Solemnity of the Most Holy Body & Blood of Christ
“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves” (Mt 11:28-29).
The Lord invites us to find peace and joy in Him this Sabbath as we set aside time to worship and rest.
“Remember the sabbath day—keep it holy. Six days you may labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath of the LORD your God.”
Sabbath comes from the Hebrew word “Shabbat”, which literally means “to stop.” Keeping holy the Sabbath is not just a commandment, but an invitation. An invitation from the Lord to stop our work, stop our worrying, stop our striving. An opportunity to fid rest and to be renewed. A chance to refocus on the things that truly matter - the Lord, family, community. In our culture, Sunday has become a day to “catch up” on everything that didn’t get done during the week, and any time left over is often seen as an opportunity just to “get ahead” for next week. But we Christians have a chance now to remember what it means to keep the Sabbath. During this pandemic the Lord is calling us back to Himself, offering us a chance to reclaim the gift of the Sabbath, reminding us again what it means to “keep it holy.”
A basic principle for observing the Sabbath is only to do things that can be considered “rest” or “worship”. Here are a few ideas to consider to begin more to enter into the Sabbath. Maybe pick just one thing to focus on this Sunday, then next Sunday keep that practice in addition to a second one. And then the next Sunday add a third, to slowly over time begin to enter into this great gift of the Sabbath more and more.
Keep the Lord at the center - read the Mass readings ahead of time, participate in Mass, make more time for prayer, spend some extra time in silence focusing on the Lord
Try not to work - resist the urge to check your email, or catch up on a few things, and leave it for Monday
Plan ahead - take care of what needs to be done before Sunday, so plan the rest of your week to make sure you get the laundry done, have gone grocery shopping, etc.so you don’t have to do any of it on Sunday
Spend the day “screen free” - try to stay off social media, internet news, and your phone as much as possible. If you can’t make it the whole day try to go for at least a few hours
Be intentional with others - if you live with others (ie. family, roommates), is there something you can do together like play a game or go on a hike? If you live alone, can you reach out to a good friend and catch up?
Leisure, not entertainment - try to do things that are life giving; binge-watching a favorite show or playing video games for hours rarely leaves anyone with a new zeal for life. Read a good book, go on a long walk, develop a hobby.
PARTICIPATE
“Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Mt 18:20). Each Sunday we are called to “keep holy the Sabbath” and although that may look different for right now we will still come together as a St. Ann community through the gift of technology.
MASS READINGS
GIVING
Take a few minutes to give to St. Ann Parish. Please give generously and sacrificially as an act of faith during these difficult times. You can give online:
After giving, offer ways to be generous of your whole self during this trying time for our world.
“Each must do as already determined without sadness or compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. Moreover, God is able to make every grace abundant for you, so that in all things, always having all you need, you may have an abundance for every good work.”
PROCESS
“While they were eating, He took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, and said, “Take it; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, and they all drank from it. He said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed for many.” (Mark 14:22-24)
Have you ever wondered why Jesus chose bread and wine to contain His presence in the Sacrament of the Eucharist? These mysterious signs of His presence lead us to the mystery of our faith. Listening to the interpretation of the early Christians we can begin to comprehend what it is and how we are to respond to this incredible gift.
St. Ignatius of Antioch, who was taught by St. John the Apostle, noticed in the reception of the Eucharist a reception of who He was supposed to become. Traveling to his martyrdom, he wrote, “I write to the Churches, and impress on them all, that I am glad to die for God… Allow me to be the food of wild beasts that I may come to God. I am God’s wheat and I shall be ground by the teeth of wild beasts that I may become Christ’s pure loaf(bread)… Pray to Christ for me so that by these means I may become a sacrifice to God.” (Ad. Rom, 4). St. Ignatius saw the Eucharist as the "source and summit" (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1324) that all Christians are not only called to partake in but also imitate. This is the true worship we offer to God in receiving Him in the Eucharist.
Not too much longer after Ignatius, around the year 150 — St. Justin who later was to give his life as a Martyr, wrote, “We call this food Eucharist; and no one else is permitted to partake of it, except one who believes our teaching to be true and who has been washed in the washing which is for the remission of sins and for regeneration, and is thereby living as Christ has enjoined. For not as common bread nor common drink do we receive these; but since Jesus Christ our Savior was made incarnate by the word of God and had both flesh and blood for our salvation, so too, as we have been taught, the food which has been made into the Eucharist by the Eucharistic prayer set down by Him, and by the change of which our blood and flesh is nourished, is both the flesh and blood of that incarnated Jesus” (First Apology, 66). It is striking not only how similar our liturgy is, which we still celebrate, with what he describes but also how seriously he takes it. No one should "partake of it" except one who is baptized and is "living as Christ has enjoined", living out the Eucharistic faith they are receiving. St. Justin practiced what he preached in imitating Christ by laying his own life down as a witness to the truth of what he had been given.
We are also called to become what we receive. We are called to be a cup of refreshment for a weary world in union with Christ. We cannot do this alone or by ourselves. Many grapes are crushed to make wine. It would be to our benefit, we who have many individual preferences, to reflect on if some of these preferences need to be "crushed" so that we can better come together in Christ as an offering to the thirsty. Many grains are crushed to make bread. We who have so many things pulling us in so many different directions need to think about "crushing" some of these so that we can offer a witness to others of the incredible satisfaction of Jesus. To do this we have to spend time focusing on and contemplating on the one who gave us Himself through this great mystery. Through the procession of the Eucharist this weekend we show that we follow the life of the Eucharistic Lord, giving up our paths to follow His. Will you follow Him this week? Will you adore Him and become what you receive?
Practice
Our practice this week is to grow in devotion to our Lord, truly present in the Eucharist, by taking the opportunity to be physically with Him. Consider one of the following ways this week to make a visit to the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament:
Eucharistic Procession - Saturday, June 5 at 6:30pm. Meet in the Courtyard and then join us for a procession around the grounds of St. Ann to reopen the Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration chapel.
Eucharistic Adoration - The Eucharist is placed in a beautiful gold vessel called a “monstrance,” allowing us to truly “see” Jesus, present in the Blessed Sacrament. This opportunity is now again available 24 hours a day/7 days a week in the “PEA Chapel” (located in the ‘back’ of the St. Ann center, where there is a large wooden door facing the inner parking lot).
Visiting the Chapel - The Eucharist is reserved in the tabernacle (an ornate gold box) in the St. Kilian chapel located across from the St. Ann Welcome Center in the main church area. This chapel is open 7am-9pm every day.
Daily Mass - Mass is offered at St. Ann Monday - Friday at 7am and 12pm, on Saturday at 8am, and in Spanish on Thursday at 6:30pm. Daily Mass is held in the St. Kilian chapel, located inside the main church building.
As you take some time to be in the Eucharistic presence of our Lord spend some time speaking with Him, maybe asking Him to increase your desire for Him, or even praying the traditional prayer of: “O Sacrament most holy, O Sacrament divine, all praise and all thanksgiving be every moment thine.” Then take some time in silence to listen for what He wants to speak to your heart. Our Lord humbles Himself to come to us in the Eucharist to be near to us! Let us continue to draw near to Him.
Discussion Questions
Think about how you can continue to reflect on God’s word to you this week, and how you can invite others into the conversation. You can use the questions below for personal reflection, or to grow with others. Be creative! You could consider gathering with friends and family, or starting a group text, or a group FaceTime, to discuss the questions below.
What stands out to you from the readings this week? What might God be speaking to you at this time?
Did you get a chance to find a way to serve this past week?
In the first reading we see the people of Israel twice saying they will do all the Lord asks, but we know that they don’t actually remain faithful. Can you relate to this in any way?
What do you think might have been the reaction of the Apostles at the Last Supper, hearing Jesus words about giving them His body and blood?
It can be hard sometimes to understand the Catholic teaching that the Eucharist is not a symbol but is actually Jesus - Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. Is there anything about this you struggle with? Or have ever struggled with?
It can seem unfathomable that the God of the Universe would humble Himself to come to us in the Eucharist, veiled under the appearance of a piece of bread. Why do you think our Lord has chosen to do this?
Do you feel your attitude towards Jesus in the Eucharist has changed any way because of the pandemic? Maybe lessening devotion due to change of habits? Or maybe more devotion due to a new appreciation?
Following the suggestions in the practice, what is one thing you can do this week to be near to our Lord, truly present in the Eucharist?
Feast of the Holy Trinity
“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves” (Mt 11:28-29).
The Lord invites us to find peace and joy in Him this Sabbath as we set aside time to worship and rest.
“Remember the sabbath day—keep it holy. Six days you may labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath of the LORD your God.”
Sabbath comes from the Hebrew word “Shabbat”, which literally means “to stop.” Keeping holy the Sabbath is not just a commandment, but an invitation. An invitation from the Lord to stop our work, stop our worrying, stop our striving. An opportunity to fid rest and to be renewed. A chance to refocus on the things that truly matter - the Lord, family, community. In our culture, Sunday has become a day to “catch up” on everything that didn’t get done during the week, and any time left over is often seen as an opportunity just to “get ahead” for next week. But we Christians have a chance now to remember what it means to keep the Sabbath. During this pandemic the Lord is calling us back to Himself, offering us a chance to reclaim the gift of the Sabbath, reminding us again what it means to “keep it holy.”
A basic principle for observing the Sabbath is only to do things that can be considered “rest” or “worship”. Here are a few ideas to consider to begin more to enter into the Sabbath. Maybe pick just one thing to focus on this Sunday, then next Sunday keep that practice in addition to a second one. And then the next Sunday add a third, to slowly over time begin to enter into this great gift of the Sabbath more and more.
