Monday of the Third Week of Easter 2020: JN 6: 22-29, Homily, and Art

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“Food that Endures” Painting by: Ronald Raab, CSC

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Gospel JN 6:22-29

[After Jesus had fed the five thousand men, his disciples saw him walking on the sea.]
The next day, the crowd that remained across the sea
saw that there had been only one boat there,
and that Jesus had not gone along with his disciples in the boat,
but only his disciples had left.
Other boats came from Tiberias
near the place where they had eaten the bread
when the Lord gave thanks.
When the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there,
they themselves got into boats
and came to Capernaum looking for Jesus.
And when they found him across the sea they said to him,
“Rabbi, when did you get here?”
Jesus answered them and said,
“Amen, amen, I say to you, you are looking for me
not because you saw signs
but because you ate the loaves and were filled.
Do not work for food that perishes
but for the food that endures for eternal life,
which the Son of Man will give you.
For on him the Father, God, has set his seal.”
So they said to him,
“What can we do to accomplish the works of God?”
Jesus answered and said to them,
“This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent.”

Third Sunday of Easter 2020: LK 24:13-15, Homily, Prayers of the Faithful, and Art

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“On the road to Emmaus” Painting by: Ronald Raab, CSC 2017

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Gospel LK 24:13-35

That very day, the first day of the week,
two of Jesus’ disciples were going
to a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus,
and they were conversing about all the things that had occurred.
And it happened that while they were conversing and debating,
Jesus himself drew near and walked with them,
but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him.
He asked them,
“What are you discussing as you walk along?”
They stopped, looking downcast.
One of them, named Cleopas, said to him in reply,
“Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem
who does not know of the things
that have taken place there in these days?”
And he replied to them, “What sort of things?”
They said to him,
“The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene,
who was a prophet mighty in deed and word
before God and all the people,
how our chief priests and rulers both handed him over
to a sentence of death and crucified him.
But we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel;
and besides all this,
it is now the third day since this took place.
Some women from our group, however, have astounded us:
they were at the tomb early in the morning
and did not find his body;
they came back and reported
that they had indeed seen a vision of angels
who announced that he was alive.
Then some of those with us went to the tomb
and found things just as the women had described,
but him they did not see.”
And he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are!
How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke!
Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things
and enter into his glory?”
Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets,
he interpreted to them what referred to him
in all the Scriptures.
As they approached the village to which they were going,
he gave the impression that he was going on farther.
But they urged him, “Stay with us,
for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over.”
So he went in to stay with them.
And it happened that, while he was with them at table,
he took bread, said the blessing,
broke it, and gave it to them.
With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him,
but he vanished from their sight.
Then they said to each other,
“Were not our hearts burning within us
while he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?”
So they set out at once and returned to Jerusalem
where they found gathered together
the eleven and those with them who were saying,
“The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!”
Then the two recounted
what had taken place on the way
and how he was made known to them in the breaking of bread.

 

 

Prayers of the Faithful

Third Sunday of Easter

Let us pray for our Church, that we all may recognize Jesus in the celebration of Eucharist and live as people of hope in our fragile world. May we learn in our isolation a new commitment to offer peace and to live with integrity.

We pray to the Lord.

Let us pray for the blind, the weary and those who turn their backs on Jesus, that our eyes may rest on his goodness and on his mercy for all people. May we learn to see with eyes of longing and of love.

We pray to the Lord.

Let us pray that Jesus may embrace our efforts toward reconciliation and peace in all of our relationships. May our families in this time of COVID-19 learn a new reliance of God.

We pray to the Lord.

Let us pray for our children who have runaway, those who have been trafficked, those who do not believe theirs lives matter. For children who face fear in this time of uncertainty and isolation.

We pray to the Lord.

Let us pray to recognize the footprints of Jesus in our lives and on our journeys. Let us pray that integrity, consolation, and healing may accompany our lives.

We pray to the Lord.

Let us pray for all of the unspoken needs of our people in this time of isolation and fear. May those who grieve job loss, health insurance, and adequate housing rest in the assurance of Christ Jesus.

We pray to the Lord.

Let us pray for our beloved dead, for our loved ones who have journeyed home to heaven. We pray especially for those who have died of COVID-19 and for those who grieve the loss of loved ones.

We pray to the Lord.

