Easter Sunday

Reflection

Mary ran and went to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved.  Simon Peter and the other disciple then ran to the tomb.  A visitor to Jerusalem might have asked them, "Why all this excitement and running about so early in the morning?"  The disciples could not have answered, at least not at first.  They themselves still did not understand, even after the fact, with the evidence before their very eyes, the Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.  How different the scene in Acts 10, where Peter stands up full of confidence to proclaim and expound on Jesus and His Resurrection as the fulfillment of all prophecy.  What had intervened?  Several encounters with the risen Lord, and the gift of the Holy Spirit on Easter evening (John 20:22) and at Pentecost (Acts 2).  Faith is a gift, but it takes time for faith to grow.  We should not be discouraged if, at first, we see nothing but the empty tomb.  Spending time with Jesus—in His Word in Scripture, in prayer, and in the Eucharist and other sacraments—will lead us to become the kinds of witnesses to His Resurrection that His disciples came to be.

Prayer

Lord, I do believe, but help my unbelief.  Never let me be complacent that I have learned all there is to know and love in You.  Lead me on.

Fr. David Cray, S.S.E. ’68,

Superior General of the Society of Saint Edmund

Scripture

First Reading: Acts 10:34a, 37-43

Psalm 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23

Second Reading: Colossians 3:1-4 or 1 Corinthians 5:6b-8

Gospel: John 20:1-9, Matthew 28:1-10, or Luke 24:13-35

Daily Scripture readings can be found online at the USCCB website

Holy Saturday (Easter Vigil)

Reflection

There is a poignant moment in the Easter Vigil when the proclamation of the Resurrection story renews in us the hope we first received in our baptism into Christ.  As the Letter of Paul to the Romans makes clear, we have been buried with Christ so that we may rise with Christ to new life.  The story of humanity told in the Easter Vigil, the story of humanity’s creation and the story of humanity’s relationship with God throughout the ages, reflects our own story.  In our coming to birth, we are born into a humanity in need of salvation.  In our baptism, we are made part of a new humanity, born of water and the spirit, that has been redeemed through the waters of baptism.  During the Easter Vigil, we recount how we have been healed—cleansed of sin—in our baptism.

The story of the Resurrection of Jesus from the dead, as told by Matthew in his Gospel, poses for us the same issue that the women who came to the tomb that Easter morning faced.  Their search for Jesus led them to an empty tomb, the place where Jesus was no longer.  The women are told by the angel to seek Jesus elsewhere, in Galilee.  In another Gospel, the question is posed, “Why look for Jesus among the dead.”  This can be for us a moment of renewal if we are willing to take all that is empty in our lives—all that is dead in us—and search in other places where indeed Jesus can be alive for us.  Our prayer life, our spiritual journey, and even the routine of our days can be as empty as the tomb.  Continuing to search for Jesus where He no longer is may be for us a misdirected purpose or a fruitless search.  Our call this Easter season can be a time to connect our journey with the journey of Jesus’ disciples who are told to go to Galilee where they will see Jesus again.  The question for us:  Where do we need to go to meet Jesus?

Prayer

I pray, O Lord, that I may find You in places that are filled with life and love.  Lead me, Lord, to where You are so that I may be renewed and refreshed.  In Your Resurrection, raise me up to new life.  This I pray in name of Jesus, risen from the dead, the first of many sisters and brothers who live in newness of life.  Amen.

Fr. David Théroux, S.S.E. ’70,

Edmundite Center for Faith and Culture/Peace and Justice

Scripture

First Reading: Genesis 1:1-2:2 or 1:1, 26-31a

Psalm 104:1-2, 5-6, 10, 12-14, 24, 35 or Psalm 33:4-7, 12-13, 20, 22
Second Reading: Genesis 22:1-18 or 22:1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18
Psalm 16:5, 8-11
Third Reading: Exodus 14:15—15:1
(Psalm) Exodus 15:1-6, 17-18
Fourth Reading: Isaiah 54:5-14
Psalm 30:2, 4-6, 11-13
Fifth Reading: Isaiah 55:1-11
(Psalm) Isaiah 12:2-3, 4-6
Sixth Reading: Baruch 3:9-15, 32—4:4
Psalm 19:8-11
Seventh Reading: Ezekiel 36:16-17a, 18-28
Psalm 42:3, 5; 43:3-4
Eighth Reading: Romans 6:3-11
Psalm 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23
Gospel: Matthew 28:1-10