Keep the Lord at the center - read the Mass readings ahead of time, participate in Mass, make more time for prayer, spend some extra time in silence focusing on the Lord
Try not to work - resist the urge to check your email, or catch up on a few things, and leave it for Monday
Plan ahead - take care of what needs to be done before Sunday, so plan the rest of your week to make sure you get the laundry done, have gone grocery shopping, etc.so you don’t have to do any of it on Sunday
Spend the day “screen free” - try to stay off social media, internet news, and your phone as much as possible. If you can’t make it the whole day try to go for at least a few hours
Be intentional with others - if you live with others (ie. family, roommates), is there something you can do together like play a game or go on a hike? If you live alone, can you reach out to a good friend and catch up?
Leisure, not entertainment - try to do things that are life giving; binge-watching a favorite show or playing video games for hours rarely leaves anyone with a new zeal for life. Read a good book, go on a long walk, develop a hobby.
PARTICIPATE
“Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Mt 18:20). Each Sunday we are called to “keep holy the Sabbath” and although that may look different for right now we will still come together as a St. Ann community through the gift of technology.
MASS READINGS
GIVING
Take a few minutes to give to St. Ann Parish. Please give generously and sacrificially as an act of faith during these difficult times. You can give online:
After giving, offer ways to be generous of your whole self during this trying time for our world.
“Each must do as already determined without sadness or compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. Moreover, God is able to make every grace abundant for you, so that in all things, always having all you need, you may have an abundance for every good work.”
PROCESS
“All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit...” (Matthew 28:18-19).
The Gospel of Matthew ends with this passage proclaimed at today’s Mass, often called the Great Commission. Jesus tells the people who had been following Him for these past three years, who had come to believe that He was truly the Son sent by the Father, who had witnessed His resurrection, that now they are to go out. Just as He had been sent by the Father to reconcile the world to God, so now does He send them out for the same reason. Why? Because through their sharing in the Last Supper, they have begun to share in His life.
St. Paul would write a few years after this Great Commission, “I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me” (Galatians 2:20). And if they had been incorporated into Christ’s very body through their sharing in His flesh, then so are we. Jesus issues this Great Commission not only to a small band of Palestinian Jews 2000 years ago. He says it to us. They and us, once disciples, are now disciple-makers, called to baptize and to teach.
That call to baptize means first and foremost the invitation to bring them to the sacrament of baptism. In baptism, the Church erases original sin, or ‘original woundedness’, as Fr. Mike Schmitz likes to call it, and imparts the life of Christ’s grace (see Catechism paragraph 405). It might be helpful to consider another meaning of baptism. The word itself comes from a Greek word meaning “immersion,” referring to the practice of immersing the person underwater. This outward sign also points to the invisible reality of the person’s immersion in the life of the Trinity. As disciples of Jesus now sent out as disciple-makers, we are called to immerse all the world in the life of the Trinity. To soak everything around us in the love of God that has been placed into our hearts in baptism. To fill the lives of strangers with Life and Love itself.
St Paul reminds us in our second reading that we have “received a Spirit of adoption” (Romans 8:15). We are now, by our baptism, immersed into the family life of the Holy Trinity as children of God, equipped for our mission as “joint heirs with Christ” who are “led by the Spirit” (Romans 8:17, 14). God our Father has chosen you, specifically you. He never tires of seeking you, and choosing you anew. And He will multiply whatever you give Him. If it’s been a while since you last allowed yourself to immerse yourself in the immensity of God’s love, if you’ve allowed distractions to stand in the way of being consumed by His fire, then take a few minutes now. Breathe His Love deep into your soul. Allow Him to move deeply in you so that you can go out and make disciples of all the nations.
Practice
God has prepared good works for us to do! Imagine the transforming impact if our entire community abandoned their ‘comfort zones' and intentionally set out to encounter the hungry, broken, and lost. We are called to be His ambassadors and to seek the good for others through our families, in our workplaces, and with our friends. We are also invited to serve others at St. Ann and to serve locally in our community.
Our practice this week is to be an image of the self-giving love of the Trinity in the world by making a concrete commitment to serve others in a meaningful way. This could be on your own (like helping a neighbor or a family member), or it could be through an opportunity to serve at St. Ann or in our local community. Our website has new serve opportunities for you to explore, from helping with our Food Ministry to the various serve options from our partnership with Catholic Charities Dallas. Your opportunity to serve others waits for you at stannparish.org/serve.
Discussion Questions
Think about how you can continue to reflect on God’s word to you this week, and how you can invite others into the conversation. You can use the questions below for personal reflection, or to grow with others. Be creative! You could consider gathering with friends and family, or starting a group text, or a group FaceTime, to discuss the questions below.
What stands out to you from the readings this week? What might God be speaking to you at this time?
Are you participating in the Pentecost Novena? Have you had any insights from that?
In this Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity we rejoice in the mystery of our One God who is Three Persons. Have you ever heard of any explanations of the Trinity that have been helpful to you in growing in your understanding of that truth?
The Catechism of the Catholic Church (a great book that speaks to what the Catholic Church teaches) says: “By sending his only Son and the Spirit of love in the fullness of time, God has revealed his innermost secret: God himself is an eternal exchange of love, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and he has destined us to share in that exchange” (CCC 221). What are your thoughts on that?
Is there a Person of the Trinity that you find it easiest to have a relationship with (Father, Son, or Holy Spirit)? Is there maybe one that is hardest for you to have a relationship with?
The first reading and Psalm speak beautifully about being chosen by God and the second reading speaks powerfully of being adopted by Him. Is it ever hard to feel like you have been chosen by God to be His son or daughter? How could that change us if we lived in that truth every day?
The Gospel tells us the disciples worshiped but doubted. What sort of doubts do you think they might have had?
This Sunday we hear the “Great Commission” - the command to go and make disciples that we also discussed on the Solemnity of the Ascension. Have you had any further reflections on that call in these past two weeks?
Pentecost Sunday
“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves” (Mt 11:28-29).
The Lord invites us to find peace and joy in Him this Sabbath as we set aside time to worship and rest.
“Remember the sabbath day—keep it holy. Six days you may labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath of the LORD your God.”
Sabbath comes from the Hebrew word “Shabbat”, which literally means “to stop.” Keeping holy the Sabbath is not just a commandment, but an invitation. An invitation from the Lord to stop our work, stop our worrying, stop our striving. An opportunity to fid rest and to be renewed. A chance to refocus on the things that truly matter - the Lord, family, community. In our culture, Sunday has become a day to “catch up” on everything that didn’t get done during the week, and any time left over is often seen as an opportunity just to “get ahead” for next week. But we Christians have a chance now to remember what it means to keep the Sabbath. During this pandemic the Lord is calling us back to Himself, offering us a chance to reclaim the gift of the Sabbath, reminding us again what it means to “keep it holy.”
A basic principle for observing the Sabbath is only to do things that can be considered “rest” or “worship”. Here are a few ideas to consider to begin more to enter into the Sabbath. Maybe pick just one thing to focus on this Sunday, then next Sunday keep that practice in addition to a second one. And then the next Sunday add a third, to slowly over time begin to enter into this great gift of the Sabbath more and more.
Keep the Lord at the center - read the Mass readings ahead of time, participate in Mass, make more time for prayer, spend some extra time in silence focusing on the Lord
Try not to work - resist the urge to check your email, or catch up on a few things, and leave it for Monday
Plan ahead - take care of what needs to be done before Sunday, so plan the rest of your week to make sure you get the laundry done, have gone grocery shopping, etc.so you don’t have to do any of it on Sunday
Spend the day “screen free” - try to stay off social media, internet news, and your phone as much as possible. If you can’t make it the whole day try to go for at least a few hours
Be intentional with others - if you live with others (ie. family, roommates), is there something you can do together like play a game or go on a hike? If you live alone, can you reach out to a good friend and catch up?
Leisure, not entertainment - try to do things that are life giving; binge-watching a favorite show or playing video games for hours rarely leaves anyone with a new zeal for life. Read a good book, go on a long walk, develop a hobby.
PARTICIPATE
“Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Mt 18:20). Each Sunday we are called to “keep holy the Sabbath” and although that may look different for right now we will still come together as a St. Ann community through the gift of technology.
MASS READINGS
GIVING
Take a few minutes to give to St. Ann Parish. Please give generously and sacrificially as an act of faith during these difficult times. You can give online:
After giving, offer ways to be generous of your whole self during this trying time for our world.
“Each must do as already determined without sadness or compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. Moreover, God is able to make every grace abundant for you, so that in all things, always having all you need, you may have an abundance for every good work.”
PROCESS
“And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the holy Spirit…” (Acts 2:2-4)
As the Easter Season comes to an end with the Solemnity of Pentecost, we take a moment to reflect back upon the last few weeks. The Last Supper. The Agony in the Garden. The betrayal and arrest of Jesus. The trials before the High Priest and before Pilate. The sentencing to death. The carrying of the cross. The Crucifixion. The burial in the tomb. Three days later the glorious Resurrection of our Lord! A series of Resurrection appearances - to Mary Magdalene, to the disciples on the road to Emmaus, to the Apostles, to Thomas. Another miraculous catch of fish. A reconciliation with Peter. Jesus’ Ascension into heaven in glory to be seated at the right hand of the Father! And then the disciples wait.
Gathered in the Upper Room, the place where the Last Supper had been, Mary and the disciples did as the Lord had commanded them to “wait for the promise of the Father” (Acts 1:4). As they spent those days in prayer, what questions filled their hearts? What uncertainties burdened them? What fears surrounded them as they waited?
And suddenly, a rushing wind and tongues of fire as the Holy Spirit comes upon them! The One whom Jesus had promised. The One whom they had waited for. The Comforter, the Consoler, the Advocate comes. Everything changes. Peter begins confidently preaching to the crowds who were gathered and about 3,000 people convert and are baptized. The book of the Acts of the Apostles recounts the growth of the early Church, telling us of the Apostles going forth to work mighty deeds and miracles, bringing people to faith, and spreading the Gospel. No longer filled with fear and questions, but going forth boldly in power.
