The Eleventh Sunday - 2026

In this Sunday's 2nd. Reading from St. Paul's Letter to the Romans we read: “God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us . . .  while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son . . .”  But why did Jesus have to die to save us? Could God not say from heaven: “Your sins are for given; come now and enter heaven and eternal life”? The problem with that is it fails to understand the nature of our intellect and free will, and the nature of sin; the power it holds over our souls. People in the bondage of sin are so by choice, and can no longer hear God’s voice from heaven. "Son of Man, you live in a rebellious house that has eyes to see, but they can't see, and ears to hear, but they can't hear, since they're a rebellious house. Jerimiah 12:2.  . . . so that, "'they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!'" Mk 4:12 Let me offer an analogy. A person goes partying one night … becomes intoxicated … gets into a car and drives away at high speed … fails to negotiate a turn in the road … roles the car and ends up in the ditch, injured and hopelessly pinned in the over-turned car. Then the car becomes engulfed in flames. That person cannot save themselves, they are going to die a horrible death – and it is totally their fault. Now a stranger comes on the scene, climbs into the burning vehicle and calls to the trapped man, "here, take my hand, I can save you!" The rescuer frees the trapped person and pushes him out of the car to safety; but this can only be done in a way that makes the rescuer unable to get out himself … therefore, he must die in place of the trapped person. It’s the only way to save the one hopelessly trapped do to the choices they made. Sin entraps our souls and binds us to its deadly way, traps us in the state of eternal separation from God, from God’s truth, from eternal life. (Trapped like the person in the flaming car.) God must come to where the sinner is; first to break Satan’s hold over us by incarnating, making himself visible and recognizable on our terms. Then, one-on-one, offering us mercy, convincing us to reject sin and to accept forgiveness. Then God must lead us out of our hell of ignorance into the light of truth. Jesus, the Son of God is the only one who can do this. He must become one of us, to be with us where we are. That is the only way we can hear God’s voice. Satan tries to drive Jesus away from rescuing us by the threat of the Cross. He fails. Jesus’ love for us is greater than any fear Satan can employ, even death itself. Satan’s hold is broken, it remains for us to listen to the Voice of forgiveness and follow him out. We say Jesus died for my sins on Good Friday. Perhaps we more accurately should say, Jesus died BECAUSE of my sins. Because by my free choice I willing followed Satan into the hell of separation from God’s truth, it is only by Jesus entering into my death situation, to meet me there and convincing me of his love, can Jesus save me. Only from the Cross can we hear; “This day you will be with me in Paradise."

Corpus Christi Sunday - 2026

From a work by Saint Thomas Aquinas, priest O precious and wonderful banquet! Since it was the will of God’s only-begotten Son that men should share in his divinity, he assumed our nature in order that by becoming man he might make men gods. Moreover, when he took our flesh he dedicated the whole of its substance to our salvation. He offered his body to God the Father on the altar of the cross as a sacrifice for our reconciliation. He shed his blood for our ransom and purification, so that we might be redeemed from our wretched state of bondage and cleansed from all sin. But to ensure that the memory of so great a gift would abide with us for ever, he left his body as food and his blood as drink for the faithful to consume in the form of bread and wine. O precious and wonderful banquet, that brings us salvation and contains all sweetness! Could anything be of more intrinsic value? Under the old law it was the flesh of calves and goats that was offered, but here Christ himself, the true God, is set before us as our food. What could be more wonderful than this? No other sacrament has greater healing power; through it sins are purged away, virtues are increased, and the soul is enriched with an abundance of every spiritual gift. It is offered in the Church for the living and the dead, so that what was instituted for the salvation of all may be for the benefit of all. Yet, in the end, no one can fully express the sweetness of this sacrament, in which spiritual delight is tasted at its very source, and in which we renew the memory of that surpassing love for us which Christ revealed in his passion. It was to impress the vastness of this love more firmly upon the hearts of the faithful that our Lord instituted this sacrament at the Last Supper. As he was on the point of leaving the world to go to the Father, after celebrating the Passover with his disciples, he left it as a perpetual memorial of his passion. It was the fulfillment of ancient figures and the greatest of all his miracles, while for those who were to experience the sorrow of his departure, it was destined to be a unique and abiding consolation.  From the Office of Readings For Corpus Christi

