Tag: church

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Second Sunday of Easter

picture of statue of Jesus with arms out on top of mountain surrounded by clouds

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Mass Readings

First Reading: Acts 4:32-35
Responsorial: Psalm 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24
Second Reading: 1 John 5:1-6
Gospel: John 20:19-31

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/041121.cfm
https://www.deaconrudysnotes.org/

Happy Easter! I’m Deacon Rudy Villarreal and I’m so glad you’re here to share this second Sunday of Easter with me as we break open the Word!

Whoa! As usual, Holy Mother Church gave us so much in these three readings today. We’re going to focus on the Gospel, but even that is packed with so much Good News there’s no way we could possibly do it justice. But let’s start with the idea of church.

There are many of our brothers and sisters in Christ who, for whatever reason, choose not to affiliate with or go to church – any church. People may have all sorts of reasons for not wanting to affiliate or go to church. But there are many reasons why it’s important for us to come together as a community. We’ve discussed the idea about the sacramental principle before.

The Church teaches us that if God is everywhere, then all time and all space is holy. But we can take this for granted. So, based on Scripture, the Church teaches us that we need to set time aside and come together as a community to praise and worship God. <1> So, the sacramental principle is one reason why we come together as church.

But there is another reason why we need to come together as church. Actually, it’s probably one of the first reasons we come to church.

At it’s core, what is Christianity? Christianity is a report – a Gospel – Good News. News requires that someone brings us the news. <2> St. Paul didn’t go up to each person individually and say, “Hey, have you heard the Good News?” No, St. Paul brought the Good News to a community and the letters he wrote were intended for the benefit of the community. And each of those communities, like all disciples, are charged with passing on the Good News – sharing it with others.

The spiritual life is not a solitary journey. We are on a pilgrimage – a trip we share in common with our brothers and sisters in Christ. That’s why when Mass begins, the celebrant, praying the words of Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians, says, “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all” (2 Corinthians 13:13). The word “communion” is a translation of the Greek word koinonia. The basic meaning of koinonia means “sharing in things.” That really points to our first reading from Acts. We could spend the better part of an hour (or a semester) digging into the mutual sharing described in Acts, Christian ethics, and the world of business.

But let’s get back to the Gospel. We exist today as a Christian people – as a community – because someone somewhere at some time brought us the Good News. I suggest to you that people who entered the church through RCIA can identify with that idea perhaps more easily than those of us born into the community. The message of Jesus Christ can never die as long as there are people who, accompanied by the Holy Spirit, pass on the Good News to others.

Today’s Gospel account from John tells us about two miraculous appearances of Jesus to the disciples in, both instances, while in locked rooms. Jesus says to the disciples, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you” (John 19:21). That message is not reserved to the twelve. Our bishops who are the apostles today, can’t do it alone. The church teaches us that Jesus sends all disciples – all of us – out to share the Good News!

The beatitude we hear in today’s Gospel, “Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed” is what faith is all about (John 19:29). Indeed, John tells us that “these are written that you may [come to] believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through this belief you may have life in his name” (John 19:31).

Now, there are all sorts of “marks of discipleship” that we could get into, but let’s keep it simple. A disciple is someone who accepts Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. A disciple seeks to grow their personal relationship with Jesus by learning more about Him. And a disciple is someone who, rooted in the community, shares the Good News with other people.

Today’s Gospel message is a reminder to all of us about our core responsibilities as disciples. We gather as a community and our koinonia or our communion “comes when Jesus Christ takes each one of us and all of us into himself in the Eucharist.” <3> Nourished by the Eucharist, we are then sent out to share the Good News. That’s why the Mass ends with the deacon, or the celebrant if there isn’t a deacon, proclaiming, “Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord.”

Homework! As we continue to celebrate our Easter feast nourished by the Word of God and the Eucharist, I invite you to reflect on the following questions. First, am I carrying my weight in my parish community? What can I do to support my parish mission? Second, if I were asked by a colleague or a family member to explain the Good News of Jesus Christ, what would I say?

I think doing our homework can help us be engaged disciples. Do you got it? Do you get it? Good! Now go make disciples! May we all come to know the joy of Easter and may God bless you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit! +Amen!

You’re listening to deacon rudy’s notes. Thank you for joining me today. Our theme music was composed by Silent Partner. You can find all sorts of helpful information on the website at www.deaconrudysnotes.org. I’m Deacon Rudy Villarreal. Join me again next weekend as we break open the Word. Peace!