The Apostles had been with Jesus for three years, heard His teachings, seen His miracles, but it was this filling with the Holy Spirit at Pentecost that made all the difference. Fr. Dave Pivonka, TOR, in his video series on the Holy Spirit called “The Wild Goose is Loose” (https://thewildgooseisloose.com/) at one point says that “Jesus is not enough.” This can sound shocking and even wrong, and, yet it is something that Jesus Himself said: “But I tell you the truth, it is better for you that I go. For if I do not go, the Advocate will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you” (Jn 16:7).
Better for Jesus to go so that we can be filled with the Holy Spirit. But do we know the Holy Spirit? Do we give Him freedom to move in our life? The Holy Spirit wants to fill us as He did the disciples at that first Pentecost. He wants to equip us to be His witnesses in the world. He wants to lead us, comfort us, convict us. And so we pray, “Come, Holy Spirit, come.”
Practice
This week as a parish we will be praying a Novena to the Holy Spirit. A Novena is the name given to spending nine days of prayer for a certain need or intention. It is modeled after the nine days that the disciples and Mary spent praying and waiting after Jesus’ Ascension into heaven and before the Holy Spirit descended at Pentecost. Please join us in prayer for the Holy Spirit to move more in power at St. Ann and in each of our lives.
As part of the Novena we will be releasing a video each day including someone’s testimony about the Holy Spirit in their life as well as the Novena prayer for that day. The videos will be released through the St. Ann weekly email. If you haven’t yet subscribed please do so by going to stannparish.org to the very bottom of the homepage. You can also pray the novena by going to: https://www.praymorenovenas.com/novena-to-the-holy-spirit
We also invite you to consider attending “Cultivate” in-person or online on Wednesday, June 2, the day after the Novena ends. Cultivate is a monthly discipleship event with music, prayer, and a speaker. The focus in June will be the Holy Spirit!
Discussion Questions
Think about how you can continue to reflect on God’s word to you this week, and how you can invite others into the conversation. You can use the questions below for personal reflection, or to grow with others. Be creative! You could consider gathering with friends and family, or starting a group text, or a group FaceTime, to discuss the questions below.
What stands out to you from the readings this week? What might God be speaking to you at this time?
Did you have any reflections from the Great Commission and the St. Ann Vision Statement that we looked at last week?
We see at Pentecost that the Holy Spirit moved powerfully and evidently. Do you see the Holy Spirit still working in the world today? Why or why not?
How would you describe your relationship with the Holy Spirit?
Have you ever had an experience of the Holy Spirit? If so, what was that like?
What are your feelings on the statement that Jesus is “not enough”? (ref. Fr. Dave Pivonka as explained in the Process)
What does it look like for someone to live a life filled with the Holy Spirit? What could it look like in your life?
How open are you to having the Holy Spirit be more active in your life?
Ascension Sunday
“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves” (Mt 11:28-29).
The Lord invites us to find peace and joy in Him this Sabbath as we set aside time to worship and rest.
“Remember the sabbath day—keep it holy. Six days you may labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath of the LORD your God.”
Sabbath comes from the Hebrew word “Shabbat”, which literally means “to stop.” Keeping holy the Sabbath is not just a commandment, but an invitation. An invitation from the Lord to stop our work, stop our worrying, stop our striving. An opportunity to fid rest and to be renewed. A chance to refocus on the things that truly matter - the Lord, family, community. In our culture, Sunday has become a day to “catch up” on everything that didn’t get done during the week, and any time left over is often seen as an opportunity just to “get ahead” for next week. But we Christians have a chance now to remember what it means to keep the Sabbath. During this pandemic the Lord is calling us back to Himself, offering us a chance to reclaim the gift of the Sabbath, reminding us again what it means to “keep it holy.”
A basic principle for observing the Sabbath is only to do things that can be considered “rest” or “worship”. Here are a few ideas to consider to begin more to enter into the Sabbath. Maybe pick just one thing to focus on this Sunday, then next Sunday keep that practice in addition to a second one. And then the next Sunday add a third, to slowly over time begin to enter into this great gift of the Sabbath more and more.
Keep the Lord at the center - read the Mass readings ahead of time, participate in Mass, make more time for prayer, spend some extra time in silence focusing on the Lord
Try not to work - resist the urge to check your email, or catch up on a few things, and leave it for Monday
Plan ahead - take care of what needs to be done before Sunday, so plan the rest of your week to make sure you get the laundry done, have gone grocery shopping, etc.so you don’t have to do any of it on Sunday
Spend the day “screen free” - try to stay off social media, internet news, and your phone as much as possible. If you can’t make it the whole day try to go for at least a few hours
Be intentional with others - if you live with others (ie. family, roommates), is there something you can do together like play a game or go on a hike? If you live alone, can you reach out to a good friend and catch up?
Leisure, not entertainment - try to do things that are life giving; binge-watching a favorite show or playing video games for hours rarely leaves anyone with a new zeal for life. Read a good book, go on a long walk, develop a hobby.
PARTICIPATE
“Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Mt 18:20). Each Sunday we are called to “keep holy the Sabbath” and although that may look different for right now we will still come together as a St. Ann community through the gift of technology.
MASS READINGS
GIVING
Take a few minutes to give to St. Ann Parish. Please give generously and sacrificially as an act of faith during these difficult times. You can give online:
After giving, offer ways to be generous of your whole self during this trying time for our world.
“Each must do as already determined without sadness or compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. Moreover, God is able to make every grace abundant for you, so that in all things, always having all you need, you may have an abundance for every good work.”
PROCESS
Jesus said to his disciples: “Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature.” (Mk 16:15)
In today’s Gospel we hear Jesus’ parting words to His disciples before Ascending into heaven. He commands them to go and to proclaim the gospel, the Good News of salvation. In the Greek of Mk 16:15, the structure is actually: “Going into the whole world, proclaim the good news to every creature.” The primary command is to proclaim, kerugsate, the verb from which we get the word kerygma, meaning the proclamation of the central mysteries of the faith. In Matthew’s Gospel this final command of Jesus is expressed as: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” (Mt 28:19-20) This is called the “Great Commission” and it is a command given not just to the disciples of Jesus present at His Ascension, but to all of Jesus’ disciples, including us. We are told to proclaim the Good News to the world. And what is this good news? That Jesus loves us, died for us, and wants for us to know Him! That while sin separates us from God, Jesus came to forgive sin and reconcile us to God so that we can be with Him some day in heaven! This good news is the best news imaginable! And it is news that a troubled, divided, broken world desperately needs to hear.
Jesus’ command to make disciples isn’t just a vague concept, a general notion of hoping the church is fruitful in evangelization. It is a deeply personal mission entrusted to every follower of Jesus Christ. Each of us are in relationship with people who are hurting and need to know that they are deeply loved by the One who is Love, who are broken and need to encounter the One who is the Healer, who are lost or confused and need the One who is the Way, who are lonely or afraid and need to know the One who is the Good Shepherd who never leaves us abandoned. But how will they ever come to know these things if we are afraid to tell them? There is someone in our life who may never hear the beauty of the Gospel if we don’t share it with them. This is the vision we have here at St. Ann: To bring people to Jesus, form disciples, and send them to transform the world. This is not just a vision for our programs or for our priests and staff, but truly for all St. Ann parishioners. That each of us are responding to the mission Jesus has given us to make disciples.
As Jesus goes up to heaven to take His seat at the right hand of God His closest followers, who had been with Him for the last three years, stand in wonder, as if they aren’t sure what to do next. The angels have to say to them “why are you standing there?” Sometimes in this call to make disciples, perhaps we don’t even know what to do. It can seem intimidating but we are not alone in this mission. Jesus tells us that without Him we can do nothing (Jn 15:5; Gospel for the 5th week of Easter) but when we are rooted in Him we can bear good fruit for the kingdom, fruit that will last. He equips us by the power of the Holy Spirit (Eph 1:19; Acts 1:4-5, 8) which He gives in fullness at Pentecost. Liturgically, for the next week we are commanded to remain with Him “in Jerusalem”, dedicating ourselves to prayer, as we await the coming of the Holy Spirit. It is only by the Holy Spirit – by being immersed in His power, baptized in His strength – that we are able to preach the kerygma effectively and answer Jesus' command to proclaim the Gospel to the whole world.
Practice
Before Jesus ascends to heaven He gives His followers a final command: ““Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” (Mt 28:19-20) This is called the “Great Commission.” At St. Ann we try to live out this call as expressed in our Vision Statement: St. Ann Catholic Parish brings people to Jesus, forms disciples, and sends them to transform the world.
For the practice this week we invite you to reflect on that vision and how Jesus might be inviting you to live it out:
BRING - Who is someone you have brought to Jesus? Have you tried to bring someone to Jesus in this past year? Is there someone the Lord has put in your life currently that He might be calling you to bring to Him?
FORM - What are ways that you are helping to form others as disciples? What are ways you are striving to be formed as a disciple? Are there any ways where your growth as a disciple has become stagnant? Is there something more you could do to grow, or to help others grow, in their walk with Jesus?
SEND - Do you feel you are a transforming presence in the world today? Transforming the “world” can sound overwhelming, but what are areas in your life where you do have some influence? Are there people, situations, or organizations that the Lord might want to send you to?
After reflecting on these questions pick just one area to focus on. What is one thing you could do in the coming weeks to bring, form, or send so as to better live out Jesus’ command to make disciples.
Discussion Questions
Think about how you can continue to reflect on God’s word to you this week, and how you can invite others into the conversation. You can use the questions below for personal reflection, or to grow with others. Be creative! You could consider gathering with friends and family, or starting a group text, or a group FaceTime, to discuss the questions below.
What stands out to you from the readings this week? What might God be speaking to you at this time?
Were you able to experience anything last week that was life-giving and filled you with joy?
