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Third Week of Easter 2025

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Pont Jacques-Cartier which connects the city of Montreal with the south shore of the St. Lawrence River.   If we were to jump into our cars and drive to Montreal, in order to enter the city we’d have to pass over a bridge — the Pont Jacques-Cartier .  That bridge spans the Saint Lawrence River and connects the island city of Montreal with the south shore. It’s a vital link. Without it, getting in and out of the city would be complicated and difficult. The French word “pont” means “bridge.” And that word got me thinking this week — not just about steel and concrete bridges, but about spiritual ones.  Because one of the titles we use for the pope is Pontiff , and that word comes from the Latin pontifex , which means bridge builder . That’s exactly what the pope is: a bridge builder — a man chosen to connect heaven and earth, to unite people of faith across nations, and to hold together the Body of Christ.  And this week, with the Church still mourning the death of Pope...

Second Sunday of Easter (Divine Mercy Sunday) 2025

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 My aunts Margaret Randall and Sr. Mary Elizabeth Looby when they were toddlers.  They are twin sisters.  The apostle Thomas' name means "twin".  Who was his twin? Did you notice what John calls Thomas in today’s Gospel? “Thomas, called Didymus”—which means Twin . But here’s the thing: the Gospel never tells us who Thomas’s twin actually is. There’s no sibling mentioned. No other Thomas walking around. Maybe that’s the point. Maybe you are the twin. Maybe I am. Maybe Thomas is meant to be a mirror—a reflection of us in all our confusion and questions and longings.  Because let’s be honest: we all have a little Thomas in us. We want to believe, but we also want proof.  We say we trust in God, but sometimes we hold back. We pray for peace, but we’re still anxious. We proclaim Christ is risen, but still carry grief or regret. And here’s the Good News: Jesus meets Thomas—meets us —right where we are. Let’s step into that upper room. The disciples are huddled ...

Easter 2025

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  Every Easter, we hear the story of the empty tomb—and every year, we hear it a little differently. Because we’re in a different place. We’ve walked different roads. We’ve carried different crosses. Where we are on our own journey to Jerusalem and Calvary shapes how we hear the angel’s words, how we see the stone rolled away, how we recognize the risen Jesus. Maybe this Easter, you’re celebrating the safe return of someone you feared you had lost—a child, a spouse, a friend.  If that’s where your heart is, then the empty tomb is more than a symbol. It’s a promise: that God is with us even during the darkest nights and along the most dangerous roads. Maybe you are grieving—carrying the weight of a spouse, a parent, a child, or a dear friend who has died.  And maybe this morning, the angel’s question pierces your heart: "Why do you seek the living among the dead?" It’s not a rebuke.  It’s the first light of hope. It’s the gentle promise that the Risen Christ has lo...

Good Friday 2025

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  When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home . As we stand before the cross of Jesus on this Good Friday, we are reminded of the immense love and sacrifice that Jesus showed for us. But we are also reminded of the love and sacrifice of those who stood by him in his hour of greatest need, including his mother Mary. In this passage from John's Gospel, we see Jesus entrusting his mother to the care of his beloved disciple. It's a moment of profound love and compassion, as Jesus ensures that his mother will be taken care of after his death. But it's also a moment that speaks to the importance of community and connection in our own lives. Just as Jesus entrusted his mother to the care of his disciple, we too are called to care for one another, to support each other in times of need, and to build relation...

Holy Thursday 2025

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  Feet are weird. Some people pay good money for pedicures—massaging, buffing, polishing every little toe. Others avoid feet like the plague. They cover them up, hide them in socks year-round, and can’t stand the thought of touching anyone else’s. Even the word “feet” makes some people squirm. Ask someone to touch someone else’s feet—and most folks will say, “Absolutely not.” It’s not hard, then, to understand why Peter was shocked that Jesus would want to wash his feet. And remember: feet were probably even more unpleasant in Peter’s day than they are now. No nice shoes. No odor eaters.  Just leather sandals, worn every day over rocky, dusty roads. The disciples walked everywhere—village to village, neighborhood to neighborhood. Their feet were dirty. Tired. Calloused. And yet—Jesus kneels down, picks up a basin and towel, and washes them. Peter is appalled. This was the job of a servant, not the Master. Hosts didn’t wash feet. They provided the water and let their servant...