Feast of Saint Mark, Evangelist 2020: MK 16: 15-20, Homily, Art, and COVID-19 Update from the Diocese of Colorado Springs

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“Everything under the sun” Painting by: Ronald Raab, CSC

 

CLICK HERE FOR AN COVID-19 UPDATE from the Diocese of Colorado Springs

CLICK here to listen to today’s homily

 

Gospel MK 16:15-20

Jesus appeared to the Eleven and said to them:
“Go into the whole world
and proclaim the Gospel to every creature.
Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved;
whoever does not believe will be condemned.
These signs will accompany those who believe:
in my name they will drive out demons,
they will speak new languages.
They will pick up serpents with their hands,
and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them.
They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

Then the Lord Jesus, after he spoke to them,
was taken up into heaven
and took his seat at the right hand of God.
But they went forth and preached everywhere,
while the Lord worked with them
and confirmed the word through accompanying signs.

Third Sunday of Easter 2020: Bulletin Column and Art

April 26, 2020 bulletin cover

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April 26, 2020

Third Sunday of Easter

Dear Followers of the Christ,

In Luke 24: 13-35, we walk with two of the disciples on the road to Emmaus. We overhear the frustrations and uncertainty about their experiences from the past few days burying the Master. They cannot believe what has happened. Jesus, the one whom they followed, went to his death and now they hear that he has been raised from the dead. However, Jesus meets with them and their eyes are not yet ready to recognize him.

They retell all the events to the one who they think is a stranger. Then Jesus begins to tell his tale of salvation history. He stays with them, breaking bread and opening up the scriptures. The eyes of the followers were opened and their hearts burned with love. He was present again to them in the breaking of the bread and in the stories of love.

We continue the Easter event on this road to Emmaus in every Mass. The scriptures are broken open to us in our hearing. In every Mass, the Real Presence of Christ is revealed to us in the proclamation of the gospel. The scriptures are fire and love; they are alive and vibrant. The Holy Spirit is embedded in every word. These words of the gospels are not just a text proclaimed by the priest just for kicks. This is not the phone book or an advertising brochure in our inbox.

These are the words from God. These are the words handed down to us from centuries ago imbedded with love, with hope, and healing for all God’s people. These words are not a quick text, not a few words on Instagram. These words are not a knee-jerk reaction within community but come from the storytellers of the past to bring life to everyone. These words rouse hope. These words from the mouth of God fill our pain with healing, our ambiguities with direction, our anxiety with quiet hope. These words bring with them the presence of Jesus who is our way of life, our trust on the perilous journey we call life.

Jesus is revealed to us in the Breaking of the Bread at Mass. This action of the Eucharist is his Real Presence. Our eyes can be just as covered with sleep, inattention, pride, and self-preoccupation as the eyes of the disciples. What reveals our relationship with Jesus Christ within the Eucharist is love. God’s love desires our souls.

I write this knowing that we cannot yet celebrate together the very mystery that sets us free. I invite you to read and reflect on the sacred scriptures, pray with your families, allow your children to tell the stories of family life in this time of isolation by keeping a family journal of events, pictures, feelings and prayers. I invite you to prepare your hearts for the day we shall all be together in love and celebration. We are still a family of prayer even though we are scattered and sequestered in our own homes. I also invite you to pray for the members of each of our three churches and the future of our common life. There is much to witness in the presence of Jesus still among us. Now more than ever, we need to open our eyes and hearts and see him in our midst. Continue to believe and love. Strive to live the message of Easter to proclaim love in all of its forms.

We are called to fall in love with God. Staying united in prayer, even though we are alone, is not just an obligation. We are to make love real. This love is revealed in how we accept people, how we welcome the lost and forgotten, how we expand our hospitality to people who are different from ourselves. Recognizing God in our midst is not just a reward to get to heaven. We are challenged to become a people who believe we are loved by God so then go out into the world to love other people. Our eyes need to focus on such a love.

“Where not our hearts burning within us while he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?” For what does your heart desire?

Blessings,

Fr. Ron

Friday of the Second Week of Easter 2020: JN 6:1-15, Homily, and Art

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“Abundance” Finger Painting by: Ronald Raab, CSC

CLICK HERE to listen to today’s homily

CLICK here to read all of today’s scriptures

 