The first reading tells us that after Jesus ascended to heaven the Apostles stood there looking at the sky. What thoughts, feelings, or questions do you think they were experiencing? Can you relate to any of those?
Mark’s Gospel tells us: “Jesus said to his disciples: “Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned.” The Gospel of Matthew words it a little differently: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” (Mt 28:19-20). This is called the “Great Commissioning.” How familiar are you with this command of Jesus?
Sixth Sunday of Easter
“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves” (Mt 11:28-29).
The Lord invites us to find peace and joy in Him this Sabbath as we set aside time to worship and rest.
“Remember the sabbath day—keep it holy. Six days you may labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath of the LORD your God.”
Sabbath comes from the Hebrew word “Shabbat”, which means “to stop.” Keeping holy the Sabbath is not just a commandment, but an invitation. An invitation from the Lord to stop our work, stop our worrying, stop our striving. An opportunity to find rest and to be renewed. A chance to refocus on the things that truly matter - the Lord, family, community. In our culture, Sunday has become a day to “catch up” on everything that didn’t get done during the week, and any time left over is often seen as an opportunity just to “get ahead” for next week. But we Christians have a chance now to remember what it means to keep the Sabbath. During this pandemic the Lord is calling us back to Himself, offering us a chance to reclaim the gift of the Sabbath, reminding us again what it means to “keep it holy.”
A basic principle for observing the Sabbath is only to do things that can be considered “rest” or “worship”. Here are a few ideas to consider to begin more to enter into the Sabbath. Maybe pick just one thing to focus on this Sunday, then next Sunday keep that practice in addition to a second one. And then the next Sunday add a third, to slowly over time begin to enter into this great gift of the Sabbath more and more.
Keep the Lord at the center - read the Mass readings ahead of time, participate in Mass, make more time for prayer, spend some extra time in silence focusing on the Lord
Try not to work - resist the urge to check your email, or catch up on a few things, and leave it for Monday
Plan ahead - take care of what needs to be done before Sunday, so plan the rest of your week to make sure you get the laundry done, have gone grocery shopping, etc.so you don’t have to do any of it on Sunday
Spend the day “screen-free” - try to stay off social media, internet news, and your phone as much as possible. If you can’t make it the whole day try to go for at least a few hours
Be intentional with others - if you live with others (ie. family, roommates), is there something you can do together like play a game or go on a hike? If you live alone, can you reach out to a good friend and catch up?
Leisure, not entertainment - try to do life-giving things; binge-watching a favorite show or playing video games for hours rarely leaves anyone with a new zeal for life. Read a good book, go on a long walk, develop a hobby.
PARTICIPATE
MASS READINGS
GIVING
Take a few minutes to give to St. Ann Parish. Please give generously and sacrificially as an act of faith during these difficult times. You can give online:
After giving, offer ways to be generous of your whole self during this trying time for our world.
“Each must do as already determined without sadness or compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. Moreover, God is able to make every grace abundant for you, so that in all things, always having all you need, you may have an abundance for every good work.”
PROCESS
“It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain.” (John 15:16)
This Gospel is part of Jesus’ Last Supper discourse. This is part of His final words to His disciples, the very last words that He chose to say before handing Himself over to be crucified. What He says to those disciples, He says to us: “You may think that you have chosen me, but I have chosen you. I who existed before time began, I who was the song that sang the universe into existence, I the Lord of lords and King of kings, I chose you. I desire you. I want you to live out the joy of my love, and to bring others from death into life.”
Perhaps Jesus’ desire for you is difficult to believe, difficult to accept. If you participated in last week’s practice, you saw that we examined what in our lives needs to be pruned away to make more room for God. Maybe you felt overwhelmed because you discovered you had a lot that needs pruning. Maybe you are making progress in your journey with the Lord, but you know there is still some distance to go. Well, in every situation, wherever you are, you have cause for rejoicing! Jesus chose Peter who denied Him even after sharing in the Last Supper, and Jesus chose Thomas who doubted the testimony of the other disciples. He made these men saints, and He wants to make you a saint, too.
This is now the third and final week of our mini-series on Christian leadership, our journey to sainthood. Two weeks ago, we emphasized that leaders are teachable. Last week, we said that leaders are available. This week, we say that leaders are contagious. Christian leaders rejoice in the knowledge of the truth that God has chosen them and radiate that joy to everyone they meet. When Peter arrived at the house of Cornelius, Cornelius fell down in worship. Cornelius saw in Peter something powerful, something beautiful, something contagious. Peter himself identifies that something earlier in the book of Acts. A crippled beggar asks him and John for some money. Peter gives him what he has, not money, but rather the name of Jesus – his only possession – and the man is healed. That thing that was so powerful, beautiful, contagious in Peter is the same thing that attracted so many to follow St. Francis or St. Teresa of Calcutta, and it is the same that will draw others to you: the knowledge that Jesus has chosen you and continues to choose you. He has healed you and redeemed you. Now, live out that joy so that others might see you and come to know Christ through you.
Practice
True Christian joy is different from happiness, as it does not depend on circumstances but upon Jesus who wants to give us His joy, and for that joy to be complete. But we can cultivate a joyous disposition by enjoying simple things, finding delight in everyday moments, and making a decision to not allow ourselves to be unduly burdened by the heaviness of life.
And so our practice this week is to take time to do something that is life-giving, that brings you joy. More than just “escaping” or doing something entertaining, but to really think about something that would “fill your cup.” Maybe taking a hike out in nature. Enjoying a great meal with good friends. Going to serve someone who is in need.
Then consider surrounding that time with prayer. Beforehand, ask the Lord to fill you with His joy. During the experience, offer a few prayers of praise to the Lord for His great goodness. After you have finished, take a few minutes to reflect upon the experience and thank the Lord for how He filled you during that time. Ask the Holy Spirit to make His fruit of joy abundant in your life so as to better be able to give witness to the great joy that comes from friendship with Jesus.
Discussion Questions
Think about how you can continue to reflect on God’s word to you this week, and how you can invite others into the conversation. You can use the questions below for personal reflection, or to grow with others. Be creative! You could consider gathering with friends and family, or starting a group text, or a group FaceTime, to discuss the questions below.
What stands out to you from the readings this week? What might God be speaking to you at this time?
Did you get a chance to do the “time audit” in the practice last week? What stood out to you from how you spend your time? Is there anything you tried to “prune”? Was there anything you tried to be more available for?
In the first reading we hear of the conversion of Cornelius. Cornelius and his household were Gentiles, not Jews, and so Peter and those with him are amazed at their response to the Gospel. Have you ever been amazed or surprised by someone wanting to know more about Jesus even though it seemed unlikely they would be interested?
In the Gospel this week Jesus tells us He wants to fill us with His joy, and for our joy to be complete. How would you explain what it means to be filled with joy? How is it similar or different from happiness?
Have you experienced much joy recently?
Can you think of someone in your life who is a “contagious” person, as in someone that others love to be around? How would you describe what they are like?
Do you feel that in your walk with Jesus you are modeling something that is attractive to others? Why or why not?
What is one thing you could do this week to really experience joy?
Jesus tells us in the Gospel: “It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain.” What does that mean to you?
Fifth Sunday of Easter
“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves” (Mt 11:28-29).
The Lord invites us to find peace and joy in Him this Sabbath as we set aside time to worship and rest.
“Remember the sabbath day—keep it holy. Six days you may labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath of the LORD your God.”
Sabbath comes from the Hebrew word “Shabbat”, which literally means “to stop.” Keeping holy the Sabbath is not just a commandment, but an invitation. An invitation from the Lord to stop our work, stop our worrying, stop our striving. An opportunity to fid rest and to be renewed. A chance to refocus on the things that truly matter - the Lord, family, community. In our culture, Sunday has become a day to “catch up” on everything that didn’t get done during the week, and any time left over is often seen as an opportunity just to “get ahead” for next week. But we Christians have a chance now to remember what it means to keep the Sabbath. During this pandemic the Lord is calling us back to Himself, offering us a chance to reclaim the gift of the Sabbath, reminding us again what it means to “keep it holy.”
A basic principle for observing the Sabbath is only to do things that can be considered “rest” or “worship”. Here are a few ideas to consider to begin more to enter into the Sabbath. Maybe pick just one thing to focus on this Sunday, then next Sunday keep that practice in addition to a second one. And then the next Sunday add a third, to slowly over time begin to enter into this great gift of the Sabbath more and more.
Keep the Lord at the center - read the Mass readings ahead of time, participate in Mass, make more time for prayer, spend some extra time in silence focusing on the Lord
Try not to work - resist the urge to check your email, or catch up on a few things, and leave it for Monday
Plan ahead - take care of what needs to be done before Sunday, so plan the rest of your week to make sure you get the laundry done, have gone grocery shopping, etc.so you don’t have to do any of it on Sunday
Spend the day “screen free” - try to stay off social media, internet news, and your phone as much as possible. If you can’t make it the whole day try to go for at least a few hours
Be intentional with others - if you live with others (ie. family, roommates), is there something you can do together like play a game or go on a hike? If you live alone, can you reach out to a good friend and catch up?
Leisure, not entertainment - try to do things that are life giving; binge-watching a favorite show or playing video games for hours rarely leaves anyone with a new zeal for life. Read a good book, go on a long walk, develop a hobby.
PARTICIPATE
“Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Mt 18:20). Each Sunday we are called to “keep holy the Sabbath” and although that may look different for right now we will still come together as a St. Ann community through the gift of technology.
MASS READINGS
GIVING
Take a few minutes to give to St. Ann Parish. Please give generously and sacrificially as an act of faith during these difficult times. You can give online:
After giving, offer ways to be generous of your whole self during this trying time for our world.
“Each must do as already determined without sadness or compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. Moreover, God is able to make every grace abundant for you, so that in all things, always having all you need, you may have an abundance for every good work.”
