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Reflections of Family and Faith
"The family that prays together stays together." - Venerable Patrick Peyton
Jesus’ death and Resurrection is the most important moment in human history, an event of literally cosmic significance. And so, when you stop to think about it, it is remarkable that Jesus chooses to set this infinitely unique and important moment in the context of His traditional Jewish faith and the ritual of Passover. On the night before the Son of God is to die for the sins of the entire human race throughout all of human history, this is what is most important to Him: that He celebrate the Passover meal with His disciples, and so connect this ritual commemoration of Israel’s freedom from bondage with His new Covenant of eternal freedom from sin and death.
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Daily Gospel Reflections | Holy Week | Spy Wednesday
Reflect on trusting God's timing and avoiding impulsive actions through the story of Judas' betrayal in this Daily Gospel Reflection for Wednesday of Holy Week. Today's Gospel: Matthew 26:14-25 Our actions are never hidden from God. We can try to justify our actions, we can pretend that we know better or that God somehow needs our help to bring His plans to fruition, but these are all lies we tell ourselves. God knows what is best, and He knows us better than we know ourselves. We can’t know what was going on in Judas’s heart when he sold the Lord for thirty silver pieces. Perhaps he was greedy, but it is commonly believed that he was doing what he thought was the right and just thing to do. Many were anticipating a political Messiah who would battle their oppressors, and perhaps Judas thought this exchange would be just the spark needed to ignite the battle. Regardless of his motives, we know that Jesus was aware of the betrayal by the time of the Last Supper, and that once it was complete, Judas regretted his actions. How often do we step in and take action impatiently because we think God needs our help? How often do we take matters into our own hands when we don’t like the direction God is leading us? And then, how often are we later burdened with regret for those foolish actions?
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Brief and contemporary inspiration focused on hope and family prayer will be delivered to your inbox! Articles include live video, written word, and links to resources that will lead you and your family deeper into faith.
We see a scene full of mixed emotions; love vs betrayal, grace vs human freedom, positive courage vs failure through betrayal of the one I promise to love. Even Jesus knowing his hour was near and what was to happen does not give in to abandon the humanity. We have many times looked on the betrayal part of Judas which lack personal choice of return due to excess despair and Peter’s betrayal that antithetically to Judas does not end on remorse but on the Mercy of loving Jesus and so Peter chooses repentance and reformation.
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I came across a stand-up comedy bit recently. The comedian says, “You ever notice, after Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead, you never see them hanging out again?” Think about that for a moment. Lazarus had a bad day. Not a flat tire. Not a bad meeting. He died. That’s already a terrible day. Day one: “Okay this is new.” Day two: “I am Still dead. Not improving.” Day three: “Alright, I think this is permanent.” Day four: “You know what? I’ve accepted it. I’ve processed it. I’ve let go. I’ve moved on.” He’s finally at peace. Maybe he’s thinking, “This is actually not bad. No bills, no responsibilities, no family WhatsApp groups.” Everything is calm.
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Holy lives of inspiration | Learn more about our faith
As we move towards Holy Week in this Lenten season, the tone of our readings is gradually changing. There is increasing opposition or resistance to Christ. There is opposition to who Christ was, and opposition to his mission. Today in our gospel we hear that “the Jews picked up rocks to stone Jesus” and his response to their action was that “I have shown you many good works from my Father. For which of these are you trying to stone me?” He had healed the sick, made the blind see, raised the dead, made the lame walk, and here he was being harassed and almost being killed.
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Palm Crosses | Palm Sunday | family prayer
Roxane Salonen shares her memories of Palm Sundays past and explains how we can create lasting memories with our families this Palm Sunday. During a recent trip to Mexico, I was struck by the palm trees and branches. They are so different than anything I’ve ever seen in my ordinary life, whether growing up on the Plains in northeast Montana or living on the Prairie of North Dakota as I do now, not to mention visits to our lake-laden land next door, Minnesota. These trees and their branches are so exotic, and yet, as a Catholic, I find them still so familiar because of our yearly procession with Jesus on Palm Sunday. There’s much to ponder in those last words, but that’s not what came to mind as I sized up these beautiful adornments of the resort town where my husband and I stayed for five nights last month. Instead, they called to mind the years my father would place palm branches behind a Madonna and Child painting that hung above our television.
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