Tag Archives: christianity

May 5-Monday of the Third Week of Easter

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And when they found him across the sea they said to him,
“Rabbi, when did you get here?”
Jesus answered them and said,
“Amen, amen, I say to you, you are looking for me
not because you saw signs
but because you ate the loaves and were filled.
Do not work for food that perishes
but for the food that endures for eternal life,
which the Son of Man will give you.
For on him the Father, God, has set his seal.”
So they said to him,
“What can we do to accomplish the works of God?”
Jesus answered and said to them,
“This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent.”

John 6: 25-29

Here are the complete readings for Monday, May 5, 2025.

(“Jesus Heals Peter” Icon of the Diocese of Cyprus, Maronite)

Jesus speaks to the crowd about what they cannot understand but what they are feeling. They are hungry, and they are seeking nourishment. The nourishment they seek is the connection of being loved that brings them out of their spiritual loneliness. When Jesus reminds the people to believe, he is exhorting them to believe that, on a fundamental level, they are beloved and capable of being loved. When one believes in their own dignity and worth, this is actually not a selfish decision. It is actually a courageous act of faith. To be loved in a very real way means accepting that the love one experiences cannot be contained, it must be shared. Just as Jesus shared his physical and spiritual self with humanity, so we are called to be present and connected to others, those with whom we feel genuine affection, our acquaintances, the passersby, and those we think we know and whose presence does not give us pleasure. We don’t always follow through on our calling, for we are all too human. Yet the hunger persists, to remind us to turn towards God, and to believe that a reunion is possible.

In this life of following Christ,
allow yourself, therefore, to be given away,
together with your sisters and brothers,
as nourishment for others,
as bread that is broken. – The Fundamental Principles of the Xaverian Brothers

God, thank you for the gift of this day. Whether we are awakened in calm by the birds at dawn, or in anxiety by the perils that await outside, you are here and by my side. Help me take your companionship and share it with those we encounter. May we be aware of our own vulnerability so we can be present and compassionate to people having their own moments of abandonment. You share yourself with us so completely so that we can be that gift to our neighbors.

Amen

April 19-Holy Saturday and Vigil Before Easter

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Then God said,
“Let there be light,” and there was light.
God saw how good the light was.
God then separated the light from the darkness.
God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.”
Thus evening came, and morning followed—the first day.

Genesis 1: 3-5

I will give you a new heart and place a new spirit within you,
taking from your bodies your stony hearts
and giving you natural hearts.
I will put my spirit within you and make you live by my statutes,
careful to observe my decrees.
You shall live in the land I gave your fathers;
you shall be my people, and I will be your God.

Ezekiel 36: 26-28

They found the stone rolled away from the tomb;
but when they entered,
they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.
While they were puzzling over this, behold,
two men in dazzling garments appeared to them.
They were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground.
They said to them,
“Why do you seek the living one among the dead?

Luke 24: 2-5

Here are the complete readings for Saturday, April 19, 2025.

(“Creation Story” mural-Nungalinya College https://www.nungalinya.edu.au/creation-story)

Can one describe the feeling when they have created a work of art? Art, even something that reflects something sad or painful, can radiate beauty, sometimes enough to stop a person in their tracks. Art is subjective, appealing to some tastes more than others. Art, even something that presents as self-evident, has an aura of mystery about it. That is because, be it music, dance, literature, theatre or painting, the art has its origins in a creator, who are themselves a mystery. A part of the artist exists in the art. How is this possible? We humans seem to have a natural inclination for self-transcendence, or to seek some kind of spiritual connection beyond our senses. In the Christian tradition, our rituals reflect God’s creative power present to us. We are God’s creation, God’s works of art. Like the artist and the art, we reflect God’s image and likeness by our very existence. These days of the Triduum reflect great sacrifice and pain, but point the way to the joy of resurrection and rebirth that surpasses description.