PROCESS
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower. He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and every one that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit.” (John 15:1-2).
Branches exist to bear fruit. Comparing our life to a vine, Jesus teaches us in the Gospel today that without bearing fruit a branch may seem healthy but might be taking up space where a more vibrant fruit-bearing one could be. While not bad in themselves, these branches do not make available the space for something greater to grow.
Entering into this passage more, we recognize that Christian discipleship is about being available and making room for what will produce fruit. This availability means looking at what we value; we do this by examining where we put our time and energy. That which we make ourselves available for reveals our values. Whether we are conscious of it or not, spending hours a week watching shows or busied with social media indicates that those activities are things we value. The same thing is true of people: we schedule opportunities to be with those people we care about. Perhaps this involves rearranging and cleaning our house or adding an extra layer to our dinner table so that there's a better space for those we invite over. By our availability, we become hospitable to what and who we value. By this logic, how available, how hospitable are we to the things of God? Do we make space and rearrange our time and our life around Him? In a homily, St. John Chrysostom advises his congregation that, “It would be the worst kind of folly if, while we give five and even six days to the business of this life, we wouldn't give even one day to spiritual things—or rather not so much as a small part of one day.” (Homily 5, on Matthew 1). Do we prioritize God as if our life branched from His? Do we live as though God was merely another branch of our life?
In the first reading, the interaction between Barnabas and Saul reveals what availability in Christian leadership looks like. We hear that all the other disciples “were all afraid of [Saul]: they could not believe he was a disciple” (Acts 9:26). Whereas Barnabas, despite being busy with many responsibilities, “took charge of him, introduced him to the apostles, and explained how the Lord had appeared to him” (Acts 9:27). This scene shows us how Barnabas made himself available to what God was trying to do in Saul. Following the prompting of the Holy Spirit, Barnabas gave his time to the will of God and the result was that “Saul now started to go round… preaching fearlessly in the name of the Lord” (Acts 9:28). Becoming available to God by accompanying Saul, Barnabas’ efforts were multiplied in gaining another co-worker, one who would even surpass him in influence. Taking this further, the apostle John exhorts us to “love not in word or speech but in deed and truth” (1 Jn 3:18-24), to perform the practical aspect of not only declaring that our faith is valuable to us but clearing space for it in our lives. Loving “in deed and truth” often happens in stages. Sometimes it means pruning good things so that there is more room for even better things. For example, we might choose to spend some time with Christian music and podcasts instead of just secular music or podcasts. However, as we grow perhaps we sometimes cut out music and podcasts altogether so that we can be more open to the goods that God desires to give us in silence or use that time and space to pray instead. This might look like going from being a participant in many ministries to picking one to accompany another person through or being a Connect group participant and then branching out and leading a new one. One essential piece of that includes being honest about the things we are doing and which ones are bearing fruit. St. Athanasius once remarked, "No one is going to … start behaving righteously unless he thinks about what he is doing.” (Festal Letters, 9). We are called to evaluate where we spend our time and how available we are to God so that we might more intentionally do what God calls us to do. Having the time to love with deeds and not just words can require pruning of other things in our lives which take up space so that the things of God may grow, and bear “fruit that will remain” (John 15:16) far beyond what we can ever imagine.
Practice
During this short series on Christian leadership we are looking at what it means to be teachable, available, and contagious (as in a person who models an authentically attractive pursuit of Jesus). This week we are focusing on being available. A leader makes room for what is important, and so a Christian leader sometimes has to evaluate where they are spending their time and be willing to cut out some things to be more available for what the Lord is asking of them. So our practice this week is to look at how we spend our time and then to prayerfully ask the Lord if there is something He might want us to “prune” so that we are able to bear more fruit for Him. It is very understandable to feel too busy to add much more, and the Lord is not glorified by overwhelmed disciples. But sometimes we even have to stop what is good to make room for something that is great. Things like committed daily prayer, assisting with a St. Ann ministry, maturing as a disciple through participating in different growth opportunities, or reaching out to someone else to help them in their walk with Jesus all take time. Is there a way Jesus is inviting you to prune so as to be able to bear even more fruit as a Christian leader?
Part 1: Take a time audit - Think through an average week and write down (generally) how you spend your time. You can use the below template or evaluate it with a different method. Try to be as specific and as concrete as you can.
Part 2: Spend some time in prayer asking the Holy Spirit to lead you as you reflect on how you spend your time each week:
Is there something you should cut out?
Is there something you should add?
Is there a different way the Lord might be asking you to use some of your time?
Discussion Questions
Think about how you can continue to reflect on God’s word to you this week, and how you can invite others into the conversation. You can use the questions below for personal reflection, or to grow with others. Be creative! You could consider gathering with friends and family, or starting a group text, or a group FaceTime, to discuss the questions below.
What stands out to you from the readings this week? What might God be speaking to you at this time?
Did you have any experience in this past week when you were able to practice being teachable? Maybe intentionally like one of the suggestions in the practice? Or even unintentionally through something that happened?
We see in the first reading that Paul was unable to join the disciples until Barnabas made himself available and “took charge of him.” Is there someone in your own life who helped you to grow in your walk with Jesus because of how they took interest in you?
Do you have anyone in your life that you are helping to grow as a disciple? Is there something in your life you could change to be more available for that?
John tells us in the second reading to “love not in word or speech
but in deed and truth.” What do you think that means? What are concrete examples of loving only in “word or speech”? What are specific ways to love “in deed and truth”?Where in your life do you feel you are “bearing fruit”?
Is there any area of your life that might need to be pruned?
How “available” do you feel you are right now to whatever the Lord might be asking of you?
Fourth Sunday of Easter
“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves” (Mt 11:28-29).
The Lord invites us to find peace and joy in Him this Sabbath as we set aside time to worship and rest.
“Remember the sabbath day—keep it holy. Six days you may labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath of the LORD your God.”
Sabbath comes from the Hebrew word “Shabbat”, which means “to stop.” Keeping holy the Sabbath is not just a commandment, but an invitation. An invitation from the Lord to stop our work, stop our worrying, stop our striving. An opportunity to find rest and to be renewed. A chance to refocus on the things that truly matter - the Lord, family, community. In our culture, Sunday has become a day to “catch up” on everything that didn’t get done during the week, and any time left over is often seen as an opportunity just to “get ahead” for next week. But we Christians have a chance now to remember what it means to keep the Sabbath. During this pandemic the Lord is calling us back to Himself, offering us a chance to reclaim the gift of the Sabbath, reminding us again what it means to “keep it holy.”
A basic principle for observing the Sabbath is only to do things that can be considered “rest” or “worship”. Here are a few ideas to consider to begin more to enter into the Sabbath. Maybe pick just one thing to focus on this Sunday, then next Sunday keep that practice in addition to a second one. And then the next Sunday add a third, to slowly over time begin to enter into this great gift of the Sabbath more and more.
Keep the Lord at the center - read the Mass readings ahead of time, participate in Mass, make more time for prayer, spend some extra time in silence focusing on the Lord
Try not to work - resist the urge to check your email, or catch up on a few things, and leave it for Monday
Plan ahead - take care of what needs to be done before Sunday, so plan the rest of your week to make sure you get the laundry done, have gone grocery shopping, etc.so you don’t have to do any of it on Sunday
Spend the day “screen-free” - try to stay off social media, internet news, and your phone as much as possible. If you can’t make it the whole day try to go for at least a few hours
Be intentional with others - if you live with others (ie. family, roommates), is there something you can do together like play a game or go on a hike? If you live alone, can you reach out to a good friend and catch up?
Leisure, not entertainment - try to do life-giving things; binge-watching a favorite show or playing video games for hours rarely leaves anyone with a new zeal for life. Read a good book, go on a long walk, develop a hobby.
PARTICIPATE
MASS READINGS
GIVING
Take a few minutes to give to St. Ann Parish. Please give generously and sacrificially as an act of faith during these difficult times. You can give online:
After giving, offer ways to be generous of your whole self during this trying time for our world.
“Each must do as already determined without sadness or compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. Moreover, God is able to make every grace abundant for you, so that in all things, always having all you need, you may have an abundance for every good work.”
PROCESS
“...I must lead, and they will hear my voice” (John 10:16)
One of the most fundamental aspects of our Christian experience is that “faith seeks understanding” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 158). Jesus speaks this truth to us in the Gospel this Sunday saying, “they will hear my voice”, but with the condition that “I must lead” (John 10:16). This verse hits on the reality that the importance of faith does not come from asserting ourselves, but in following Christ. Jesus not only verbalizes this but makes it incarnate. A few verses before this, Jesus declares that, “I am the good shepherd, and I know mine and mine know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father” (John 10:14-15). Jesus shows us that the Good Shepherd, the Leader of leaders, is one who does not follow His own will but that of God the Father; He places His identity wholly in the knowledge the Father has of Him, and the Father reciprocates.
During this Easter season we are beginning to dive into the ideals of Christian leadership. The three main aspects of this we will be exploring are how christian leaders are teachable, available and contagious (TAC). Jesus shows us that an essential element of Christianity, and leading in a Christian-manner, is the capability to be lead; to be teachable. So often the world around us declares to us the idea that we all are entitled to whatever truth that we make up on our own, that we are comfortable with or that suits us. Many around us have bought into this idea of “my truth” and “your truth” wholesale, and often we unconsciously subscribe to it ourselves. “These people are called wandering stars”, St. Hilary of Arles notes, “because they do not follow the sun of truth” (Introductory Commentary on Jude). When everyone tries to live in this way, we become like planets all drifting in the universe without a sun, all vying for the central gravitational pull, leading to inevitable collisions. Have we not experienced a little of this cosmic chaos? Even those with similar ideals to our own sometimes seem to be searching for intentional ways to cut ties and create divisions, attempting to establish a new center of gravity. But without Jesus, who is “the sun of truth”, such forms of leadership end up becoming black holes. What is needed for trust to be re-established in our day is the willingness to place ourselves under the leadership of the Good Shepherd and to learn, to listen, hear, and be teachable.