Image Credit: Second Sunday of Easter. Artist Unknown. JPG.

Notes:
<1> Michael Himes, Chapter Two Grace.
<2> Himes, Chapter Five Church.
<3> Joseph A. Tetlow, SJ and Carol Atwell Ackels, 186.

Bibliography/Suggested Readings:
1. Anderson, Kelly, and Daniel Keating. James, First, Second, and Third John. Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2017. Kindle.
2. Himes, Michael. The Mystery of Faith: An Introduction to Catholicism. Cincinnati: St. Anthony Messenger Press, 2004. Kindle.
3. Martin, Francis and William M. Wright IV. The Gospel of John. Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2015. Kindle.
4. Schneiders, Sandra M. Jesus Risen in Our Midst: Essays on the Resurrection of Jesus in the Fourth Gospel. Collegeville, Minnesota: Liturgical Press, 2013. Kindle.
5. Tetlow, Joseph A., SJ and Carol Atwell Ackels. Finding Christ in the World: A Twelve Week Ignatian Retreat in Everyday Life. Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts: The Institute of Jesuit Sources, 2017.

Catechism References http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc.htm:
1. Faith: 153-62
2. Jesus as the Christ: 436
3. The appearances of the risen Christ: 448, 641-46
4. Christ’s risen humanity: 645-46
5. Saving significance of the resurrection: 651-55
6. Our new birth in the resurrection of Christ: 654-55, 1988
7. Water as type of the gift of the Spirit: 694
8. The Holy Spirit and the Church: 737-41
9. “I believe in the forgiveness of sins”: 926-84, 1441-42
10. Communion in spiritual goods: 949-53, 1329, 1342, 2624, 2790
11. Sanctifying presence of the risen Christ in the liturgy: 1084-89
12. Blood and water as types of baptism and Eucharist: 1225
13. The sacrament of Reconciliation: 1461-67
14. The Sunday Eucharist: 2177-78, 1342

Second Sunday of Easter
Sunday of Divine Mercy https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/041121.cfm
Lectionary: 44

Reading 1
Acts 4:32-35
The community of believers was of one heart and mind,
and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own,
but they had everything in common.
With great power the apostles bore witness
to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus,
and great favor was accorded them all.
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.

Responsorial
Psalm 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24
R. (1) Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, his love is everlasting.
or R. Alleluia.
Let the house of Israel say,
“His mercy endures forever.”
Let the house of Aaron say,
“His mercy endures forever.”
Let those who fear the LORD say,
“His mercy endures forever.”
R. Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, his love is everlasting.
Or R. Alleluia.
I was hard pressed and was falling,
but the LORD helped me.
My strength and my courage is the LORD,
and he has been my savior.
The joyful shout of victory
in the tents of the just:
R. Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, his love is everlasting.
Or R. Alleluia.
The stone which the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
By the LORD has this been done;
it is wonderful in our eyes.
This is the day the LORD has made;
let us be glad and rejoice in it.
R. Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, his love is everlasting.
Or R. Alleluia.

Reading 2
1 Johnn 5:1-6
Beloved:
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is begotten by God,
and everyone who loves the Father
loves also the one begotten by him.
In this way we know that we love the children of God
when we love God and obey his commandments.
For the love of God is this,
that we keep his commandments.
And his commandments are not burdensome,
for whoever is begotten by God conquers the world.
And the victory that conquers the world is our faith.
Who indeed is the victor over the world
but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

This is the one who came through water and blood, Jesus Christ,
not by water alone, but by water and blood.
The Spirit is the one that testifies,
and the Spirit is truth.

Alleluia
John 20:29
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
You believe in me, Thomas, because you have seen me, says the Lord;
Blessed are those who have not seen me, but still believe!
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
John 20:19-31
On the evening of that first day of the week,
when the doors were locked, where the disciples were,
for fear of the Jews,
Jesus came and stood in their midst
and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.
The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you.
As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”
And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,
“Receive the Holy Spirit.
Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them,
and whose sins you retain are retained.”

Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve,
was not with them when Jesus came.
So the other disciples said to him, “We have seen the Lord.”
But he said to them,
“Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands
and put my finger into the nailmarks
and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”

Now a week later his disciples were again inside
and Thomas was with them.
Jesus came, although the doors were locked,
and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.”
Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands,
and bring your hand and put it into my side,
and do not be unbelieving, but believe.”
Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me?
Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples
that are not written in this book.
But these are written that you may come to believe
that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God,
and that through this belief you may have life in his na

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30th Sunday in Ordinary Time

image of red ants pulling apart a black ant

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Mass readings

First Reading: Exodus 22:20-26
Responsorial: Psalm 18:2-4, 47, 51
Second Reading: 1 Thessalonians 1:5C-10
Gospel: Matthew 22:34-40

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/102520.cfm
www.deaconrudysnotes.org

My brothers and sisters, once again we are presented with the readings which totally speak to our situation today. Our world, at least in the west, is becoming so polarized. People – our own friends and families – are ripping other people apart on social media. We see that right now in the United States with the upcoming presidential election. But we also witnessed extreme polarization in the UK over Brexit. The great challenge for Christians is to resist – to not allow our church communities to be ripped apart by politics.

Of course, we have a responsibility to bring our faith into politics and business – to help people see beyond the problems of everyday life. Our readings today remind us where our true focus should be. But today’s readings also answer the question, “Why do we need a church?” Let’s get to it then!

In today’s Gospel, Matthew tells us that because Jesus was successful in dismissing the Sadducees, the Pharisees decided to give a go (Matthew 22:34-35). So, one of them asked, “Teacher, what’s the most important commandment in the Torah?” (Matthew 22:36). Now, this really wasn’t a trick question as much as a test. Did Jesus have a sufficient understanding of the Law to teach it? <1>

Jesus replies with one answer stated two different ways. “You shall love the Lord you God with all your heart and all your soul, and all your mind…[and] You will love your neighbor as yourself. The whole Torah (and Prophets) depend on these two commandments” (Matthew 22:37-40). How is this possible? If we believe that we are created in the image and likeness of God, and if we accept Jesus’ teaching that whatever we do for the least of these we do for him (Matthew 25:40), then loving God is the same as loving our neighbor and loving our neighbor is the same as loving God. I think the song “The Proof of Your Love” by King & Country explains this point more eloquently that me. You’ve got to check it out! I’ve got a link in the podcast to it. <2>

But what does this have to do with church? Do we really need a church?

There are at least two reasons we need to consider. First, Christianity is not some intellectual activity that we subscribe to after considering a series of arguments for and against. No! Christianity is a report. It is the Gospel – it is the Good News! But in order to “hear” the Good News, someone had to bring it to us. We are a community – we are a church – because someone at some particular point in time brought to the community the message of the Good News of Jesus Christ, or as Bishop Robert Barron would say, the Great Story of Jesus. What does Paul do? He brings the Good News to the people at Thessalonica, at Colossae, at Corinth, at Ephesus. Right? He brings the Good News to the people. Being a Christian means we heard the Good News from someone else, like our parents or teachers or friends or pastors. <3>

The second reason why we are a church – why church is central to the Christian life – is that the Gospel makes this extraordinary claim that my relationship with God is dependent on my relationship with my neighbor. <4>

How could someone born to a castaway and raised alone on a deserted island be a Christian? It’s unlikely for two reasons: someone needs to bring that person the Good News, and that person needs to be part of a community of believers. If you are not part of a community, how can you ever practice loving your neighbor?

Why is this so important for us today in our increasingly polarized world? We should be first Christian, then American or British or Swiss, etc. And somewhere way down the line, we might identify as Republican or Democrat, Tories or Labour, etc. Never party before God and country! Yet something is stirring the pot. It’s like putting some red and black ants in a jar. I saw this interesting image on social media. They’ll get along just fine unless you shake the jar. Then they’ll start to rip each other apart. As Christians who are challenged by today’s Gospel to love our neighbors as we love ourselves, we need to ask ourselves, “Who is shaking the jar?”

My brothers and sisters, I am not advocating for one political point of view over another. I am advocating for “the Way, the Truth and the Life” that is Christ Jesus (John 14:6). As Christians we’re not supposed to rip our neighbors apart! No! We should be trying to help alleviate people’s anxiety by sharing the hope of Jesus Christ. We need to have the courage to point out the demons shaking the jar. We need to help lead people into the community of believers, not out of it. The Gospel today gives us quite a bit to think about before and after the upcoming elections.

Homework! Enlighted by the Word of God and by the Eucharist, I encourage you to reflect on the following two questions.
First, what does the word “church” mean to you?
Second, do you remember who brought the Good News to you? How have you shared the Good News with others?