Trinity Sunday - 2026

When you look back on the history of the human race you find that in every age people understood well that everything that exists must have had a creator; every age that is except this age. Within the scientism of our age there are those who insist that everything in the universe just spontaneously happened on its own. However, knowing who the creator of all things who is called God, truly is has been a long work in progress. History is full of gods that man put forward to describe who God is; some of whom are still today thought of as true gods. Knowing who God is, is impossible for mere humans to discover on their own. As his first letter, John points out “that no one can see God”. God, who is beyond sight, must reveal Himself to us. And so, our Jewish-Christian tradition has been that long historical experience of God revealing who he is to us. First God is seen as having the nature of a father, the giver and protector of all life. Then in the New Testament, Jesus is revealed as the Son of God. Finally, Jesus reveals that there is a third person, the Holy Spirit, who comes to take us up into the very life of God. In the early generations of the Church, these revelations were pondered and studied, not without conflicting opinions. Then, in the year 325 AD, that is Anno Domini, the year of the Lord, not of the Common Era; the bishops of the Church gathered in the City of Nicaea to discuss and define who God truly is. From this Council of Nicaea we now have the Nicaean Creed in which we profess our faith. In 1 John 4: we read: Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. For many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you will know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming, and is already in the world at this time. From a theological perspective the doctrinal proclamation of the Church lays out for us who and what our God is, one divinity shared co-equally by three divine persons. So our spirituality is formed by our relationship with each of these three persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Here there arises an interesting question, do I think and act with each divine person in a uniquely different way one from the other? The people of the Old Testament thought of God as one person, the Father. Their spirituality grew out of their relationship with this one God. In the New Testament Jesus calls God his Father and himself as God’s Son. Further to that, what was shocking even scandalous to some, Jesus reveals that he too is God, sharing fully in the one and same divinity that is the divinity that makes the Father God. Further to this, Jesus reveals that there is a Third Person who is also God, sharing fully in this one divinity and that this Third Person, the Holy Spirit will have a full and dynamic role in the lives of all believers. Now we all have fathers. The character of our relationship with our natural fathers may vary, but overall we have a good idea what fathers are all about. Added to this, in the gospels we see the very dynamic relationship Jesus has with the Father, the same relationship which Jesus direct us to have also. Perhaps the easiest of the three persons for us to relate to is Jesus since he is fully a human being like ourselves. Now with the Holy Spirit the images seen in the scriptures are not so easy to identify with. At Jesus’ baptism by John the Holy Spirit is identified with a hovering dove. Later the Holy Spirit is seen as breath breathed upon the disciples, then as flames of fire over the heads of the disciples. As significant as these images are they may not inspire in us an attraction to develop a personal relationship with such a Holy Spirit. My understanding of what having a relationship with the Holy Spirit might look like began by taking into account that my spiritual life began in the very womb of the Holy Spirit. This most mysterious new life, literally a sharing in the divine life of God, began when I was born anew in the Holy Spirit. Quite naturally  the notion of womb, birth, new life conjures up the image of a maternal person, one who is a mother. Consider this, in the scriptures the Holy Spirit is directly linked to wisdom. In the Old Testament in the very Book of Wisdom the pronoun “she” is used throughout to refer to the Holy Spirit. From the very womb of Mother Holy Spirit we are born into the life of the divine. Like all mothers Mother Spirit gathers us up into her arms where she nourishes our new life on the milk of her divine wisdom. As children of the Father, we embrace a new spiritual life with the goal of fulfilling the vocation the Father has given us. In communion with Jesus his Son, now our brother and leader, we take on the challenges that try to prevent us from attaining the fullness of holiness to which we are called. But this battle can be fierce at times, and we often find ourselves wounded and discouraged. St. Ignatius calls these “times of desolation”. I believe it is in such times that we find comfort and healing in the maternal embrace of the Holy Spirit. We return to where our spiritual life began to have it repaired and healed and given new strength to take up ounce again our journey to sainthood. As we pray in a personal way in the presence of the Father and equally personally with the Son, so we can develop the same personal way of speaking with the Holy Spirit. O Holy Spirit from who’s womb I was brought forth into this new life of holiness and given the blessed fruits that nurture and make it thrive I come to you now as a wounded son and daughter seeking your healing embrace once again.   As I place my wounded heart in your consoling hands Bring me to life once again. Instruct me with your words of wisdom. Cast light upon the path that I must take So that I may live to the fullest the life the Father intends for me.