Daily Scripture readings can be found online at the USCCB website

Good Friday

Reflection

Good Friday is a time to reflect on our sins, and it is also a time to remember just how much Jesus Christ loves each and every one of us. The first reading describes how Christ endured all of our suffering so that we “shall see the light in the fullness of days.” Jesus wants for us to live in His light and be free from the darkness of sin and sadness. We also hear this said in John 12:46 when Jesus says: “I have come into the world as light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.” To do this, He calls us to be his servants; to carry our hardship for the Cross and use our suffering to show how God is present. However, we are not suffering alone. As a result of His great sacrifice of taking on human form and ultimately dying on the cross for us, “we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has similarly been tested in every way, yet without sin.” We should trust the Lord with our sadness, our pain, our sorrow, and our mistakes because He, while on Earth, experienced the remarkable suffering many of us encounter throughout our lives. Jesus was betrayed by His close friend and disciple, Judas. Peter denied knowing who Jesus was not once, but three times. He was arrested, tried, brutally tortured, and sentenced to death which most likely caused Him tremendous anxiety. He was mocked, embarrassed, teased, and put to shame all in the presence of his Mother. Jesus Christ understands the human condition better than anyone. Therefore, we should look to the Lord for mercy and guidance as He traversed through life with difficulty and did so without sin. We should also look to the Lord to understand that the greatest kinds of love, whatever they may be, come with sacrifice.

As we pray and reflect on this Good Friday, I hope we can find it in our hearts to love one another as Jesus loves us and to open our hearts to making sacrifices for the sake of others; whether that be volunteerism, random acts of kindness, or being there for a struggling friend. I will leave you with this well-known verse that says: “very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds” (John 12:24).

Prayer

Lord, help us to love one another as you have loved us. Bless us with strength and compassion so that others may see your light through us. Amen.

Kayla Riordan, ’21

Scripture

First Reading: Isaiah 52:13-53:12
Psalm 31:2, 6, 12-13, 15-17, 25
Second Reading: Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9
Gospel: John 18:1—19:42

Daily Scripture readings can be found online at the USCCB website

Holy Thursday

Reflection

The Triduum begins today with the evening celebration of the Last Supper, and the readings for this special Mass are replete with rituals and powerful sensory observations.  In April of last year, I had the opportunity to join Rabbi Glazier and his students for a Seder Supper held on campus in celebration of Passover; Professor Glazier carefully explained each aspect of this special meal as we gathered together in an upper room in Alliot Hall.  The first reading for today from the Book of Exodus helps to explain the origin of the Seder Supper’s most significant symbols and rituals, emphasizing the special preparation of the meal itself before celebrants gathered to share it.  The first reading tells us that Israelite families in Egypt prepared (and shared) a year-old lamb “without blemish” for this meal, eating “its roasted flesh with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.” Each participant at this gathering was dressed and ready, “staff in hand,” and eating “like those who are in flight” in anticipation of the Passover of the Lord.   The responsorial Psalm for today introduces yet another powerful symbol from Jewish tradition: the Blessing Cup as part of an ancient custom that is incorporated into our modern day celebration of the Eucharist.  The refrain of the responsorial Psalm commemorates the way that Jesus renews this symbol of sharing and unity (the blessing-cup), in the sacrifice of the Mass: “Our blessing-cup is a communion with the Blood of Christ.”   Just as the first Passover meal in Exodus was “a memorial feast” which all generations to come “shall celebrate as a perpetual institution,” so do we as Christians commemorate the way that Jesus perpetually offers Himself to us at each celebration of the Eucharist.  As Saint Paul reminds us in the second reading, “as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until He comes.”

Prayer

Lord Jesus, help me always to be fully present at the celebration of the Mass, remembering that the special rituals of the Eucharist help to deepen my understanding of Your extraordinary sacrifice.

Joan Wry, Honors Program Director and Professor of English

Scripture

First Reading: Exodus 12:1-8, 11-14
Psalm 116:12-13, 15-16bc, 17-18
Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 11:23-26
Gospel: John 13:1-15

Daily Scripture readings can be found online at the USCCB website

Wednesday of Holy Week

Reflection

We are confronted today with three very different texts. In the first, the prophet tells of a Servant who is not afraid of the beatings and insults of his tormentors: “I have set my face like flint, knowing that I will not be put to shame.” In a word, he is “stone-faced” in the face of adversity. This man has decided not to bow to the influence or disrespect of others, because “He who is near upholds my right.” This is no small comfort. “Be strong!” the prophet seems to say. “You’ve got this!”