Perhaps our homework will help us lead the people we encounter away from polarization and back to the church. Do you got it? Do you get it? Good! Now go make disciples! May Almighty God bless you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit! +Amen!

Image Credit: Unknown. JPG file.

Notes:
Unless otherwise indicated, all Bible quotes are taken from The Bible: A Study Bible freshly translated by Nicholas King. Buxhall, Suffolk UK: Kevin Mayhew, 2013.
<1> Mitch and Sri, The Gospel of Matthew, 288.
<2> King & Country, “The Proof of Your Love,” YouTube, 14 September 2012, Accessed 22 October 2020, https://youtu.be/b-2dKOfbC9c.
<3> Himes, The Mystery of Faith: An Introduction to Catholicism, “Chapter Five: Church,” Kindle.
<4> Ibid.

References:
1. Eubank, Nathan. First and Second Thessalonians. Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academics, 2019. Kindle.
2. Himes, Michael. The Mystery of Faith: An Introduction to Catholicism. Cincinnati, OH: St. Anthony Messenger Press, 2004. Kindle.
3. King & Country. “The Proof of Your Love.” YouTube, 14 September 2012. Accessed 22 October 2020. https://youtu.be/b-2dKOfbC9c.
4. Mitch, Curtis and Edward Sri. The Gospel of Matthew. Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2010. Kindle.

Catechism References http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc.htm:
1. The living God, 205
2. The Holy Spirit, 686-747
3. The Ten Commandments, 2052-74
4. The two love commandments, 2055, 2083
5. Moral life a response to the Lord’s initiative of love, 2061-63

Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/102520.cfm
Lectionary: 148

Reading 1
Exodus 22:20-26
Thus says the LORD:
“You shall not molest or oppress an alien,
for you were once aliens yourselves in the land of Egypt.
You shall not wrong any widow or orphan.
If ever you wrong them and they cry out to me,
I will surely hear their cry.
My wrath will flare up, and I will kill you with the sword;
then your own wives will be widows, and your children orphans.

“If you lend money to one of your poor neighbors among my people,
you shall not act like an extortioner toward him
by demanding interest from him.
If you take your neighbor’s cloak as a pledge,
you shall return it to him before sunset;
for this cloak of his is the only covering he has for his body.
What else has he to sleep in?
If he cries out to me, I will hear him; for I am compassionate.”

Responsorial
Psalm 18:2-3, 3-4, 47, 51
R. (2) I love you, Lord, my strength.
I love you, O LORD, my strength,
O LORD, my rock, my fortress, my deliverer.
R. I love you, Lord, my strength.
My God, my rock of refuge,
my shield, the horn of my salvation, my stronghold!
Praised be the LORD, I exclaim,
and I am safe from my enemies.
R. I love you, Lord, my strength.
The LORD lives and blessed be my rock!
Extolled be God my savior.
You who gave great victories to your king
and showed kindness to your anointed.
R. I love you, Lord, my strength.

Reading 2
1 Thessalonians 1:5C-10
Brothers and sisters:
You know what sort of people we were among you for your sake.
And you became imitators of us and of the Lord,
receiving the word in great affliction, with joy from the Holy Spirit,
so that you became a model for all the believers
in Macedonia and in Achaia.
For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth
not only in Macedonia and in Achaia,
but in every place your faith in God has gone forth,
so that we have no need to say anything.
For they themselves openly declare about us
what sort of reception we had among you,
and how you turned to God from idols
to serve the living and true God
and to await his Son from heaven,
whom he raised from the dead,
Jesus, who delivers us from the coming wrath.

Alleluia
John 14:23
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Whoever loves me will keep my word, says the Lord,
and my Father will love him and we will come to him.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Matthew 22:34-40
When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees,
they gathered together, and one of them,
a scholar of the law tested him by asking,
“Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?”
He said to him,
“You shall love the Lord, your God,
with all your heart,
with all your soul,
and with all your mind.
This is the greatest and the first commandment.
The second is like it:
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.”

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ATC 16 Why Go To Church?

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Wait what now? We have to go back to church?

Hello and welcome to another edition of All Things Catholic. I’m your host, Deacon Rudy Villarreal, and together we are going to explore what it means to be Catholic. If you have a question that you’d like me to address, send it to me. You may use the comment form on the website, or by email to rudy@deaconrudysnotes.org. I invite you to share the Good News we discuss on this podcast with everyone you know!