Gospel JN 6:1-15

Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee.
A large crowd followed him,
because they saw the signs he was performing on the sick.
Jesus went up on the mountain,
and there he sat down with his disciples.
The Jewish feast of Passover was near.
When Jesus raised his eyes and saw that a large crowd was coming to him,
he said to Philip, “Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?”
He said this to test him,
because he himself knew what he was going to do.
Philip answered him,
“Two hundred days’ wages worth of food would not be enough
for each of them to have a little.”
One of his disciples,
Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, said to him,
“There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish;
but what good are these for so many?”
Jesus said, “Have the people recline.”
Now there was a great deal of grass in that place.
So the men reclined, about five thousand in number.
Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks,
and distributed them to those who were reclining,
and also as much of the fish as they wanted.
When they had had their fill, he said to his disciples,
“Gather the fragments left over,
so that nothing will be wasted.”
So they collected them,
and filled twelve wicker baskets with fragments
from the five barley loaves that had been more than they could eat.
When the people saw the sign he had done, they said,
“This is truly the Prophet, the one who is to come into the world.”
Since Jesus knew that they were going to come and carry him off
to make him king,
he withdrew again to the mountain alone.

 

Thursday of the Second Week of Easter 2020: JN 3: 31-36, Homily, and Art

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Finger Painting by: Ronald Raab, CSC 2020

CLICK HERE to read the Scriptures for today

CLICK HERE to listen to today’s homily

Gospel JN 3:31-36

The one who comes from above is above all.
The one who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of earthly things.
But the one who comes from heaven is above all.
He testifies to what he has seen and heard,
but no one accepts his testimony.
Whoever does accept his testimony certifies that God is trustworthy.
For the one whom God sent speaks the words of God.
He does not ration his gift of the Spirit.
The Father loves the Son and has given everything over to him.
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life,
but whoever disobeys the Son will not see life,
but the wrath of God remains upon him.

Wednesday of the Second Week of Easter 2020: JN 3:16-21, Homily, and Art

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“Toward Light:” Finger Painting by: Ronald Raab, CSC

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Gospel JN 3:16-21

God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son,
so that everyone who believes in him might not perish
but might have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,
but that the world might be saved through him.
Whoever believes in him will not be condemned,
but whoever does not believe has already been condemned,
because he has not believed in the name of the only-begotten Son of God.
And this is the verdict,
that the light came into the world,
but people preferred darkness to light,
because their works were evil.
For everyone who does wicked things hates the light
and does not come toward the light,
so that his works might not be exposed.
But whoever lives the truth comes to the light,
so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God.

 

Finger Painting: During our lockdown, I have been painting faces of Christ to keep me centered and grounded in my life of faith. Finger painting helps me live in the moment. I have also been painting flowers, some as exercises and others because I realize that flowers live only for a short moment. In this Easter Season, I miss our prayer together that captures a moment in our lives every week. I also miss our Easter flowers that teach us how to live brilliantly during our time on earth. So, I dedicate these finger paintings in these weeks to you, and to all of us, struggling to live in this moment in history and aching to discover the deeper meaning of life that is ultimately God’s love for each of us. I dedicate these to people who grieve their losses, and who starve for food, companionship, and intimacy. I hope you enjoy the color, the chaos, and the life of these flowers that live beyond a week or so this springtime. 

 

Tuesday of the Second Week of Easter 2020: JN 3: 7B-15, Homily, and Art

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Floral Finger Painting: Ronald Raab, CSC 2020 

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Gospel JN 3:7B-15

Jesus said to Nicodemus:
“‘You must be born from above.’
The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes,
but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes;
so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
Nicodemus answered and said to him,
‘How can this happen?”
Jesus answered and said to him,
“You are the teacher of Israel and you do not understand this?
Amen, amen, I say to you,
we speak of what we know and we testify to what we have seen,
but you people do not accept our testimony.
If I tell you about earthly things and you do not believe,
how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?
No one has gone up to heaven
except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man.
And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert,
so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.”

 

Monday of the Second Week of Easter 2020: JN 3:1-8, Homily, and Art

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“New Day” Painting by: Ronald Raab, CSC 2020

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Gospel JN 3:1-8

There was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.
He came to Jesus at night and said to him,
“Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God,
for no one can do these signs that you are doing
unless God is with him.”
Jesus answered and said to him,
“Amen, amen, I say to you,
unless one is born from above, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.”
Nicodemus said to him,
“How can a man once grown old be born again?
Surely he cannot reenter his mother’s womb and be born again, can he?”
Jesus answered,
“Amen, amen, I say to you,
unless one is born of water and Spirit
he cannot enter the Kingdom of God.
What is born of flesh is flesh
and what is born of spirit is spirit.
Do not be amazed that I told you,
‘You must be born from above.’
The wind blows where it wills,
and you can hear the sound it makes,
but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes;
so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”