The question we ask ourselves this week is, are we teachable? Fulton Sheen commented on the importance of being teachable, saying, “If we are filled with our own importance, then we can never be filled with anything outside of ourselves. If a man thinks he knows everything, then not even God can teach him anything. The discovery of any truth requires docility, or teachableness. He who thinks he knows it all is unteachable… Faith comes from hearing, which also means it comes from being a good listener, or not thinking that one has all truth within himself” (Life Is Worth Living). Lacking the ability to be teachable means lacking the ability to learn, and without the capacity to learn we are also unable to lead. Have we been so unwise as to give into the idea that we do not have anything more to learn? Will we allow ourselves the openness to be able to grow this week? Are there any aspects of our faith which we find confusing or challenging to our personal beliefs? Throughout this week we take up the challenge to live out grace-filled humility, stretching ourselves to grow as disciples and as leaders by sincerely seeking to understand.
Practice
For the next three weeks our practice will look at three aspects of Christian leadership: being teachable, being available, and being contagious (as in a person who models an authentically attractive pursuit of Jesus). This week we will focus on what it means as a leader and disciple to be teachable. We see the necessity of being teachable in our Gospel. Jesus speaks about the importance of knowing and following Him, the Good Shepherd, and how we need to hear His voice. Christian leadership requires grace-filled humility so we can continue to grow and improve as disciples.
And so our practice this week is to do an exercise in humility, to practice an openness to being teachable. You could consider doing this in a few ways:
If you are currently in a ministry or group, ask someone in the group for feedback about your participation or leadership of the group. Invite them to honestly share with you one way you could improve.
If there is an area of Church teaching that you struggle with, take some time to explore why the Catholic Church teaches what she does. This could be by asking someone you know who could explain it, doing some reading in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (https://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/what-we-believe/catechism/catechism-of-the-catholic-church), or going to a website like Catholic Answers (www.catholic.com).
Ask someone you are close to if there is an area you could grow in or a way they think you could improve to be a better disciple and witness to Jesus Christ.
Discussion Questions
Think about how you can continue to reflect on God’s word to you this week, and how you can invite others into the conversation. You can use the questions below for personal reflection, or to grow with others. Be creative! You could consider gathering with friends and family, or starting a group text, or a group FaceTime, to discuss the questions below.
What stands out to you from the readings this week? What might God be speaking to you at this time?
Were you able to gather for a meal for more time and reflection on last week’s readings? Did you have any particular insights from that?
In the first reading Peter gives extraordinary witness to Jesus Christ, being quick to point out that it was the Lord who had done the healing. When you are a part of good things, do you find it easy or difficult to give the Lord the glory for it?
When you think of the title of Jesus as the “Good Shepherd” what does that mean to you? Have you experienced Him as a Good Shepherd in your own life?
What are ways that you hear the voice of the Good Shepherd?
How do you see being teachable being important to leaders who want to help make disciples?
Would you consider yourself teachable? What can make it hard?
Third Sunday of Easter
“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves” (Mt 11:28-29).
The Lord invites us to find peace and joy in Him this Sabbath as we set aside time to worship and rest.
“Remember the sabbath day—keep it holy. Six days you may labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath of the LORD your God.”
Sabbath comes from the Hebrew word “Shabbat”, which means “to stop.” Keeping holy the Sabbath is not just a commandment, but an invitation. An invitation from the Lord to stop our work, stop our worrying, stop our striving. An opportunity to find rest and to be renewed. A chance to refocus on the things that truly matter - the Lord, family, community. In our culture, Sunday has become a day to “catch up” on everything that didn’t get done during the week, and any time left over is often seen as an opportunity just to “get ahead” for next week. But we Christians have a chance now to remember what it means to keep the Sabbath. During this pandemic the Lord is calling us back to Himself, offering us a chance to reclaim the gift of the Sabbath, reminding us again what it means to “keep it holy.”
A basic principle for observing the Sabbath is only to do things that can be considered “rest” or “worship”. Here are a few ideas to consider to begin more to enter into the Sabbath. Maybe pick just one thing to focus on this Sunday, then next Sunday keep that practice in addition to a second one. And then the next Sunday add a third, to slowly over time begin to enter into this great gift of the Sabbath more and more.
Keep the Lord at the center - read the Mass readings ahead of time, participate in Mass, make more time for prayer, spend some extra time in silence focusing on the Lord
Try not to work - resist the urge to check your email, or catch up on a few things, and leave it for Monday
Plan ahead - take care of what needs to be done before Sunday, so plan the rest of your week to make sure you get the laundry done, have gone grocery shopping, etc.so you don’t have to do any of it on Sunday
Spend the day “screen-free” - try to stay off social media, internet news, and your phone as much as possible. If you can’t make it the whole day try to go for at least a few hours
Be intentional with others - if you live with others (ie. family, roommates), is there something you can do together like play a game or go on a hike? If you live alone, can you reach out to a good friend and catch up?
Leisure, not entertainment - try to do life-giving things; binge-watching a favorite show or playing video games for hours rarely leaves anyone with a new zeal for life. Read a good book, go on a long walk, develop a hobby.
PARTICIPATE
MASS READINGS
GIVING
Take a few minutes to give to St. Ann Parish. Please give generously and sacrificially as an act of faith during these difficult times. You can give online:
After giving, offer ways to be generous of your whole self during this trying time for our world.
“Each must do as already determined without sadness or compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. Moreover, God is able to make every grace abundant for you, so that in all things, always having all you need, you may have an abundance for every good work.”
PROCESS
“While they were still incredulous for joy and were amazed, he asked them, ‘Have you anything here to eat?’ They gave him a piece of baked fish; he took it and ate it in front of them” (Lk 24:41-43).
Our Gospel on this Third Sunday of Easter takes place right at the end of the Gospel of Luke. Jesus Christ has already suffered, died, and been buried. He has already risen, and Peter has seen the empty tomb. On that same Easter Sunday, the Risen Lord appeared to two of His disciples while they were walking along the road to Emmaus, explaining the Scriptures to them, making their hearts burn within them, and revealing His identity to them in the breaking of the bread. Those two returned to the Apostles in Jerusalem and, as they recounted that they too had seen the Risen Lord, Jesus appeared in their midst with His greeting of peace. Our Gospel today picks up here, with the first appearance of Jesus to his apostles as a body, on that same Easter day.
Notice what He says to them. Immediately they are afraid that He is a ghost, and immediately He takes concrete steps to prove to them that He is real, that He is alive, that He is Risen not just in spirit, but also in His body. He asks them if they have anything to eat, not because He was hungry, but to prove that He was really there with them. In a beautiful act of humility and mercy, He descends to meet His disciples where they were at, and He eats for their sake. It’s such a simple action, and its mystery lies in its concreteness. Jesus Christ, who was dead, is now alive and is standing in the midst of His disciples eating the fish that they had caught.
On this Third Sunday of Easter, Jesus stands in our midst, too, and invites us to give Him something to eat. He wants to increase our faith, to help us believe that He is truly Risen not just in spirit but also in body, and that, as part of His body, He wants to raise us up with Him. He draws us in, making us co-operators in His salvific work by asking us for some fish, some charitable action, some good deed, some sacrifice made out of selfless love. Just as Jesus did not need to eat, He does not need anything from us. But in total love and sheer goodness, He deeply desires for us to be a part of His great work. He models for us the path of a servant leader by meeting us where we are at, respecting our weakness and our fallenness, and by humbling Himself in order to raise us up. “Why are you troubled?” He asks us, “‘And why do questions arise in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you can see I have.’ And as he said this, he showed them his hands and his feet” (Lk 24:38-40).
Practice
As we journey deeper into the Easter mystery we see the exalted humanity of Christ’s resurrection on display. Through all that He does He calls us to ponder His characteristics and imitate His disposition with the assistance of His grace. He calls us to make the Gospel three-dimensional, to live it.
One suggestion to do this is to eat a family or communal dinner together one evening this week, perhaps on Wednesday or Friday, and prepare some fish. When everyone is seated but before the meal begins take a moment to begin with a prayer and read from the Gospel of this Sunday, Luke 24:35-48. Once everyone has some food and people have begun to eat go through the discussion questions below which go over the Gospel and leave room for discussion on anything that strikes people from the scripture. Finally, concluding the meal you can use the following prayer together:
CANTICLE: TE DEUM
You are God: we praise you;
You are the Lord; we acclaim you;
You are the eternal Father:
All creation worships you.
To you all angels, all the powers of heaven,
Cherubim and Seraphim, sing in endless praise:
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
The glorious company of apostles praise you.
The noble fellowship of prophets praise you.
The white-robed army of martyrs praise you.
Throughout the world the holy Church acclaims you;
Father, of majesty unbounded,
your true and only Son, worthy of all worship,
and the Holy Spirit, advocate and guide.
You, Christ, are the king of glory,
the eternal Son of the Father.
When you became man to set us free
you did not shun the Virgin's womb.
You overcame the sting of death
and opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers.
You are seated at God's right hand in glory.
We believe that you will come and be our judge.
Come then, Lord, and help your people,
bought with the price of your own blood,
and bring us with your saints
to glory everlasting.
V. Save your people, Lord, and bless your inheritance;
R. govern and uphold them, now and always.
V. Day by day we bless you;
R. we praise your name for ever.
V. Keep us today, Lord, from all sin;
R. have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy.
V. Lord, show us your love and mercy;
R. for we put our trust in you.
V. In you, Lord, is our hope;
R. and we shall never hope in vain.
LEADER: May your people exult forever, O God, in renewed youthfulness of spirit, so that, rejoicing now in the restored glory of our adoption, we may look forward in confident hope to the rejoicing of the day of resurrection. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.