 
You were created by the God of love
in God’s image and according to God’s likeness,
to be a unique expression of that love.
It is through you
that God desires to manifest Love
to the peoples of the world in these times,
and to offer them the freedom
of the children of God. – The Fundamental Principles of the Xaverian Brothers

God, when we feel we are forsaken and in darkness, give us the hope in the dawn that lays ahead. Like the women at the tomb, may we believe in you even if we do not understand what we have witnessed. We trust that you point us towards the living, and welcome us as companions on this path to new and abundant life.

Amen

(“Women at the Tomb” by He Qi)

April 17-Holy Thursday and the Lord’s Supper

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So when he had washed their feet
and put his garments back on and reclined at table again,
he said to them, “Do you realize what I have done for you?
You call me ‘teacher’ and ‘master,’  and rightly so, for indeed I am.
If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet,
you ought to wash one another’s feet.
I have given you a model to follow,
so that as I have done for you, you should also do.”

John 13: 12-15

Here are the complete readings for Thursday, April 17, 2025.

(“Agnus Dei” by Francisco Zurbaran)

Some memories can be dangerous memories. They could be memories of tragedies or humiliations, but not always. Can we recall the times in which we were invited to reorient our outlook or worldview, and accepted this invitation with all its consequences? The danger comes in the memory of the transformation that was disruptive to our previous place of comfort or familiarity. Surrendering like that is a radical choice and goes against our cultural norms about success and happiness. How do we recall these actions in a way that can change other people and aid in our continuing transformation? This is why rituals can be so powerful in any faith tradition or mission driven community. Rituals recall sacrifice, goodbyes, and loss, but they also signify rebirth and that the hope that this rebirth supplies. As we conduct such rituals, whether the Triduum or any other collective remembrance, let us pray that our minds and hearts are open and that we do not forget.

 
 Study and reflect also
upon the history of the congregation,
for this history
is the actual
lived
expression and development
of your Founder’s charism.
It will reveal to you
the mysterious ways of God
in the cycle of death and rebirth
that has been the life of the congregation. – The Fundamental Principles of the Xaverian Brothers

God, thank you for the gift of our loved ones who have gone before us. May their acts of courage help us to love you and our neighbors. Help us remember this gift when we feel most alone. Give us the strength to receive your grace that calls us out of darkness and into new life and ways of being.

Amen

April 14-Monday of Holy Week

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Here is my servant whom I uphold,
my chosen one with whom I am pleased,
Upon whom I have put my Spirit;
he shall bring forth justice to the nations,
Not crying out, not shouting,
not making his voice heard in the street.
A bruised reed he shall not break,
and a smoldering wick he shall not quench,
Until he establishes justice on the earth;
the coastlands will wait for his teaching.

Isaiah 42: 1-4

Here are the complete readings for Monday, April 14, 2025.

(“Mary of Bethany” by Joy George William)

I’m guessing I would have sneered at Mary of Bethany just like Jesus’ friends did. What was her motive, and why put on such a show that was so wasteful, especially when Jesus was always talking about taking care of poor people! That is the problem with judgments like this. We don’t often understand peoples’ intentions, much less what comes from their hearts. Clearly, Mary’s heart was very full as she reached out to Jesus that day. Her concern was not to show off wealth or piety. It was about a relationship and connection with someone who loved her, perfume or no perfume. When we are feeling judgmental, perhaps we should flip the script, and question our own motives for feeling this way. What within our hearts is causing this indignation? What about us is unhappy that then draws us into behavior that severs relationships rather than weaving them together? Consider the unlikely “servant” in the words of the prophet Isaiah. This person is not whom he seems. He is gentle and compassionate, yet more powerful than the mightiest warrior. It is this compassion that can bring former foes together to defeat the common enemy of injustice. Like Mary and the servant, may we lead with our hearts to be open to who our loved one, neighbor or adversary could actually be, not as we would have them be.