But in the second text, the Psalmist seems less sure of himself—a little more vulnerable. “For your sake I bear insult, and shame covers my face...Insult has broken my heart, and I am weak.” This is a person who is NOT made of stone—shame doesn’t bounce right off. “Don’t let them keep at it!” he seems to say. “I’m not made of Teflon.” If you’re like me, you can easily identify. I know that I should get over this insult or that snide remark, but some how it’s not that easy.

And in the Gospel we see Jesus preparing for a final dinner with His closest companions, one of whom has already stabbed Him in the back. The rest of them will abandon Him when He needs them most. Some friends. Some “followers.” And yet He doesn’t cancel the dinner. He doesn’t tell them to take a hike. Not even Judas. He sits down to eat with them—all of them. In the end, He is neither “stone-faced” nor broken. Rather, His face is one of continuing love. He knows who He is and whose He is and so He can enjoy the company of His friends, despite the gathering dark clouds on the horizon. This is what it looks like to live your life possessed by love. 

Prayer

God of persistent love, I have no stone face. Show me where I can let Your love flow more consistently through me and through my actions. Let my face speak joy and love to those around me.

Robert Brenneman, Associate Professor of Sociology

Scripture

First Reading: Isaiah 50:4-9a
Psalm 69:8-10, 21-22, 31, 33-34
Gospel: Matthew 26:14-25

Daily Scripture readings can be found online at the USCCB website

Tuesday of Holy Week

Reflection

In the first reading, we hear about God being our strength and our protection. Sometimes it seems as if all our hard work and efforts are in vain, but God, who knows our hearts and intentions, knows we are striving towards what is good and right, even if our efforts seem pointless.  The Psalm also echoes this saying, “In you, O LORD, I take refuge; let me never be put to shame.  In your justice rescue me, and deliver me...Be my rock of refuge, a stronghold to give me safety, for you are my rock and my fortress.  O my God, rescue me from the hand of the wicked.”

The Gospel reading is the story of how one of the disciples will betray Jesus at the Last Supper. Although Jesus knew that a disciple would betray Him and that His time was at hand, He expresses that God will be glorified and He trusted in his Father. Knowing that bad things can happen and that you may feel as though you are suffering in your own life, we also have the hope that goodness and glory for God can occur, despite the hurt and suffering that we might endure. As Lent comes to an end, remember that what might appear to be darkness and pain, might also lead us to greater purpose or meaning and that God will be with us throughout it all.

Prayer

Lord, please help us to remember that You can use all things for good. Help us to love You with all of our hearts, no matter how we feel and what happens in our lives. Amen.

Alec Guzauckas, ’20

Scripture

First Reading: Isaiah 49:1-6
Psalm 71:1-4a, 5ab-6ab, 15, 17
Gospel: John 13:21-33, 36-38

Daily Scripture readings can be found online at the USCCB website

Monday of Holy Week

Reflection

Today in the first Servant Song, our merciful God elicits hope as He promises to restore His people with new life through His gentle and humble Servant, the Messiah. The Psalm readings bolster this promise of hope through the Word Made Flesh, Our Lord who is our light and salvation. He is “a covenant for all people; a light for all nations.” Through Him and the gift of faith, we shall be rescued from the confines of sin and know the life-giving presence of God.” In the Gospel, Lazarus, Martha, and Mary host a dinner to honor and thank Jesus for who He is and for what He has done for them. Mary clearly reveals to Christ her love for Him by washing His feet with fine oil. God’s promise of hope permeates the room as did the aromatic oil, as Christ alluded to Mary and others, new life in the Resurrection.

Christ informed Judas that “you do not always have me.” But we do—through the Eucharist! Our Father has revealed His Chosen One, His Son, not only in Isaiah, but at the river Jordan during His baptism and again during Mass in the Eucharistic Prayer, “Through Him, with Him, and in Him…in the unity of the Holy Spirit.” Prior to His suffering and death, Christ took the time to have a meal with His friends and ultimately with us—to share His Pure Love, as He invites each of us to drink from His cup, the Blood of the new and eternal covenant.

Prayer

Dear Lord, through the grace of the Holy Spirit, let us maximize “opportunity” during Holy Week through daily reflection and the celebration of the Eucharist. Let us anoint You with our love, so that through death to self, we may share in the land of the living!

Maureen Munn Condon, Member of the Worshipping Community

Scripture

First Reading: Isaiah 42:1-7
Psalm 27:1-3, 13-14
Gospel: John 12:1-11

Daily Scripture readings can be found online at the USCCB website

Passion Sunday

Reflection

The readings today, if we can manage to persevere through their admittedly notable length, are breathtaking in their attestation to the illimitable depths of the love Our God has for us. Before Mass even begins, we hear in the Procession a joyful proclamation: “Behold, your king comes to you.” We have a King Who comes to us, Who—we learn in the Responsorial Psalm—is willing to go even to the very limits of God-forsakenness to draw us back home to Himself. Christ comes to each of us, emptying Himself and uniting Himself so fully to us that He actually becomes one of us, “taking the form of a slave” (Phil 2:7). This is the God of the entire universe we’re talking about!

