaten for preaching about Jesus, which causes us grief. In our second reading from John's Revelation, Jesus, the lamb of God, is placed a throne above all, for which we rejoice. The real beauty of this Sunday comes with our Gospel, John's story of the resurrected Jesus appearing to Peter and the Apostles while they are fishing on the Sea of Tiberias. This is one of my absolute favorites, because it presents such an intimate portrait... Peter, not sure...

The Word for the 2nd Sunday of Easter:         Acts 5:12-16         Psalm 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24         Revelation 1:9-11a, 13-13, 17-19         John 20:19-31 Our 40 day fast is over as we begin our 50 day celebration of the risen Christ!  We are indeed an Easter People. But what exactly does that mean?  For our first reading, the entire Easter Season, we put aside the Hebrew Scriptures and focus our attention of the Acts of the Apostles... that glorious sequel to Luke's Gospel that explores the life of the Apostles and the growth of the early Church after the risen Christ departs.  How fitting for Easter!  As we cope with the meaning of Easter in our own lives, we look back to see what it meant for the Apostles.