Pentecost - 2026

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” Jn. 20:19

PENTECOST When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together. And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim. Acts 2:1

PRAYER FOR THE BAPTISM OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

Jesus my Lord, I confess to you and to all the world  my need for your presence in my life.  I am alone and in darkness without you.  I am influenced and controlled by the many forces that surround me.  Even though I struggle against them, it is sin that so easily dominates my life. Who can save me but you alone, my Lord and my God.  Deliver me from the Evil One.  Touch my life with that power which flows from your resurrection.  Cause your Holy Spirit to be born in me anew.  Prince of Peace and Lord of Glory / reign now in my heart.  Baptize me with your Holy Spirit and Fire.  Raise me up to a New Life in you. (From the Eucharistic Devotions)

PRAYING WITH MARY ON PENTECOST

Holy Mary Mother of God, on Pentecost Day you gathered all the friends of Jesus in that meeting room of prayer.  Jesus had instructed that all must come together in prayer, to wait in trusting hope for the Promised One to come.  In the mystery of God’s grace, let us gather with you now.  We desire with all our hearts that the Anointing of Pentecost may come upon us once again.  Pray for us dear Mary, that the Mighty Wind of God’s Breath will come and fill our house of prayer.  Pray that Jesus your Son will send down upon us now, those tongues of flame, to enkindle in our hearts the fire of love and the light of faith.  Pray that our tongues be freed so that we might fill this house with the praises of God.  Pray O Queen of heaven that the Holy Spirit will give to our hearts a song of joy and thanksgiving for His mighty works now done in our midst. Come Holy Spirit, come.  Come down upon us now. Melt our frozen hearts, reshape our distorted minds renew our sagging spirits with your Breath of Life. (From the Eucharistic Devotions)

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GRACE of RENEWAL

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Prayers from the Mass of the Vigil of Pentecost Dear brethren (brothers and sisters), we have now begun our Pentecost Vigil, after the example of the Apostles and disciples, who with Mary, the Mother of Jesus, persevered in prayer, awaiting the Spirit promised by the Lord; like them, let us, too, listen with quiet hearts to the Word of God. Let us meditate on how many great deeds God in times past did for his people and let us pray that the Holy Spirit, whom the Father sent as the first fruits for those who believe, may bring to perfection his work in the world. Grant, we pray, almighty God, that the splendor of your glory may shine forth upon us and that, by the bright rays of the Holy Spirit, the light of your light may confirm the hearts of those born again by your grace. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Ascension of the Lord - 2026

He presented himself alive to them by many proofs after he had suffered, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. While meeting with them, he enjoined them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for "the promise of the Father about which you have heard me speak; for John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit." Acts 1:3-5

Meditation for Ascension Sunday You may have heard it said that you get an entirely new body every 7 years - that the cells of the human body are regenerated over a 7-year period. This is not quite accurate – but the cells of our bodies do regenerate and at various rates. Red blood cells live for about four months, while white blood cells live on average more than a year. Skin cells live about two or three weeks. Colon cells have it rough: They die off after about four days. Sperm cells have a life span of only about three days, while brain cells typically last an entire lifetime (neurons in the cerebral cortex, for example, are not replaced when they die) and it takes an average of 10 years to grow an entirely new skeleton. So there is some truth in saying that we are not the person we used to be. The down side is that the new cells are usually not as good as the ones they are replacing. This is what aging is all about. St. Paul has a different take on our “regeneration “ So whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come. 2Cor. 5:17 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20 We are concluding our Easter celebrations with this feast of the Ascension of Jesus, and we now anticipate the feast of Pentecost, the birthday of the Church – our birthday too. The gift of the Holy Spirit is a sharing in the very life of God. Those who receive this Gift begin living a new life, one that has a new destiny, a life that death cannot destroy. “For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.” Rom. 6:5 Even as the cells of this physical body decline and die, within we are living a new spiritual life. The question for today and this week leading to Pentecost is: am I truly living a spiritual Life, the New Life of the Spirit, that I received in baptism? Now, if I am concerned about the condition of my physical body I go to the doctor and he will do tests to diagnose my condition. This week could be viewed as a time of diagnosis, a time to examine the health of my spiritual life. Is my faith-life growing stronger or weaker? Are my works of holiness increasing or decreasing? May I suggest you take St. Paul’s letter to the Galatians, especially Chap. 5. Here Paul is a physician, giving us an excellent examination and diagnosis of our spiritual lives: For you, brothers and sisters, were called to freedom. Only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity to gratify your flesh, but through love make it your habit to serve one another. For the whole Law is summarized in a single statement: “You must love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you bite and devour one another, be careful that you are not destroyed by each other. So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will never fulfill the desires of the flesh. For what the flesh wants is opposed to the Spirit, and what the Spirit wants is opposed to the flesh. They are opposed to each other, and so you do not do what you want to do.  But if you are being led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. Now the actions of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, promiscuity, idolatry, witchcraft, l hatred, rivalry, jealously, outbursts of anger, quarrels, conflicts, factions, envy, murder, drunkenness, wild partying, and things like that. I am telling you now, as I have told you in the past, that people who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things. Now those who belong to Jesus have crucified their flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, by the Spirit let us also be guided. Let’s stop being arrogant, provoking one another and envying one another. Galatians 5:13ff.