But He doesn’t stop there; He not only meets us where we are at, in the mire of our sin and suffering, but He takes it upon Himself, enduring the shame and torture of the Cross in order to lift us out of it—even while being mocked by the very people He died for! The love of Our Lord is so overwhelming that He accepts not only the pain of His suffering and death, but also the disdain and mockery of the soldiers, the passersby, the chief priests with the scribes and elders…even the two revolutionaries who were crucified alongside Him! He not only died at the hands of those He loved, but with their laughter and ridicule ringing in His ears.

This, Lord, is the depth of Your love for me: that I would reject You, scorn You, and still You love me with such ferocity that You die for me. You meet my sin, my betrayal, my rejection, even my derision and contempt, with the greatest tenderness and mercy…as I pound nails deep into Your hands and feet, as I blindly fall into step with the crowds around me who chant for Your crucifixion, as I fold to the pressure of a world demanding that I wash my hands of You—still you love me, give Your very life for me. I abandon You again and again, but You never abandon me. Such a love is unfathomable; yet You call me to imitate You in it…today’s readings call us on to meet that challenge, and to ask for and accept the grace to share in the fiery love of our crucified God.

Prayer

Lord, You looked into the faces of those reviling you, contorted by their sneering hatred, and You met their hardness of heart with eyes of love. Teach me, my God, to love like You—You Who were mocked and murdered by Your beloved. May I learn to empty myself as You did, and to live boldly the truth that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Is 50:5; Phil 2:7, 11). Amen.

Miriam Prischet, ‘18

Scripture

Procession Gospel: Matthew 21:1-11

First Reading: Isaiah 50:4-7

Psalm 22:8-9, 17-18, 19-20, 23-24

Second Reading: Philippians 2:6-11

Gospel: Matthew 26:14—27:66

Daily Scripture readings can be found online at the USCCB website

Saturday of the Fifth Week

Reflection

Thus says the Lord God, “My dwelling shall be with them; I will be their God, and they shall be my people.”  That great promise from God’s prophet Ezekiel (the first reading of today’s Mass) expresses what every believer (and every seeker) longs for above all: to experience the presence of God.  And to that longing the last words of today’s Gospel responds with a question, “Will he come to the feast?” 

Our Scriptures today prepare us for Palm Sunday and Holy Week.  It is preparation on the note of hope.  It’s a hope even (ironically) voiced by Caiaphas who “prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation, and not only for the nation, but also to gather into one the dispersed children of God.”

To be gathered into one, into Communion, as one People of God in the presence of the One God, in the one Body of Christ, the new Temple, Altar, Priest, and Lamb of Sacrifice:  “Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb.”  He will indeed “come to the feast.”

Prayer

A prayerful aspiration from the Collect of today’s Mass:  O God, grant to Your people the grace to will and to do what You command, that they may be one in the faith of their hearts and the homage of their deeds.

Fr. Richard Berube, S.S.E. ’66, Emeritus Professor, Religious Studies

Scripture

First Reading: Ezekiel 37:21-28

Psalm: Jeremiah 31:10-13

Gospel: John 11:45-56

Daily Scripture readings can be found online at the USCCB website

Friday of the Fifth Week

Reflection

At this point in Lent, I am feeling a little weary, overwhelmed, and just plain tired.  Thirty six days into our Lenten journey feels like a long time in the “desert” to me.  The commitment to practice discipline and interior work has waned, and I think these readings capture those feelings as we head towards Jesus’ Passion and suffering, yet they don’t leave us there—they remind us of God’s constant presence with us and urge us forward to not lose hope.

Our first reading from Jeremiah is terrifying, but maybe we can relate to feeling like we are “trapped” or having people watching for “any misstep” that we might make, waiting for others to point out our mistakes and errors.  But the second part of the reading reassures us that the Lord will be with us and will not forsake us.  It is God who knows what is truly in our hearts and minds, who knows the beauty of our intentions, when all the world sees is our failures and mistakes.

The Psalm echoes the cries of distress and fear that we heard in the first reading.  The feeling of being overwhelmed, of being ensnared, and again, we are given beautiful images of God’s steadfast love—our rock, our fortress, our deliverer, our shield, and our stronghold.