LEADER: Let us praise the Lord.
ALL: And give him thanks.
Discussion Questions
Think about how you can continue to reflect on God’s word to you this week, and how you can invite others into the conversation. You can use the questions below for personal reflection, or to grow with others. Be creative! You could consider gathering with friends and family, or starting a group text, or a group FaceTime, to discuss the questions below.
What stands out to you from the readings this week? What might God be speaking to you at this time?
Last weekend was the Sunday of Divine Mercy. Were you able to celebrate this day or pray for divine mercy in any way last week? We were also called to reflect on the community, were there any more ways you took steps to grow in christian community this past week?
Jesus did not need to eat, but He asked to eat a fish. What do you think is the underlying meaning of this request?
Fulton Sheen often said, “Whenever our Lord wished to do a favor He always began by asking for one.” (Life of Christ, p.116). He does this same thing when He asks for fish. What is the “fish'' that He is asking of you? What might He be desiring to give you through this request?
St. Gregory of Nyssa once wrote that “the upright walk of the guide becomes that of the followers too. For what the Master is, such does he make the disciple to be" (Letters 13). Jesus is the master and the guide that we are called to follow and imitate. How might Jesus be calling us to imitate Him as guides to others in this Gospel scene from Luke? What might this action of asking for fish to eat teach us about leading others to God? Who might Jesus be calling us to “ask for fish” from?
St. Peter says of Jesus that “God raised Him from the dead; of this we are witnesses” (Acts 3:15). How have seen others be a witness of the resurrection in this Easter season? How have you been a witness of the resurrection recently? Are there any ways you think you can grow in this?
Divine Mercy Sunday
“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves” (Mt 11:28-29).
The Lord invites us to find peace and joy in Him this Sabbath as we set aside time to worship and rest.
“Remember the sabbath day—keep it holy. Six days you may labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath of the LORD your God.”
Sabbath comes from the Hebrew word “Shabbat”, which literally means “to stop.” Keeping holy the Sabbath is not just a commandment, but an invitation. An invitation from the Lord to stop our work, stop our worrying, stop our striving. An opportunity to fid rest and to be renewed. A chance to refocus on the things that truly matter - the Lord, family, community. In our culture, Sunday has become a day to “catch up” on everything that didn’t get done during the week, and any time left over is often seen as an opportunity just to “get ahead” for next week. But we Christians have a chance now to remember what it means to keep the Sabbath. During this pandemic the Lord is calling us back to Himself, offering us a chance to reclaim the gift of the Sabbath, reminding us again what it means to “keep it holy.”
A basic principle for observing the Sabbath is only to do things that can be considered “rest” or “worship”. Here are a few ideas to consider to begin more to enter into the Sabbath. Maybe pick just one thing to focus on this Sunday, then next Sunday keep that practice in addition to a second one. And then the next Sunday add a third, to slowly over time begin to enter into this great gift of the Sabbath more and more.
Keep the Lord at the center - read the Mass readings ahead of time, participate in Mass, make more time for prayer, spend some extra time in silence focusing on the Lord
Try not to work - resist the urge to check your email, or catch up on a few things, and leave it for Monday
Plan ahead - take care of what needs to be done before Sunday, so plan the rest of your week to make sure you get the laundry done, have gone grocery shopping, etc.so you don’t have to do any of it on Sunday
Spend the day “screen free” - try to stay off social media, internet news, and your phone as much as possible. If you can’t make it the whole day try to go for at least a few hours
Be intentional with others - if you live with others (ie. family, roommates), is there something you can do together like play a game or go on a hike? If you live alone, can you reach out to a good friend and catch up?
Leisure, not entertainment - try to do things that are life giving; binge-watching a favorite show or playing video games for hours rarely leaves anyone with a new zeal for life. Read a good book, go on a long walk, develop a hobby.
PARTICIPATE
“Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Mt 18:20). Each Sunday we are called to “keep holy the Sabbath” and although that may look different for right now we will still come together as a St. Ann community through the gift of technology.
MASS READINGS
GIVING
Take a few minutes to give to St. Ann Parish. Please give generously and sacrificially as an act of faith during these difficult times. You can give online:
After giving, offer ways to be generous of your whole self during this trying time for our world.
“Each must do as already determined without sadness or compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. Moreover, God is able to make every grace abundant for you, so that in all things, always having all you need, you may have an abundance for every good work.”
PROCESS
“Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
If you think about it, the apostles are really a bunch of misfits. They never would have naturally become friends. Many of them come from radically different backgrounds. They argue and compete with each other. And yet Jesus chose them and brought them together to follow Him. He saw something in each of them that caused Him to extend the invitation to come and follow Him.
After dispersing and fleeing at the sign of the coming crucifixion, the disciples gathered back together fearing that a similar fate would befall them. What was that tense gathering like? Without Jesus around them, were the old squabbles renewed? Were they blaming each other for the events of that Friday? Were they even able to make eye contact, knowing that they had each abandoned their teacher, their hoped-for messiah?
It was fear that gathered them, but it was the love of Jesus and the outpouring of His peace that transformed them into the Church. It was Jesus who had first called them to Himself from all their various origins, from tax collectors’ posts, and fishing boats, from competing religious and political groups. He gathered them together, and now He gathers them anew. He gathers them in with “Peace be with you” and, breathing upon them, gives them Spirit and life. Christ makes community because he makes them something more than they could have ever hoped or imagined. Together, they become the body of Christ. Are we ready to be transformed into the body of Christ?
Practice
In our first reading, we find a community of believers who come together and actually pool all of their resources to support each other: “There was no needy person among them, for those who owned property or houses would sell them, bring the proceeds of the sale, and put them at the feet of the apostles, and they were distributed to each according to need” (Acts 4:34-35). We know from other parts of scripture that this community was a little bit like the apostles: they came from different backgrounds, disagreed on certain points, and might not be friends if it weren’t for their shared faith in Jesus Christ.
Much has changed in the more than 2000 years since Jesus was born, and yet much of what is true of community remains the same: we argue, we struggle, we celebrate.
If you do not belong to a community that challenges you, supports you, celebrates with you, struggles with you, seek it out. And if you don’t find community readily available, then make community. Begin to form a community with those you already have around you: co-workers, neighbors, family. If these budding communities are imperfect, then rejoice - you are in good company! Remember the apostles themselves were imperfect and they spent three years in Jesus’s presence.
Community is essential to the Christian life. We cannot - and should not - live life alone. We are called to love one another, serve one another, and be with one another. The best way to create community is to be community to those around you: serve them, love them, and care for them. Let God do the rest.
Discussion Questions
Think about how you can continue to reflect on God’s word to you this week, and how you can invite others into the conversation. You can use the questions below for personal reflection, or to grow with others. Be creative! You could consider gathering with friends and family, or starting a group text, or a group FaceTime, to discuss the questions below.
What stands out to you from the readings this week? What might God be speaking to you at this time?
How were you a tangible sign of the resurrection last week?
Where have you experienced a community like that of the early church as described in our first reading?
Today is Divine Mercy Sunday. Take some time to pray a Divine Mercy chaplet and contemplate the image of Divine Mercy.
Our second reading says that the commandments “are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3). Our culture seems to disagree. What do you think?
When have you doubted the Lord? What was God’s response to that? What helps you have faith in Him now?
Easter Sunday
“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves” (Mt 11:28-29).
The Lord invites us to find peace and joy in Him this Sabbath as we set aside time to worship and rest.
“Remember the sabbath day—keep it holy. Six days you may labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath of the LORD your God.”
Sabbath comes from the Hebrew word “Shabbat”, which literally means “to stop.” Keeping holy the Sabbath is not just a commandment, but an invitation. An invitation from the Lord to stop our work, stop our worrying, stop our striving. An opportunity to fid rest and to be renewed. A chance to refocus on the things that truly matter - the Lord, family, community. In our culture, Sunday has become a day to “catch up” on everything that didn’t get done during the week, and any time left over is often seen as an opportunity just to “get ahead” for next week. But we Christians have a chance now to remember what it means to keep the Sabbath. During this pandemic the Lord is calling us back to Himself, offering us a chance to reclaim the gift of the Sabbath, reminding us again what it means to “keep it holy.”
A basic principle for observing the Sabbath is only to do things that can be considered “rest” or “worship”. Here are a few ideas to consider to begin more to enter into the Sabbath. Maybe pick just one thing to focus on this Sunday, then next Sunday keep that practice in addition to a second one. And then the next Sunday add a third, to slowly over time begin to enter into this great gift of the Sabbath more and more.
Keep the Lord at the center - read the Mass readings ahead of time, participate in Mass, make more time for prayer, spend some extra time in silence focusing on the Lord
Try not to work - resist the urge to check your email, or catch up on a few things, and leave it for Monday
Plan ahead - take care of what needs to be done before Sunday, so plan the rest of your week to make sure you get the laundry done, have gone grocery shopping, etc.so you don’t have to do any of it on Sunday
Spend the day “screen free” - try to stay off social media, internet news, and your phone as much as possible. If you can’t make it the whole day try to go for at least a few hours
Be intentional with others - if you live with others (ie. family, roommates), is there something you can do together like play a game or go on a hike? If you live alone, can you reach out to a good friend and catch up?
Leisure, not entertainment - try to do things that are life giving; binge-watching a favorite show or playing video games for hours rarely leaves anyone with a new zeal for life. Read a good book, go on a long walk, develop a hobby.
PARTICIPATE
“Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Mt 18:20). Each Sunday we are called to “keep holy the Sabbath” and although that may look different for right now we will still come together as a St. Ann community through the gift of technology.
MASS READINGS
GIVING
Take a few minutes to give to St. Ann Parish. Please give generously and sacrificially as an act of faith during these difficult times. You can give online:
After giving, offer ways to be generous of your whole self during this trying time for our world.