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Sixth Sunday of Easter - 2026

Toward Pentecost

We are continuing through these Easter days as we approach the final two weeks of the Easter Season. This Sunday, May 10th begins the Sixth Week of Easter, followed by Sunday May 17th the feast of the Ascension of the Lord and the beginning of the final Week of Easter. The Easter season then ends with Pentecost Sunday, the birthday of the Church, and the outpouring of the Gift of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the very source of the Life of the Church and the Spiritual Life of every member of the Church. The more we expand our understanding of this mystery the better we will be able of cooperate with the work of the Holy Spirit within us. On Friday May 15 begins the Novena to the Holy Spirit, the nine days of prayer in preparation for the Feast of Pentecost. I have posted on this blog a Novena to the Holy Spirit . . . LINK . . .

Fifth Sunday of Easter - 2026

Fourth Sunday of Easter - 2026

I am the good shepherd, and I know mine and mine know me, ... “Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever does not enter a sheepfold through the gate but climbs over elsewhere is a thief and a robber. But whoever enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice, as he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has driven out all his own, he walks ahead of them, and the sheep follow him, because they recognize his voice. But they will not follow a stranger; they will run away from him, because they do not recognize the voice of strangers.” John 10: In Jesus time, it was the practice for shepherds to coral several flocks into a single sheepfold over night for their protection and safety. In the morning, a shepherd would come to the gate, call out to the sheep, and only his sheep would come out and follow him. Such was the recognition and influence of the shepherd's voice. Knowing this gives us insight into why Jesus chose to use it as an image of his influence in our lives. To be a follower of Christ, we must have His Voice imprinted on our hearts. This imprinting happens through our reflective, meditative prayer. When the Lord speaks, it has a positive effect on our hearts. When it is not the Lord's voice we are hearing, its effect is negative. In our previous Post, we discussed identifying these movements of our hearts as we prayed. In this Post, we will look at identifying and naming the specific things that are attached to the different movements of heart we feel.  This is particularly helpful in matters having to do with choices. Here is an example of what I mean. Supposing a friend invites you to spend a week with them at their new summer home. You are delighted with the invitation, especially since you are desperately in need of a break. You are about to accept when you remember, that it is the same week you promised another friend, that you would help them with some much needed renovations at their house. Both are good propositions; and after some thought, you decide to beg off helping your friend in favour of taking the week at the summer home.  But, having made this choice makes you feel conflicted. You feel sad for turning down a friend in need. What to do? Now, a third friend calls you to commend you for offering to help your friend in need. They remark how kind and generous you are, especially since your friend could not possibly have done the work without you. This makes you feel very positive about yourself. So you reconsider your decision and choose to decline the holiday in favour of helping your friend in need. That call from the third friend is likened to the Lord's Voice in prayer. Having been presented with choices, you make a decision. Now you take your decision to prayer. You stack your decision up against the images, examples and thoughts you see as you pray the scriptures. This sheds new light on the process that lead to your decision. In the light of the "grace of prayer", ether a confirmation or a rethinking of your choice emerges. Like the friend's voice in our example, the Voice of the Lord will lead you to a better choice, confirmed by its positive thoughts and feeling.  We can rationalize ourselves into all manner of choices. But there is no deceiving the Lord. A heart sincere and open to listening in prayer, will hear the Good Shepherd's voice. If your choice is a bad one you will want to move away from it. If it is a good one, it will draw you closer to the Lord.  For a more complete and comprehensive treatment of this subject, prayer and choosing, visit the Ignatian Spirituality Site.  "The sheep of the shepherd hear his voice, as he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out."

