Solemnity

Jan 14 2025

Three Gifts of Pentecost

The disciples were cowering behind locked doors. Fear has a way of imprisoning, away from the outer world, but also from our inner world, taking away our freedom to hope, imagine, and dream. We can become comfortable working in cramped spaces, isolated and unattached, removed from life and contact with others.

But then along comes the risen Lord, arms outstretched, heart wide open, bearing gifts to transform our lives. The first gift of the risen Lord is peace (shalom), which translates as all good things, physically, mentally, and spiritually—all that is needed to be alive inside. This peace is a gift that the world cannot give.

The second gift is a mission: we are sent, as Jesus was sent, by the Father. Where? To the world. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world but in order that the world might be saved through him” (John 3:16–17). Now the Son sends the disciples—us!—to bring life.

The third gift is the Holy Spirit, given for the forgiveness of sins. The Holy Spirit is the gift of the Father and the Son, given to us at baptism, again at confirmation, and whose gifts are given to the church and its members for the good of all, within and outside the church. Primary among these gifts is the gift of forgiveness.

Consider/Discuss

Have I received the gift of the Holy Spirit who brings the forgiveness of my own sins?
Have I made use of this gift of the Holy Spirit who calls me to bring forgiveness to others?

Responding to the Word

During this week, pray the Sequence used at Mass for Pentecost before the Gospel, “Come, Holy Spirit, come!” Notice especially these words: “Heal our wounds, our strength renew/On our dryness pour your dew/Wash the stains of guilt away/Bend the stubborn heart and will/Melt the frozen, warm the chill.”

Jan 14 2025

Scripture Study for

The Jewish feast of Pentecost was one of the three major pilgrimage festivals of Israel. This feast explains why there was a crowd gathered in Jerusalem. This is the crowd that heard a loud noise and was confused, astonished, and amazed. They knew that those speaking were Galileans, yet the hearers could understand the message in their own dialect. The exact nature of this marvel is less significant than its meaning. It was clearly a manifestation of the universal presence and power of the Spirit. The outpouring of the Spirit and the preaching of the gospel to all nations are seen by some as initiating the reunion of the human race and the gathering of all into the reign of God.

The acclamation “Jesus is Lord!” is rich in both Jewish and early Christian meaning. “Lord” was the official title of the Roman emperor. To proclaim Jesus as Lord was to set up a rivalry between the followers of Jesus and the ruling political authority. The title “Lord” is also used in the Greek-language version of the Old Testament as a substitute for God’s personal name. To use this title for Jesus is also to ascribe to him the attributes of God. Paul next launches into a discourse on the varieties of functions within the Christian community. The diversity of gifts is compared to the complexity of the human body. This metaphor exemplifies unity in diversity and interdependence.

John’s account of the risen Lord treats the Resurrection and the bestowal of the Spirit as occurring on the same day. The locked doors, meant to secure the disciples from those who put Jesus to death, also underscore the mysterious character of his risen body. The image of breathing life into another is reminiscent of the creation of Adam (Genesis 2:7) and restoration of Israel after the Exile (Ezekiel 37:9). The disciples are commissioned to go forth, to declare salvation and judgment. With the bestowal of the Spirit, the disciples are authorized to continue the mission of Jesus.

Jan 14 2025

Jesus’ Last Journeys

Today’s Gospel before the blessing of the palms presents an exuberant scene. Imagine the large crowd just outside Jerusalem spreading their cloaks on the road, breaking off palm fronds, strewing them about and waving them as Jesus passes by. Hear the people shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David.” As Jesus enters the city, the people there are asking, “Who is this?” The crowd accompany

ing him answers: “This is Jesus the prophet, from Nazareth of Galilee. This is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.” A journey of joy.

But a few days later Jesus took his last journey: a winding walk from the upper room on Thursday night out to the garden to Gethsemane, then to the house of Caiaphas, on to Pilate’s house and courtyard, and, finally, to the hill of Calvary. During this time, he was spat on and struck, stripped, scourged, and crowned with thorns; he was denounced, mocked, and ridiculed. Most likely some of the same crowd that cried out “Hosanna” cried out, “Crucify him!” It ended with his being nailed to a cross, and after three torturous hours, he died. At this journey’s end, there was one final cry from a small group, a centurion and the men with him: “Truly, this was the Son of God!” (Matthew 27:54).