“Each must do as already determined without sadness or compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. Moreover, God is able to make every grace abundant for you, so that in all things, always having all you need, you may have an abundance for every good work.”
PROCESS
“When Simon Peter arrived after him, he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there, and the cloth that had covered his head, not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place” (John 20:6-7).
St. John is surprisingly detailed when retelling the story of his encounter of the empty tomb: “When Simon Peter arrived after him, he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there, and the cloth that had covered his head, not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place” (John 20:6-7). The burial cloth are described as “lying there” (Gk: ta othonia keimena) and the facecloth as “rolled up in a separate place” (Gk: to soudarion… xoris entetyligmenon eis hena topon). This is certainly not the way grave robbers would have left the tomb had they taken the body, but rather indicates that someone had taken an unusual degree of care, almost as if to give a sign to those who were to find it.
When Jesus rose from the dead, He gave His apostles tangible signs of the Resurrection: The tomb is empty. The burial cloths are lying there flat, fallen, as if Jesus’s body had just passed through them. The shroud around his head is wrapped, off to the side, almost as if to say to the disciples, “I will be back.” And St. John, arriving at the tomb, and noticing these little signs, “saw and believed” (Jn 20:7).
Jesus’s Resurrection is tangible. It is real. It matters. In fact, it changes everything.
It can be difficult for us to enter into the joy of the Resurrection because we experience Lent knowing the end of the story: Jesus rises from the dead. But for the apostles, this was not a foregone conclusion. It is helpful to read the Easter gospel readings and meditate on them and put yourself in the shoes of the apostles - what must they have been feeling? What would the tomb have looked like? Jesus’s last meal was on Holy Thursday, and yet we know that he eats fish with His apostles later. Jesus stopped breathing on Good Friday and so He must have had a first breath that Easter Sunday morning. What tangible signs of the Resurrection do you see in the readings? These tangible signs can be an important means through which God communicates to us and helps us remember the incredible mystery of our salvation.
Now as we celebrate the great joy of Easter, this most holy day of the year, let us ask God how we ourselves can be a tangible sign of the Resurrection in our daily life.
Practice
We handed out an Easter gift this year, a beautiful decal with the word “Risen.” One small way we can be a visible sign of the Resurrection is to proudly display this decal somewhere at home, on our car, or at work. Let this decal be a reminder to us that we are called to bear witness to the risen Christ.
How can you be a visible sign of the resurrection? Maybe you can bring joy to someone’s day who might be lonely or discouraged. If God gives you an opportunity to do so, you can respond with grace and joy if you do not get your way. Perhaps you can greet everyone you meet with a genuine smile.
There are an infinite number of ways to witness this Easter joy in your daily life: ask God to show you how He is calling you to bear witness to the joy of the Resurrection.
Discussion Questions
Think about how you can continue to reflect on God’s word to you this week, and how you can invite others into the conversation. You can use the questions below for personal reflection, or to grow with others. Be creative! You could consider gathering with friends and family, or starting a group text, or a group FaceTime, to discuss the questions below.
What stands out to you from the readings this week? What might God be speaking to you at this time?
Last week we focused on preparing for Holy Week. What preparations helped you enter more fully into Holy Week?
The author of Acts of the Apostles writes that the apostles “ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead” (Acts 10:41). Why do you think it is so important to him that Jesus ate and drank with them after rising from the dead?
The Letter to the Corinthians says “Therefore, let us celebrate the feast, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” What old yeast do you need to rid from your life in order to celebrate Easter with full joy?
Read through the Easter sequence again. What stands out to you?
Christians, to the Paschal Victim
Offer your thankful praises!
A Lamb the sheep redeems;
Christ, who only is sinless,
Reconciles sinners to the Father.
Death and life have contended in that combat stupendous:
The Prince of life, who died, reigns immortal.
Speak, Mary, declaring
What you saw, wayfaring.
“The tomb of Christ, who is living,
The glory of Jesus’ resurrection;
Bright angels attesting,
The shroud and napkin resting.
Yes, Christ my hope is arisen;
to Galilee he goes before you.”
Christ indeed from death is risen, our new life obtaining.
Have mercy, victor King, ever reigning!
Amen. Alleluia.
How has your life been changed because of the Resurrection?
What is one way this week you can be a tangible sign of the resurrection?
Palm Sunday
“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves” (Mt 11:28-29).
The Lord invites us to find peace and joy in Him this Sabbath as we set aside time to worship and rest.
“Remember the sabbath day—keep it holy. Six days you may labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath of the LORD your God.”
Sabbath comes from the Hebrew word “Shabbat”, which literally means “to stop.” Keeping holy the Sabbath is not just a commandment, but an invitation. An invitation from the Lord to stop our work, stop our worrying, stop our striving. An opportunity to fid rest and to be renewed. A chance to refocus on the things that truly matter - the Lord, family, community. In our culture, Sunday has become a day to “catch up” on everything that didn’t get done during the week, and any time left over is often seen as an opportunity just to “get ahead” for next week. But we Christians have a chance now to remember what it means to keep the Sabbath. During this pandemic the Lord is calling us back to Himself, offering us a chance to reclaim the gift of the Sabbath, reminding us again what it means to “keep it holy.”
A basic principle for observing the Sabbath is only to do things that can be considered “rest” or “worship”. Here are a few ideas to consider to begin more to enter into the Sabbath. Maybe pick just one thing to focus on this Sunday, then next Sunday keep that practice in addition to a second one. And then the next Sunday add a third, to slowly over time begin to enter into this great gift of the Sabbath more and more.
Keep the Lord at the center - read the Mass readings ahead of time, participate in Mass, make more time for prayer, spend some extra time in silence focusing on the Lord
Try not to work - resist the urge to check your email, or catch up on a few things, and leave it for Monday
Plan ahead - take care of what needs to be done before Sunday, so plan the rest of your week to make sure you get the laundry done, have gone grocery shopping, etc.so you don’t have to do any of it on Sunday
Spend the day “screen free” - try to stay off social media, internet news, and your phone as much as possible. If you can’t make it the whole day try to go for at least a few hours
Be intentional with others - if you live with others (ie. family, roommates), is there something you can do together like play a game or go on a hike? If you live alone, can you reach out to a good friend and catch up?
Leisure, not entertainment - try to do things that are life giving; binge-watching a favorite show or playing video games for hours rarely leaves anyone with a new zeal for life. Read a good book, go on a long walk, develop a hobby.
PARTICIPATE
“Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Mt 18:20). Each Sunday we are called to “keep holy the Sabbath” and although that may look different for right now we will still come together as a St. Ann community through the gift of technology.
MASS READINGS
GIVING
Take a few minutes to give to St. Ann Parish. Please give generously and sacrificially as an act of faith during these difficult times. You can give online:
After giving, offer ways to be generous of your whole self during this trying time for our world.
“Each must do as already determined without sadness or compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. Moreover, God is able to make every grace abundant for you, so that in all things, always having all you need, you may have an abundance for every good work.”
PROCESS
“When the great crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, they took palm branches and went out to meet him, and cried out: ‘Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, the king of Israel’” (Jn 12:12-13).
What a fascinating day in our liturgical calendar: Palm Sunday. Today we celebrate both the triumphant entry of Jesus on a donkey into Jerusalem, and moments later we proclaim His Passion. This intense juxtaposition calls to mind the complexity of our relationship with God: one moment we praise His name and thank Him for the good gifts He has given us, and the next we forget His sovereignty and sin against Him.
Thankfully, Jesus’s saving power does not depend on our actions. He died for our sins whether we accept Him as our savior or not. He entered into Jerusalem amid cheers of joy, and processed up Calvary to shouts and spitting from onlookers - how many people celebrated His entry into Jerusalem and yet scorned him a few days later on Good Friday?
The Church chooses this great juxtaposition of themes on Palm Sunday to begin Holy Week. We hold in tension the joy and the struggle, the triumph and the pain. We long for Easter and begin to make our preparations, and yet we continue to fast these last days of Lent. Today we shout both “Hosanna!” and “Crucify Him!” Let us solemnly prepare our hearts and our homes for Holy Week and the joy of Easter that we know is soon to come.
Practice
On Palm Sunday, the first reading typically happens before the priest enters into the church - it is a reading detailing the journey of Jesus’s entry into Jerusalem. More than half of this reading describes the process by which the apostles found the colt Jesus sat upon as He rode into Jerusalem. We also see preparation in our Gospel, when Jesus details how the preparation of Passover should go. Jesus knows that preparation is very important. Palm Sunday is the ultimate preparation for Holy Week: we proclaim the Lord’s Passion at Mass and we know Good Friday is just around the corner.
Dedicate some time this week to prepare your home and heart for Holy Week. St. Ann offers a “Bringing Holy Week Home” guide that can help you prepare - make sure to pick one up if you haven’t already (or check it out online here). Spend some time reading the guide and preparing to celebrate Holy Week! These are the most holy days of the year. It will take a bit of time and dedication to prepare well for them. God Himself knows how important the preparation is, and He knows the dedication it takes.
Discussion Questions
Think about how you can continue to reflect on God’s word to you this week, and how you can invite others into the conversation. You can use the questions below for personal reflection, or to grow with others. Be creative! You could consider gathering with friends and family, or starting a group text, or a group FaceTime, to discuss the questions below.
What stands out to you from the readings this week? What might God be speaking to you at this time?
Where in your life did God bring new life this past week?
What is the most important way you can prepare your heart for Holy Week? What about your home?
Picture Jesus coming down a street near your home - what would that look like today? Would we wave palm branches or something else? How would you greet Him?
When in your life, if at all, have you ever felt abandoned by God? How did you come to know that God was with you throughout that experience?
St. Paul mentions that at the very name of Jesus, every knee shall bend. How can you have a more profound appreciation for the name of Jesus?
What part of our Lord’s Passion stuck out to you this week? What do you think God might be saying to you through this?