Listen to your brothers and sisters,
be compassionate with them in their difficulties,
bear with them in their weaknesses,
encourage and support them.
Affirm your brothers and sisters in their gifts,
for by doing so you enable them to realize the gifts that God has given them
for service. – The Fundamental Principles of the Xaverian Brothers

God, Your path is not always the path we would have chosen. Thank you for never forcing us onto a path, but giving us signs that we can choose to follow as we are able. You call us to repent and be transformed, but you accept us just as we are. Help us be patient and loving to our companions as you are to us.

Amen

April 12-Saturday of the Fifth Week of Lent

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Thus says the Lord GOD:
I will take the children of Israel from among the nations
to which they have come,
and gather them from all sides to bring them back to their land.
I will make them one nation upon the land,
in the mountains of Israel,
and there shall be one prince for them all.
Never again shall they be two nations,
and never again shall they be divided into two kingdoms. I will make with them a covenant of peace;
it shall be an everlasting covenant with them,
and I will multiply them, and put my sanctuary among them forever.
My dwelling shall be with them;
I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Ezekiel 37: 21-22, 26-27

Here are the complete readings for Saturday, April 12, 2025.

(“The Expectation of Lazarus” by Mamuka Georgadze)

“If you love somebody, set them free.” This is an incredibly difficult ask for a parent, or anyone who nurtures a protege who is ready to face life on their own. One of the lessons in today’s Gospel seems to be the need to recognize the need to say goodbye to those we love or that which we love in order to be able to experience joy. We cannot have one without first surrendering the other. Can this be sad? Of course! Hopefully we admit that letting go is hard and acknowledge when we feel grief. So much about being happy in the present involves the loss of something we clung to for comfort or support. Yet look at how optimistic the passage from Ezekiel presents the future. His words overflow with gratitude about the connections formed in the community, in all its diversity. This vision of the kingdom is possible only when the people are open to change and be transformed before they enter this new reality. This allows us to cherish and celebrate those we love and experience that love here and now.

 You are called
to be of one heart and one mind with them
so that you can participate
in the building up of the reign of God.
This was the vision
Theodore James Ryken had in view
when he founded the congregation:
A band of Brothers
who mutually help,
encourage,
and edify one another,
and who work together.
You are called then by your Founder
to enter into a true mutual sharing
with your brothers and sisters.
This sharing will demand of you
an opening and a giving of yourself to them
at many levels,
and a ready acceptance of each of them
in all their sinful and graced humanity. – The Fundamental Principles of the Xaverian Brothers

God, you offer us freedom each day we awake. Thank you for the chance to share this day with you and your creation. When we are lonely and sad, comfort us with the hope and trust that you are present and listening. You remain always at our side.

Amen

April 6-Sunday of the Fifth Week of Lent

Posted on by Rob Peace
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Thus says the LORD,
            who opens a way in the sea
            and a path in the mighty waters,
who leads out chariots and horsemen,
            a powerful army,
till they lie prostrate together, never to rise,
            snuffed out and quenched like a wick.
Remember not the events of the past,
            the things of long ago consider not;
see, I am doing something new!
            Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
In the desert I make a way,
            in the wasteland, rivers.
Wild beasts honor me,
            jackals and ostriches,
for I put water in the desert
            and rivers in the wasteland
            for my chosen people to drink,
the people whom I formed for myself,
            that they might announce my praise.

Isaiah 43: 16-21

Here are the complete readings for Sunday, April 6, 2025.

(“The Stoning” by Jack Baumgartner)

Open the door, and something new may appear. New paths to freedom appear that were obscured before. A person has an invitation to do something in the present moment which is different from previous times. This sounds inviting, but also scary, as is anything new or unknown. These themes appear in both the Hebrew Scriptures and in today’s Gospel. Do we have the awareness to see the door itself, and then do we have enough curiosity to walk through the door into an experience that might make us uncomfortable but ultimately happy? Consider the Gospel story of the woman caught in adultery. This tale is wonderful example of God’s unconditional love and mercy, and that humans have dignity regardless of their actions from the past. As we read the narrative multiple times, does our mind ever shift from the woman to those who accused her and would have put her to death? Note what happens when Jesus draws in the dirt, and asks the question to the men about their own sinfulness. One by one, they turn and walk away. Were they ashamed? Probably. Yet in his own way, Jesus was inviting them to forgiveness, too. How can we be forgiven? We need to first own our weakness and poverty before we can be open to transformation. Did these men change when they went home? We don’t know, but for a moment, at least, they realized that they had not just the obligation, but the chance to change. Who knows what might have happened when they walked through the open door as they arrived home?