Allow some time to relive these two journeys. You might hear some things you haven’t noticed before. Perhaps the words of one of the secondary characters or Jesus’ response to a particular situation or his silence before another will speak to you this time.

Consider/Discuss

What does it mean to acknowledge Jesus as the Son of David, the one who comes in the name of the Lord, the prophet from Galilee, the Son of God?
As this Lent comes to its end, where have these days taken you? What have you learned? What do you have to say to God?

Responding to the Word

We pray that we will follow Jesus faithfully all the days of our life, recognizing him as the one who continues to come in the name of the Father bringing life. We ask that we may trust in God as Jesus did until we see God face to face.

Jan 14 2025

Scritpture Study for

The dynamics of hearing and speaking are featured prominently in the first reading’s passage from Isaiah. God has appointed the speaker to a particular ministry and has provided him ears to hear God’s word and a well-trained tongue to speak that word to others. This word is alive and fresh each day, for God opens the speaker’s ears morning after morning. This means that the speaker must be always attentive to hear the word that comes from God. A heavy price is exacted of the speaker. He suffers both physical attack and personal insult. Despite this, he does not recoil from his call.

The reading from Paul is one of the New Testament’s most important Christological statements. The first verse sets the tone for the actions of Christ Jesus. He did not cling to the dignity that was rightfully his, but he emptied himself of all privilege. Though in the form of God, he chose the form of a servant or slave. Without losing his Godlike being, he took on the likeness of human beings. Having taken on the form of a slave, he became obedient like a slave. The exaltation of Christ is as glorious as his humiliation was debasing. All will praise Christ, whose exaltation gives glory to God.

The Passion account from Matthew’s Gospel is a collection of episodes that tell the story of Jesus’ last days. Though in several episodes Jesus appears to be the passive object of the brutality of others, it is quite clear that he is really in charge of his destiny. He makes many of the major decisions. Then he hands himself over to others, allowing them to decide his fate in those cases. Jesus declares that the time of his death and resurrection is the kairós time, that decisive moment when the promises of God are brought to fulfillment. The reading closes at the sealed tomb. Neither Pilate nor the Jewish leaders realize that everything is now in place for the eschatological event of the Resurrection.

Jan 13 2025

Born to Serve

A favorite plot is the rags-to-riches story, the adversity-to-triumph story, the weakling-who-becomes-strong story. It touches on our hope for personal transformation, for a change for the better. We find it in fairy tales like Cinderella, in novels like David Copperfield, and in movies like Star Wars.

This is not, however, the plot we get in the Jesus story. Jesus, who starts out in Bethlehem wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger, then grows up not to become the Messiah that Israel had hoped for—the strong warrior king who would restore the nation of Israel to the glory it had under King David. Instead, he grows up to become one who suffers for our sakes, who empties himself, who con

siders himself a servant—and calls on all who follow him to do the same. On this final Sunday of the Christmas season, the Church celebrates the baptism of Jesus, an event that identifies him as the servant described by Isaiah, who comes in gentleness, breaking no bruised reed, quenching no smoldering wick. No shouting, no crying out, no making his voice heard in the streets. Rather, he will open eyes and hearts, release from confinement, and deliver from the dungeon’s darkness.

The agenda was fairly simple, as Peter points out when preaching in the house of the Roman centurion Cornelius: Jesus went about doing good and healing all those oppressed by the devil. He came not to be served but to serve. And this is what he asks of us.

Consider/Discuss

Why do we end the Christmas season with the celebration of Jesus’ baptism?
Do you think of your baptism as committing you to a life of service?

Responding to the Word

At our baptism, we became God’s adopted sons and daughters. We pray to God as beloved sons and daughters, asking that God will be “well pleased” with us, and that God will direct us in the way of serving the needs of others so that we may “do good” and bring healing to a wounded world.