On today’s episode, we’re going to talk about going to church which of course isn’t specifically Catholic. During this pandemic, many of us had had the opportunity to participate in live streamed mass or church services. As regulations are slowly lifted, social distancing standards still in place mean that many churches are still live streaming. But something interesting has been going on, I think. Live streaming platforms often tell you how many people are viewing at any particular moment.

I’ve got to tell you, the numbers have not been terribly large. When our parish back home was allowed to admit some people in for mass, those numbers were fairly meager too. When added to the online viewers, it’s nowhere near the number of people who used to come to church every weekend.

Now, I know there are all sorts of reasons for this. Some people have enjoyed participating in services or masses from other churches. For Catholics, perhaps that might mean participating online in masses with the Pope livestreamed from the Vatican. Or maybe watching a livestreamed mass from New York. I’ve even heard some people say they’ve enjoyed finding very short masses – like 20-30 minutes and done.

There are people who for spiritual reasons or perhaps reasons they don’t understand, they are not drawn watch a livestreamed church service. They’ve remained devout in their own ways.

Of course, there are people who have developed a fear of all gatherings. For example, some of these people who might not be in a high risk category are so afraid of getting sick that, at least in the U.S., they’re pushing for mail-in ballots rather than showing up to the polls in November.

And there are those who only go through the motions, but their hearts were never really into church.

Whatever the reasons, this pandemic has cut us off from our communities. When social distancing is lifted, there are some who may choose never to return.

So, why go to church? For example, is God in church? I would say yes, but does that mean that God is not with me here right now or when I go to market or when I’m in my car or on a bus, a tram or a train?

As one of my favorite theologians, Michael Himes puts it, “The answer is not that God is present there and absent elsewhere, but that, since God is present everywhere, you and I need to notice, accept and celebrate that presence somewhere,” (Himes, Loc 212). He goes on to say that we notice, accept and celebrate God’s presence on Sunday – the Lord’s day, but that doesn’t mean that God takes Mondays off or plays golf on Thursdays. It means that if all time is God’s time, then we better take some time to notice it, (Himes, Loc 212).

So, if God is everywhere all the time, then why does God need us to gather and worship on Sundays? Are you ready for this? He doesn’t. We need a time and a place to pause and acknowledge God’s incredible grace at work in this world. Another way of looking at this idea is the adage, what gets scheduled gets noticed and gets done. Now I can almost hear some of you saying, “Whoa there, deacon, slow your roll! The commandments say keep holy the Sabbath.” And you would be correct. But the commandment isn’t about what God needs, as much as it is about what we need.

In the Catholic understanding, this idea is called the sacramental principle. Himes gives us a good definition in his writing: If something is always and everywhere the case, it must be noticed, accepted, and celebrated somewhere sometime. What is always true must be noticed as true at a particular time and in a particular place, (Himes, Loc 219).

Going to church teaches us how to pause from all the distractions and the busyness of our lives to notice God’s grace all around us. What is God’s grace? Grace is God’s love outside the Trinity, (Himes, Loc 196). What is the consequence of pausing, noticing, accepting, and celebrating at a particular time and at a particular place?

Hopefully, it’s that we begin to realize that we should not divide our lives between “sacred” and “ordinary”. We cannot separate what happens on Sunday from what happens on Monday, (Himes, Loc 270). And church is not an island of grace isolated from an unholy world, (Himes, 278). Church then is a sign – a sacrament if you will – that the whole world is touched by God’s grace. I realize the world doesn’t really look like that right now, but that’s why spreading the Good News is so important. When we are sent out into the world to share the Good News, the message isn’t, “come to church and be holy.” No, the message is, “you are already filled with God’s grace in a world filled with God’s grace. Isn’t it wonderful? Come with me and let’s celebrate God’s grace together in church,” (Himes, Loc 284).

Do you got it? Do you get it? Good! I can’t wait for us all to be able to go back to church. Now, go make disciples! May Almighty God bless you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit! +Amen!

You’re listening to All Things Catholic. Please send me your questions! You can use the comment form on the website, or send me an email to rudy@deaconrudysnotes.org.

This episode was produced by deacon rudy’s notes. Our theme music was composed by Silent Partner. You can find all sorts of helpful information on the website at www.deaconrudysnotes.org. I’m your host, Deacon Rudy Villarreal. All Things Catholic will be back next month, and as always, the weekend edition will be back this Sunday. Peace!

References:

  1. Himes, Michael. The Mystery of Faith: An Introduction to Catholicism. Cincinnati, OH: St. Anthony Messenger Press, 2004.