There is much evidence in the scriptures for the providence of God. Manna was offered to the Hebrews, prophets and judges were guiding the people. Jesus fed the five thousand with bread and fish. He united the Last Supper with his dying and rising, hence a sustainable source of nourishment for His people. We are called to continue the providence of God when Jesus offers us the admonition to “give them some food yourselves!” ~ Fr. Matt
The Scriptures reveal that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit cannot be understood apart from their unity. To be in a relationship with God is to enter a relationship with all that God is an all that God does. Our union with God is union of concern for all God has created. We are initiated into that union at Baptism, and at that moment we no longer exist in isolation but are joined with the communion of saints; we become members of a body that we dare to name the Body of Christ. Every time we invoke the Trinitarian God we affirm this truth.
We are not only commemorating a doctrine of our God, but we are celebrating a communion of Divine Persons who have willed us into being, redeemed us from ourselves, and call us each day to a fuller experience, deeper knowledge, and closer union. ~ Fr. Matt
The Tower of Babel accentuated the arrogance of men and women, creating a world without God. Let us not allow our sinfulness and selfishness contaminate Pentecost which emphasizes our ministry of peace and pardon in Jesus’s name. ~ Fr. Matt
What would it have been like to have seen the risen Jesus and to have heard him say, “Peace be with you” before handing on the Holy Spirit? Yet, for those of us in the twenty-first century, we experience the same Holy Spirit. When we were baptized, we were given the gift of the Spirit, and then we were sealed by that same spirit in confirmation. The Holy Spirit lives in our parishes, families, friends, and relationships. After he rose from the dead, Jesus gave his Holy Spirit to be with us. In our daily lives, let us allow ourselves to be guided by the Spirit of Christ, whose disciples we are.
The night before he died, Jesus prayed for us and for all those who were chosen by God. Rather than make us smug, this knowledge should humble us and cause us to emulate him who came to serve rather than be served. We live in the world but are not of the world. It is only a temporary home for us. A bright future awaits where love reigns and glory is resplendent. For Jesus in the Gospel of John the crucifixion is the lifting up, the exaltation of the Son of God. With eyes of faith, let us see anew and reorient our lives.
Our lives are found in the physical. Should we make a trip to search for the upper room in Jerusalem? What about the Upper Room where we encounter Jesus with regularity? During the pandemic we desperately long for the Eucharist. Even with this emptiness we locate and create and Upper Room in which we daily meet the Lord. ~ Fr. Matt
As Christians we seek to follow the example of Christ, who poured himself out in love. Love know no limits and there is not a point when we say “enough”. Love sees the other as another self, so that the needs of the other are as important as our own. When modern communication has made the world a global village, the needs of our neighbors can seem overwhelming. Where do we stop? Yet, we are called to move beyond ourselves as Jesus did and to place our lives in service of the other, in imitation of him. Then we may merit the name “disciple,” when we are known by our love.
Hope is an orientation of the spirit. Hope transcends the present moment and is anchored beyond the horizons we can see. Hope does not associate itself with joy, predicting the ultimate victory we long for. Hope is working for something that is worthwhile, not that it will necessarily be a success. ~ Fr. Matt
We consider Jesus as the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Today Jesus emphasizes his personhood as our main attraction to him. In Old Testament there was an emphasis on the Law as presence of God, the Essenes put a priority on preparing the way of the Lord, early Christians followed Jesus as the new way. The way we look at Jesus (Christology) is the way we look at the community of the church (ecclesiology). ~ Fr. Matt