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Third Sunday of Easter - 2026

Link to Catholic Productions commentary on Third Sunday

Link to VOICES post on the  Third Sunday

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Second Sunday of Easter - 2026

The Church celebrates Easter Sunday day for a whole week. For the liturgy of the Word, the Gospel texts are taken from all four gospel writers and their accounts of resurrection of Jesus. Following the close of this day, the Easter season will continue for fifty days – ending with the celebration of the Ascension and Pentecost. As a preparation for Pentecost, the first reading of the liturgy of the word will be taken from the book of the Acts of Apostles and continue reading through the whole book. Acts of Apostles is the second part of Luke’s gospel. It takes us through the unfolding history of the first generation of the Church. This is our story – it is who we are – where we came from – how we got here and why we have gathered in this way to celebrate the sacred mysteries. There are also a couple other things that make this weekend special. It is Divine Mercy Sunday, established by pope John Paul ll on this day in the year 2000. And on this very Sunday, Pope John XXlll and Pope John Paul ll were canonized, Saints of the Church. I find all this quite significant for us at this time in the history of the Church. It is not uncommon to hear it suggested that the Church is in decline and no longer relevant; that perhaps the Church might even disappear, braking into fragmented pieces, replaced by rational thought and technology. It is because we are surrounded by such a cloud of doubt, that this time in Church is so important for us, and why we must make reading the Acts of the Apostles a central part of our personal faith life, just as the Church makes it so in the liturgy of the Word. When we turn to Acts and the story of Pentecost, we quickly see that our Church was not made up by the design of a group of people, a work of human enterprise. It comes from God and is empowered by the Holy Spirit. Jesus’ followers were not great revolutionaries, rather they were a group of frightened and confused and very ordinary people. Then comes Pentecost Day and all is changed in a dramatic moment. On that very first day, Pentecost day, Acts shows us clearly, that the Church comes under attack. The joyful and exuberant faith of these Spirit-filled people is written off as nothing more than a product of too much alcohol, they are a bunch of drunks. From that first day up to today, the Church is constantly attacked and discredited. This is our constant history. Acts also shows us how the members of this new Church will be, “a-work-in-progress”, made up of frail humans being, sinners now saved, learning and growing under the constant presence of the Holy Spirit. So here we are today, the latest additions to this long history. I strongly encourage you to take up your scriptures and read and study the book of the Acts of the Apostles. May these Easter days be as powerful days of healing and building of your faith as they were for that first generation of believers, we celebrate through these Easter days.

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HOLY WEEK / EASTER MEDITATIONS - 2026

These meditations from previous posts focus on Jesus' battle with Satan and His Victory on the Cross. Palm Sunday begins with Meditation 01, and continues through each day of Holy Week and the Easter Season.

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HOLY WEEK / EASTER MEDITATIONS
Meditation 01	Meditation 05	Meditation 09
Meditation 02	Meditation 06	Meditation 10
Meditation 03	Meditation 07	Meditation 11
Meditation 04	Meditation 08	Meditation 12

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Fifth Sunday of Lent - 2026

The Fifth Sunday of Lent gives us yet another of Jesus great signs, the raising of Lazarus. It may seem strange to this generation that the problem some of the Jewish officials were having with Jesus’ signs was that he was performing them on the Sabbath. Today the problem is whether or not they even happened at all. Added to this there is even a further problem. If God who is professed to be a loving and merciful God exists why is there so much suffering in the world? (This is known as the “problem of evil”.) That is not to say that devout believers are not challenged by the suffering they see all around them or that they suffer personally. Meditating on the healing miracles of Jesus builds up one's faith in Jesus and becomes a source of encouragement for every believer. But then there is the Cross of Christ. In this Sunday's gospel, the account of the raising of Lazarus, we see lived out by Jesus' devout believers the challenge of the greatest of all evils, death. It is in this event that the mystery of the problem of evil is revealed. Let us examine the details of Lazarus death and how Jesus leads the people, and us, through the mystery. + Jesus loves Lazarus and His sisters Mary and Martha. If anyone deserves the touch of Jesus' healing hands it is Lazarist. + Jesus is informed of Lazarus' serious illness but deliberately delays going to him, waiting until he knew Lazarus would be dead. Jesus does this because he is going to disarm suffering and death of its power crush faith and hope in God's love. + The Quetion; Jesus, why? "If you had been here ..." Lazarus would be alive. The problem of evil solved. + The Answer: "Lazarus is not dead but sleeping - I am going to awaken him." Physical death is not the problem. Those who believe that all life offers is these few years of mixed blessings and making the best of them is what life is all about find no comfort in Jesus. But it is different for those who allow Jesus to take them into the mystery of why suffering, why death into the fuller picture in which death is scene as only a passage into the fulness of life. Jesus and his revelation now become the whole purpose of life. By calling Lazarus back from the sleep of the death Jesus demonstrates that death is not what is appears to be. Lazarus will again face his natural death but the life he will now be living will be filled with unshakable confidence that the fulness of life awaits him.  Dr. Pitre has an excellent commentary on today's gospel. >>>>> LINK <<<<<

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