VII Sunday Easter-Ascension:[A]:Acts1:1-11;Eph1:17-23;Mt28:16-20

VII Sunday Easter-Ascension:[A]:Acts1:1-11;Eph1:17-23;Mt28:16-20

Introduction:  Today is the 7th and the last Sunday of Easter Season. The feast of “The Ascension of the Lord” that we celebrate today was actually last Thursday – exactly 40 days after Easter, but because of its importance and for pastoral reasons we are allowed to move it to this Sunday, as we have done today.

Exegesis: In Luke and Acts of the Apostles the Ascension takes place in Bethany, near Jerusalem, whereas in Mathew and Mark it takes place in Galilee. However, both agree that it takes place on a mountain.  Today, we have St. Luke's account of the Ascension as described in the First Reading of today from the Acts of Apostles. Jesus led his disciples as far as Bethany and we are told that on a mountain “As they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him from their sight.” Then, they joyfully returned to Jerusalem praising God. There are two details worth noting in this description:

Firstly, it took place in 'Bethany,'  the place from which Jesus entered  Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. Now it is also from Bethany that Jesus enters the 'heavenly Jerusalem' - the 'dwelling place' of His Father.

Secondly, the 'cloud' mentioned is no ordinary cloud. In the Old Testament, the cloud was a sign not only of the Father's closeness to His people but also of His presence. So, we are told that it is the Father who is at work in the Ascension of Jesus.

Ascension is a glorification of our Lord Jesus Christ, ascension marks the end of Jesus' earthly work of redemption and ascension can also be seen as Jesus parting from his disciples.  This feast is the hope of our glorification and a guarantee to meet our Lord in heaven. It is a reminder of our salvation, a reminder that our true home is in heaven. So, today, we are challenged to look beyond this world to the destiny which we are to share with Christ in heaven. This world is only a place of temporary refuge; a world of passage and not a world of permanence.

Joke:  1) The ascension mission to preach the gospel: After attending a convention led by Billy Graham a woman wrote to him. “Dear Sir, I feel that God is calling me to preach the gospel. But the trouble is that I have twelve children. What shall I do?” The televangelist replied: “Dear Madam, I am delighted to hear that God has called you to preach the Gospel. I am even more delighted to hear that He has already provided you with a congregation in your own home.”

Practical: This feast of the Ascension is a reminder for all of us, not just of what awaits us when we die, but also what we need to do while still on earth alive. Jesus before his Ascension commissioned his disciples, and us too, to be his witnesses and carry out his mission to the ends of the earth till his return. We have to make time to become more and more like Christ in everything. Then we can proclaim the Good News to others not only through our words and deeds, but also though our lives, so that Jesus will also reign in their hearts and one day we all will be with him in heaven.

Introduction:  Seventh Sunday of Easter-Ascension

Message: Jesus commissions his disciples to baptize in his name, reminding them that he is always present through his Spirit. Having ascended to his Father amid cries of gladness, we are to be his witnesses for we have been gifted with his Spirit of wisdom and revelation. Let us, therefore, live in a manner worthy of the call we have received.

Saints and Events in this week: 2-Second-Monday-Saints Marcellinus and Peter, martyrs; 3-Third-Tuesday-Saint Charles Lwanga and Companions, martyrs; 5-Fifth-Thursday-Saint Boniface, bishop, martyr; 6-Sixth-Friday-Saint Norbert, bishop; 8-Eighth-Sunday-Pentacost Sunday;

VI Sunday of Easter:[A]:Acts 8:5-17; 1 Pet 3:15-18; Jn. 14:15-21

VI Sunday of Easter:[A]:Acts 8:5-17; 1 Pet 3:15-18; Jn. 14:15-21

Introduction: We are at the end period of Easter Season and today is the 6^th Sunday. The Gospel Reading of today from St. John continues the Farewell Discourse of Jesus. Ideally situated in the Liturgical Year to anticipate the coming feasts of Ascension and Pentecost, the reading tells both of Jesus’ immanent departure and his promise of the Holy Spirit.

Exegesis: The theme of today’s Scripture Readings is the proclamation of “The Divine Presence of the Holy Spirit” and they refer to the missionary age of the Christians and the presence and guidance of God’s Holy Spirit to be given to them. In the Gospel Reading Jesus calls him the Advocate, the Spirit of truth who will live in the hearts of Christians to console and to guide them. While the presence of the Holy Spirit is a free gift of God’s love, it is only received by those who want and prepare themselves for it. The First Reading from the Acts of the Apostles begins with the persecution of the early Church in Jerusalem and yet speaks of the spread of the Church to the surrounding places. Deacon Philip preaches successfully in Samaria and the Apostles are called to lay their hands on them so that the community receives the Holy Spirit. In the Second Reading from his first Letter to the scattered Christian communities, St. Peter urges them to be ready to engage others in order to explain Christian expectations. He implies that suffering is a likely consequence of preaching. It is interesting that St. Peter characterizes Christianity by its hope, its expectations of what is to happen because of Christ.

