Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of the Lord
Lectionary: 42
It is Easter. He is risen. The victory is won.
But, like the disciples on that first Easter morning, we can’t see the joyful miracle clearly. Mary of Magdala thought they’d taken the body of Jesus. Saint Peter and Saint John believed he was gone, but did not yet understand that Jesus had to rise from the dead.
Mary of Magdala came early in the morning, while it was still dark.
These are still dark days.
Read moreFifth Sunday of Lent
Lectionary: 34
“Jesus wept.”
The shortest verse in the Bible.
Sometimes we wonder why Jesus wept. Did he weep for his friend, who was dead? Did he weep because of people’s unbelief? Did he weep because he was going to have to bring Lazarus back from paradise, where he was in the bosom of Abraham? Or, was there some other reason?
Read moreIII Domingo de Cuaresma
Leccionario: 28
Jesús estaba cansado del camino y tenía sed. A veces, olvidamos que Jesús se cansó, tuvo hambre y sed como nosotros. Experimentó todas las necesidades y deseos sanos y santos que experimentamos. A veces pensamos en sus milagros y su increíble perseverancia durante la pasión, y nos olvidamos de su humanidad.
Cuando me canso, tengo hambre y sed, soy como los hijos de Israel en la primera lectura: me pongo de mal humor y me quejo.
Cuando Jesús estaba cansado y sediento, se acercó a un extraño con amabilidad. Y no cualquier extraño, sino una mujer samaritana. Los judíos odiaban a los samaritanos. Vieron a los samaritanos como traidores y mestizos. A menudo caminaban un día más o más solo para evitar caminar por territorio samaritano. Era completamente inapropiado que un rabino judío hablara con un samaritano, y peor aún, que fuera una mujer de carácter dudoso.
Jesús miró a la mujer y vio algo diferente.
El vio a una persona.
Read moreThird Sunday of Lent
Lectionary: 28
Jesus was tired, and he was thirsty. Sometimes, we forget that Jesus became tired, hungry, and thirsty just like us. He experienced all the healthy and holy needs and desires we experience. Sometimes we think of his miracles and his incredible perseverance during the passion, and forget about his humanity.
When I get tired, hungry and thirsty, I am like the Children of Israel in the first reading: I get grumpy, and I grumble.
When Jesus was tired and thirsty, he reached out to a stranger with kindness. And not just any stranger, but a Samaritan woman. The Jews hated the Samaritans. They saw the Samaritans as traitors, and half-breeds. Often they would walk an extra day or more just to avoid walking through Samaritan territory. It was entirely improper for a Jewish Rabbi to speak to a Samaritan, and even worse that she was a woman of dubious character.
Jesus looked at the woman and saw something different.
He saw a person.
Read moreI Domingo de Cuaresma
Leccionario: 22
Jesús fue llevado por el Espíritu al desierto para ser tentado por el diablo.
San Gregorio Magno enseñó que hay tres tipos de tentación. Son sugerencia, deleite y consentimiento.
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