You were created by the God of love
in God’s image and according to God’s likeness,
to be a unique expression of that love.
It is through you
that God desires to manifest Love
to the peoples of the world in these times,
and to offer them the freedom
of the children of God.

– The Fundamental Principles of the Xaverian Brothers

God, thank you for the confrontations that have forced us to see how others see us, and for the chances to see ourselves as how you see us. Help us to trust that this is the true version of ourselves that you created and continue to bless. May we embrace what is ordinary, or real, in the unspectacular moments each day. Help u not take these times for granted. Thank you for your invitation to turn towards you. You have already opened the door for us, give us the fortitude to walk through it and embrace you.

Amen

March 30-Sunday of the Fourth Week of Lent

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But the LORD said to Samuel: 
“Do not judge from his appearance or from his lofty stature, 
because I have rejected him.
Not as man sees does God see, 
because man sees the appearance 
but the LORD looks into the heart.

I Samuel 16: 7

Here are the complete readings for Sunday, March 30, 2025.

(“Jesus gives sight to a blind man by birth” Miniature by Cristoforo De Predis)

What are the emotional walls we use to protect ourselves from pain that we need to tear down so that we can see and hear properly? Repentance can be a daily activity, not only to confess sins but to reflect on who we are and have been over the course of the day. Besides thinking about what we’ve done wrong, can we think about the moments when we have shown gratitude and when have we given other people our full attention? Sometimes this process of contemplation can take time and the immediate results unclear. Consider the transformation of the man born blind. While he received his physical sight immediately from Jesus, the man’s understanding of who he was and who Jesus was took time. Gradually, he became more and more aware of who he was to be, and faced the adversity that came with this decision with increasing courage and confidence. As people who practice faith through both action and contemplation, let us remember that conversions can and do happen in their own time. At its core, conversion is the joyful realization that we are loved and are capable of loving in communion and service with God.

At times you will discover
that God’s ways are not your ways,
and God’s thoughts are not your thoughts.
When this happens,
try to surrender yourself trustingly
into the arms of your Parent God,
who knows you,
understands you,
and loves you.

Perhaps you can repeat
with your Founder
this simple prayer
which he cherished:
O Lord, I cannot understand your ways,
but I must adore them.– The Fundamental Principles of the Xaverian Brothers

God, the path forward is so clearly lit by you. When I go off course, help me to be honest and not blame my failings on someone else without first looking deep in my own heart to find the source of my troubles. You give us the gift of your presence, which is what we need. Inspired by this confidence, may I step forward to be present to others who find themselves lost or alone.

Amen

March 16-Sunday of the Second Week of Lent

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As they were about to part from him, Peter said to Jesus,
“Master, it is good that we are here;
let us make three tents,
one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
But he did not know what he was saying.
While he was still speaking,
a cloud came and cast a shadow over them,
and they became frightened when they entered the cloud.
Then from the cloud came a voice that said,
“This is my chosen Son; listen to him.”

Luke 9: 33-35

Here are the complete readings for Sunday, March 16, 2025

(“The Transfiguration” by Polly Castor)

My relationship with mystery in the modern world is fickle. Like anyone, I appreciate spontaneity and unexpected positive turns of fate. I want to believe that there is a cosmic order in the universe. But therein lies the problem. I am open to mystery but only on my terms, which means I am not open to mystery at all. As usual, fear is the culprit. Like anyone who gets cold feet about falling deeply in love with another person, I find that opening myself up to the great cloud of unknowing and what lies behind it is often too frightening to pursue. So like many people, I close myself off from the difficult questions about what makes us happy, the necessary relationship between joy and suffering, and the belief that I am good enough just as I am and as I was the day I was born. Today’s Gospel is a powerful witness to embracing the mystery of the transcendent, even if we don’t fully understand it. If we can be at peace knowing that we will never fully comprehend the Mystery of God but are welcome to communion with God in the ordinary moments of the day, then like Peter, we can express how good it is to be here.