In the Gospel, we are reminded that we don’t do works to gain praise for ourselves and oftentimes, we might be misunderstood by others. The works aren’t done to earn acceptance from others, they are done as signs of God’s love.  It is the Spirit of God within us and our response to the love that God has shown us that we reflect back out into the world for others to see.  Even though we may feel weary, overwhelmed, or misunderstood, these passages offer us assurance that God is with us, offer us the encouragement to continue to be a light and sign of God’s love, and offer us the hope that Christ is our salvation.  May we hold onto this as we continue our Lenten journey and turn ourselves towards preparing for the Holy Week that is just ahead.

Prayer

Loving God, our rock and our stronghold, may we not grow weary and overwhelmed, but hold onto Your promise of salvation.  May we be signs of light and love in a world that needs the light of Christ to dispel the darkness.  Amen.

Anna Lester, ’98, Assistant Director of Edmundite Campus Ministry

Scripture

First Reading: Jeremiah 20:10-13
Psalm 18:2-7
Gospel: John 10:31-42

Daily Scripture readings can be found online at the USCCB website

Thursday of the Fifth Week

Reflection

The first reading from Genesis starts, “When Abram prostrated himself, God spoke to him.” When I read this, the ceremonial prostrating in Holy Orders comes to mind, along with Jesus prostrating Himself through His cross.  Prostrating brought to mind humbling oneself and acknowledging the awesome, loving wonder of God.  Prostrating is a position of prayer, a position of having ones heart open to God.  In the Genesis passage this prostration is the occasion of God making a covenant with Abram. God renames him, Abraham, and makes him the father of a host of nations.  Jesus, too, with His cross forms a covenant for our salvation, giving us the promise of heaven.  This covenant is memorialized in every Mass, and every time we open our hearts to our loving God.  A covenant is Gods promise to us and requires our promise in return to keep our hearts open to our God.

The Psalm verses declare that the Lord remembers His covenant forever, and that we should remember His words and seek to serve Him.

In the Gospel Jesus says that, “…whoever keeps My word will never see death…” This caused an uproar among those listening at that time, who presumed His words to be blasphemy, and they began to pick up stones to kill Jesus.  Jesus hid and left the temple area. What remains is the covenant of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, the great I Am, making Himself known and promising us our eternal joy in heaven. Our part in the promise is to keep His word.

Prayer

Let us pray that we remember God’s covenant with us and keep our hearts always open to God’s love, ever open to sharing that love with all.                 

Stephanie Noakes, ’80, M’09, P’05

Scripture

First Reading: Genesis 17:3-9
Psalm 105:4-9
Gospel: John 8:51-59

Daily Scripture readings can be found online at the USCCB website

Wednesday of the Fifth Week

Reflection

“Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego,
who sent his angel to deliver the servants who trusted in him..." (Daniel 3:95)

Our lives have their ups and their downs, their twists and their turns, and, sometimes, our lives have their "white-hot furnaces." That doesn't sound so great at first, but this is often how God works. God has created times and circumstances in which the darkness or, in this case, the flames have closed us in so tightly that there seems to be no hope. Why does He do this? Why are these three faithful men in a furnace? Why—in just three chapters—do we read about Daniel being sent to the lion's den? It is for God's glory. God is made known through this miracle. He set the stage for all of this to happen like many times before (see Hebrews 11). King Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem, took four Israelites to join his service, and tried to assimilate them into following Babylonian routines, eating their foods, and, ultimately, worshiping their gods. Three of these Israelites, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, refused to worship the statue that the king had made even though they knew they would be sentenced to death. Still they trusted God to deliver them. Even when their circumstances presented no hope, still they trusted, and their trusting brought King Nebuchadnezzar, a man who was called "the destroyer of nations," to see and affirm the power of our God. God called these men to trust in Him, and we are called to do the same. Through all of the circumstances God creates in our own lives, whether at work, at home, in relationships, in tragedy, in triumph, in big decisions, in small decisions, we are called to trust so that people will see the surpassing worth of knowing God and so that God will be glorified for His absolutely astonishing power to deliver us in any situation—the same power that raised Jesus from the dead.

Prayer

Father, thank You for Your steadfast love and faithfulness. Help me to trust in You at all times, especially when I am confused and suffering, and help me to know that there is always hope and that You are working all things together for my good.  In Jesus' name. Amen.

Tim Nagy, ’15

Scripture

First Reading: Daniel 3:14-20, 91-92, 95
Psalm: Daniel 3:52-56
Gospel: John 8:31-42

Daily Scripture readings can be found online at the USCCB website