“Do not abandon yourselves to despair. We are an Easter people and alleluia is our song.” Pope John Paul II What does it mean to be an Easter people? Easter is the celebration of the risen Lord, it is also called Resurrection Sunday. It is the day the Lord walkedContinue Reading
In ancient Judea a donkey was a very valuable commodity. It was transportation, it carried loads, and it helped to cultivate the land. It was often a person’s prized possession. A donkey that had never been ridden was especially valuable, much like we value a new car that has neverContinue Reading
Imagine you and a friend are at an art museum. You stop in front of a particularly beautiful painting of a sunset. But you don’t see just see sunset, you see the light of God illuminating His creation. This leads you to meditate upon the nature of the created world,Continue Reading
Traditionally the fifth Sunday of Lent was referred to as Passion Sunday. Nowadays Palm Sunday shares this designation. But still, with today’s readings we shift our focus to the coming Passion. We do this because the Lord shows us it is the proper time to do so. Some Greeks wishContinue Reading
There was a time when the Lenten fast was much more severe than it is today. We can get an idea of just how severe from observing the current traditions of the Eastern Orthodox Church. As they get closer to Easter the scope of the fast expands. By the beginningContinue Reading
What constitutes true worship? This is the theme we meditate on as we come to the middle of the Lenten season. God reveals Himself in the giving of the 10 commandments. He introduces Himself as the sole God and any form of idol worship is therefore worthy of punishment. AllContinue Reading
For the Jews the sacrifice of Abraham is the climax of their covenant relationship with God. It is seen as a double sacrifice. First there is the sacrifice of the father, Abraham, willing to give up his own son. Then there is the sacrifice of the son who willingly givesContinue Reading