Explanation: And he promises them that even afterward he will remain with them but in a very different way from now. The context once again is the Last Supper. The reading picks up where last Sunday we left off. But whereas last Sunday’s passage centered on believing in Jesus, this week’s passage centers on loving him. Those who love Jesus keep his commandments. In other words, covenant fidelity is an outpouring of love. Jesus is about to leave the world and return to his Father and when he is no longer physically present, he promises to send them another Advocate, the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth to be with them always. 'Advocate' is a translation of the Greek word 'Paraclete' and it carries a range of meanings – Counselor, Comforter, Helper, Intercessor, Strengthener. It literally means 'one called alongside to help' whenever necessary. In other words, the disciples need not be troubled or afraid because they will never be alone. The Holy Spirit, the Advocate, will always be with them to defend them, to intercede for them, and to comfort them.

Joke:  Three buddies die in a car crash, and they go to heaven to an orientation.
They are all asked, "When you are in your casket and friends and family are mourning upon you, what would you like to hear them say about you? The first guy says, "I would like to hear them say that I was a great doctor of my time, and a great family man."
The second guy says, "I would like to hear that I was a wonderful husband and school teacher which made a huge difference in our children of tomorrow."
The last guy replies, "I would like to hear them say, "Look! He's moving!"

Practical: Do we earnestly and genuinely wish for the Spirit of truth to enter into our hearts and stay with us always? If we are at all uncertain about any of our answers to these questions, then let us pray - pray that we might truly be open to the scriptures, open to God, open to Jesus and what he asks of us in love. And pray that as Pentecost approaches we too might become filled with “The Divine presence of the Holy Spirit” and completely open to the love and freedom in Christ that is promised to us as a result.

Introduction:  Sixth Sunday of Easter

Message: The people of Samaria come to worship the Lord and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  It is this same Spirit that leads us into the truth.  In the body, Jesus was put to death; in the Spirit, he was raised to life.  We are called to this same glory.

Saints and Events in this week: 26-TwentySixth-Monday-Saint Philip Neri, priest; 27-TwentySeventh-Tuesday-Saint Augustine of Canterbury; 31-ThirtyFirst-Saturday-The Visitation of the Blessed virgin Mary; June-First-The Ascension of Our Lord;

V Sunday of Easter:[A]:Acts 6:1-7; 1 Pet. 2:4-9; Jn. 14:1-12

V Sunday of Easter:[A]:Acts 6:1-7; 1 Pet. 2:4-9; Jn. 14:1-12

Introduction:  Jesus invites us to let go and trust in him. He is the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through him. A first reading helps us to understand the priesthood we all share and that leads to the responsibilities of total surrender.

Exegesis: The word priesthood is traced to the descendants of Levi, the third son of Jacob by Lia. The whole tribe of Levi by the command of God was set apart for the service of the sanctuary. Therefore in the apportionment of the land of Chanaan, the tribe of Levi received no tribal territory [Jos.13]. In lieu of land they received the tithes and also four cities with suburban pasture lands from each of the other tribes of Israel. As most of their duties required a man's full strength, the Levites usually entered active service at the age of 30. At the exodus from Egypt the male descendants of Levi from a month old and upward numbered 22,000. In the journey through the wilderness the number of the Levites from 30 years up to 50 years, the year of superannuation, was 8580. [Numb.4]

In Exodus 40:12-15, we read that God commanded Moses to set Aaron and his sons apart and to anoint them so that they may serve Him as priests, going from generation to generation. Their anointing would admit them to a perpetual priesthood. From this, we learn that those who belonged to the priesthood, a class that had been set apart in society, had been personally chosen by God to serve Him in a perpetual priesthood. When combining both words, "royal" and "priesthood," we learn that those who possess that title are persons of royal blood who have been personally chosen by God to serve Him in a perpetual priesthood that enjoys a different status in society.

Turning to the Gospel of John, we learn that Jesus commanded the Sacrament of Baptism as a condition to being admitted into the Kingdom of God. He said, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit."[Jn. 3:5] Turning to the First Letter of John, we read that the seed of God abides in those who are born of God. [1Jn.3:9] From this additional knowledge we learn that those who have been baptized and admitted into the mystical Body of Christ that forms the spiritual Kingdom of God on earth, their royal blood is traced to the seed of God. They are set a part from the society for the welfare of the society.

