Whenever I read John 21:15-19, which is only a few verses from the end of the Gospel, I am drawn to reflect on Dietrich Bonhoeffer and his book “The Cost of Discipleship.”

At the opening of my homily during the Easter Vigil, I used an expression of Pope Francis that I like very much. 

The synoptic passion narratives are similar, but there are unique elements.  One is the story of the Good Thief in Luke’s Gospel which we hear on this Palm/Passion Sunday.

Whenever we have the reading from the Book of Exodus in which Moses encounters the Lord in the burning bush, I am immediately put in mind of the Church in which I am celebrating the Eucharist.

In 2002, Pope John Paul II gave the Church the Luminous Mysteries of the rosary—the so/called Mysteries of Light.  One of these mysteries is the Transfiguration.  

It is the rare weekend when I celebrate mass and someone does not ask me to pray for a particular need.

Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians has one powerful line that has defined my self-awareness for most of my life.  “By God’s grace, I am what I am.” 

Thinking about how our world will change in the next 25 years can challenge our vision.  Imagining 400 years into the future seems beyond our ability to comprehend. 

On Christmas Eve, December 24, 2024, Pope Francis opened the Holy Door of Saint Peter’s Basilica to inaugurate the 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope. 

Matthew’s Gospel gives special emphasis to Jesus as the one who fulfills the promises made to the People of Israel.