It is this communion with the living God
which is at the heart of your life
as a child of God,
disciple of Jesus,
witness of God’s spirit,
quickened member of God’s Body,
and brother or sister to the world. – The Fundamental Principles of the Xaverian Brothers

Dear God, it is good that you are with us, right here and now. May we strive to bring joy to those in despair, shelter our brothers and sisters from the daily storms brought by the world, and be light to our neighbors who stumble in darkness, just as we hope that they will pick us up when we find ourselves lost and alone.

Amen

March 11-Tuesday of the First Week of Lent

Posted on by Rob Peace
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Just as from the heavens
the rain and snow come down
And do not return there
till they have watered the earth,
making it fertile and fruitful,
Giving seed to the one who sows
and bread to the one who eats,
So shall my word be
that goes forth from my mouth;
It shall not return to me void,
but shall do my will,
achieving the end for which I sent it.

Isaiah 55:10-11

Here are the complete readings for Tuesday, March 11, 2025

(“The Word was God” painting by Carol Ogden)

Think about a selfish time in your life. Maybe it was when you were young, or an adolescent, or perhaps last week. More specifically, consider a time when you did not recognize your selfishness immediately, and you were either indifferent to others you may have hurt, or were convinced your actions were justified? What has made you change your perspective? Who has helped you indirectly to get to a place when you can unpack your mistakes and rebuild them as wisdom? To whom then do you pass on this wisdom, and how do you communicate it? What do you do when the person’s response does not demonstrate that they have accepted your advice? Does it matter?

As you prayerfully reflect on the past,
assess the present,
and ponder the future with one another,
be considerate of this history
and of this ministry.  – The Fundamental Principles of the Xaverian Brothers

God, my mistakes are legion and my selfishness leaves me embarrassed. Lovingly put in my place, I am grateful that you forgive and do not allow me to forget the transformation that has taken place in my heart. Thank you for reminding me that your kingdom is not some far off place, it is here in our midst. Give us all nourishment, so that we may plant seeds that will grow and bear good fruit to feed your children.

Amen

March 10-Monday of the First Week of Lent

Posted on by Rob Peace
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Then the righteous will answer him and say,
‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you,
or thirsty and give you drink?
When did we see you a stranger and welcome you,
or naked and clothe you?
When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’
And the king will say to them in reply,
‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did
for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’

Matthew 25: 37-40

Here are the complete readings for Monday, March 10, 2025

(“Last Judgment” Mosaic Sant’Apollinaire Nuovo in Ravenna, Italy)

We are more powerful than we think. This is not about our potential, it is about the influence we radiate outward right now. What we do in our interactions each day is more consequential than we know. This passage is a not so subtle reminder about the good we are capable of sharing, especially to those who have been pushed to the margins or put in exile because they were judged to be “other.” On this day, how can we more aware of the opportunities to be fully present to our companions and to strangers, especially when we are on the cusp of being distracted from these ordinary but graced encounters?

You have promised
to follow Christ, the poor man,
totally given in love to God
and for all people everywhere,
and whose loving obedience led Him
to death on the cross. – The Fundamental Principles of the Xaverian Brothers

God, we thank you for the gift of your presence. You are an eternal mystery and a constant companion. Help us draw deeper into this great unknown, leaving behind our fears and insecurities. May we recognize the conflicts and dangers in life for what they are and rejoice in the daily gifts to be found in your creation. In our prayers, may we ask not to be spared from unpleasantness, but be able to move forward and onward trusting that you are with us as you always have.

Amen