Joke:  As a lead-in to today's Gospel, I would like to begin with a humorous story: It's about a man who falls off a cliff. On the way down he manages to grab a tree limb. With both hands grasping the limb, he looks down into a deep canyon. He cries out, "Help, please. Is anyone up there?"

After an unbearable silence, a voice answers, "Yes, I am here."

"Who are you?" the man shouts.

"It’s me, the Lord!"

Greatly relieved, the man says, "Oh, thank you! Have you come to rescue me?"

"Yes," says the Lord. "But you will have to trust me and do exactly what I say."

"Anything!" the man says.

The Voice says, "Let go. I will catch you.”

The man thinks for a second, looks down into the canyon, then asks, "Is there anyone else up there?"

Explanation: Well...the story indicates the dilemma we face in today's Gospel. Jesus says clearly, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." Jesus, the eternal Son of the Father, is the only Way. Jesus himself is God. There is no one else up there. He alone can rescue us. But there is a hitch: We have to let go, trust totally in Him.

Sometimes people hold back from Christianity because they fear that it is "exclusive." In one sense that is understandable - Jesus does make some absolute claims. Jesus himself, however, is perfectly inclusive. He includes in Himself the entire Jewish faith. He also includes the monotheism and surrender of Islam, as well as the self-abnegation of the Buddha. He even embraces what is good and noble in paganism.

As Christians we follow Jesus - the one way to salvation, who is himself the fullness of life and truth. This does not mean that we claim to be oracles of truth. Or that we know all the answers or are always right. No, our approach to the truth requires humility. Our royal priesthood is to serve without exclusivity.

Practical: Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. Total surrender should be reflected through our true faith, which should be seen by others as all inclusive. Jesus’ all inclusive nature leads us to follow him through the true way to Eternal life.

Introduction:  Fifth Sunday of Easter

Message: We are “a chosen race, a royal priesthood” called to place our faith and trust in the Spirit of Jesus who guides the community of faith.

Saints and Events in this week: 20-Twentieth-Tuesday-Saint Bernadine of Siena, priest; 21-TwentyFirst-Wednesday-Saint Christopher Magallanes, priest, and Companions, martyrs; 22-Twenty Second-Thursday-Saint Rita of Cascia, religious;

IV Sunday of Easter:[A]:Acts 2:14,36-41,1Ptr 2:20-25, Jn 10:1-10

IV Sunday of Easter:[A]:Acts 2:14,36-41,1Ptr 2:20-25, Jn 10:1-10

Introduction:  The 4th Sunday of Easter has come to be known as Good Shepherd Sunday because during all three years of the liturgical cycle, the gospel is taken from this tenth chapter of St. John’s Gospel. This image of Jesus as the Good Shepherd is central to our understanding of Jesus’ great love for each one of us. By his great sacrifice in his death on the cross and the glory of his resurrection from the dead, Jesus shows us that he really is the Good Shepherd.

Exegesis: One of the ways that we have to get closer to Christ is the consideration of the figure of the Good Shepherd.  Specifically speaking, the sentence I am the good shepherd comes in verse 14.  In today’s gospel verses one to ten deals with the idea that “Amen, Amen, I am the gate for the sheep”. Both the idea of good shepherd and the gate of the sheep goes hand in hand.

At night when all the sheep entered in the secluded area for the sheep, the shepherd will sleep at the only entrance of the seclusion.  Entering and going out of seclusion will catch the attention or make shepherd awake. So whoever enters through climbing over the fence not through the only gate are thieves and robbers.  Here the comparison is with the robbers.  But in verse 14 where Jesus compares with like “I am the good shepherd”, Jesus compares the owner of the sheep and the hired man. “A shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”V.11.  In both cases Jesus, the shepherd and Jesus, the gate, protects our life as owner of the sheep. Like a shepherd, Jesus is concerned with the welfare and the care of His sheep.

Anecdote:  "Two men were called on, in a large classroom, to recite the Twenty-third Psalm. One was a published orator trained in speech technique and drama. He repeated the psalm in a powerful way. When he finished, the audience cheered and even asked for an encore that they might hear his wonderful voice again. "Then the other man, who was much older, repeated the same words--'The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want...' But when he finished, no sound came from the large class. Instead, people sat in a deep mood of devotion and prayer.

"Then the first man, the orator, stood to his feet. 'I have a confession to make,' he said. 'The difference between what you have just heard from my old friend, and what you heard from me is this: I know the Psalm, my friend knows the Shepherd.'"

Joke:  A flock of sheep are grazing in a field, happily going "baa baa" to

each other and discussing life as usual when suddenly they hear a "moo

mooooooooooooooooooo!"

They look around and see only sheep. They carry on grazing as before.  "Moooooo  mooooooooooo  mmmoo!"

One sheep can hear it all too clearly next to him.

He shuffles away a little from his friend, a worried look on his face and then asks "George, why are you mooing.  You're a sheep.  Sheep go baa! baa!"

His friend replys gladly, "I know, I thought I would learn a foreign

language!"

Practical: In his speech he mentions some of the characteristics of a Good Shepherd: He has a good knowledge of his own: “I know my own and my own know me” He knows who to listen and how to talk to them: “The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name” He walks ahead of them, he leads them: “He goes before them, and the sheep follow him” Finally, he is willing to give his life for them: “A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” So also sheep hear his voice as the shepherd calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. We should have a personal relationship with Jesus just as we could recognize his real voice through others. Easter is a season to renew our faith and especially to increase our dealings with Jesus Christ who is risen. I want you to ask yourself this question, "Do I really know the Shepherd?"

Introduction: Fourth Sunday of Easter

Message: God has made Jesus both Lord and Messiah. Through his wounds, we have been healed and have returned to our shepherd.  Let us listen for his voice and follow him.

Saints and Events in this week: Today has been designated as “World Day of prayer and Vocations”; 12-Twelfth-Monday-Saints Nereus and Achilleus, martyrs; Saint Pancras, martyr; 13-Thirteenth-Tuesday-Our Lady of Fathima; 14-Fourteenth-Wednesday-Saint Matthias, Apostle; 15-Fifteenth-Thursday-Saint Isidore; 

III Sunday of Easter:[A]: Acts 2:14, 22-33,1 Pt 1:17-21,Lk 24:13-35

III Sunday of Easter:[A]: Acts 2:14, 22-33,1 Pt 1:17-21,Lk 24:13-35

Introduction: The Christ event is the central event of mankind. All meaningful history before it pointed to this event. All history after it takes its meaning from this event. Jesus Christ is the center of history. He is our center. We are part of His Life, and He is our life.

Event: Last weekend was amazing. The world’s attention was focused on the canonizations of Pope St. John XXIII and Pope St. John Paul II. Hundreds of thousands attended the celebration. Millions more watched it on television. Its true significance was not the canonizations themselves. Its significance is that they pointed to the central event in the history of mankind. They pointed to the Christ event, the coming of the Eternal Word of God as one of us, as man; His proclamation of the new spiritual Kingdom of God; His destruction of evil and death through the sacrificial love of the cross; His giving His Life to us at the Resurrection and at our personal acceptance of this Life, our Baptism; and the continuation of His power and presence through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

Gospel: Those disciples on the road to Emmaus in today’s Gospel reading did not understand the significance of Jesus Christ as they walked down that road. They were upset over what had happened in Jerusalem that weekend. They had been followers of Jesus of Nazareth, and had thought that he would be the one who would redeem Israel. To them, that meant freeing Israel from the Romans. But, Jesus was killed the Friday before. Then there was a strange report that He had risen from the dead. They had to take a step out of the everyday affairs of human history and a step into the infinite. Jesus walked with them on that road. They did not recognize him because they were looking at him with physical eyes.

Empowerment: He would establish a spiritual relationship with them. Then they would know who He was. He explained the Word of God, Scripture to them. The One that Israel longed for was the One the entire world longed for. Scripture said that death could not have a hold on Him. Furthermore, those who followed him would also share in His Eternal Life. They invited Him into their home and He broke bread and gave it to them. Then they realized that their hearts were burning as He explained scripture. And they recognized Him in the breaking of bread, the Eucharist. He had led them into the spiritual. 

Joke: Up at the head table in the cafeteria, one of the nuns had placed a big bowl of bright red, fresh, juicy apples.  Beside the bowl, she placed a note which read, "Take only one.  Remember, Jesus is watching." At the other end of the table was a bowl full of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies, still warm from the oven.  Beside the bowl was a little note scrawled in a child's handwriting which read, "Take all you want.  Jesus is watching the apples!"

Practical: In the first reading for this Sunday, Peter stands with the other apostles and tells the Jewish people that he and the others were witnesses to the resurrection of the Lord and recipients of the out-pouring of the Holy Spirit. We also are called to continue this witness, this apostolic witness in the world.  There are many who are searching for the Lord without even knowing why they feel emptiness in their lives. They need us to fill them with Christ. We can do this. Actually, God can do this through us. There are many times that we also feel empty. But then we are given the grace to return to our core, our center, return to Jesus Christ and embrace His Life and Love. We must be committed to Christ. 

Introduction: Third Sunday of Easter

Message: Through the blood of Jesus we have been delivered from the power of sin.  We recognize him in the breaking of the bread, the one whom God raised from the dead and who now sits at his right hand forever.

Saints and Events in this Week:  10-Tenth-Saturday-Saint Damien de Veuster, priest.