At its heart, today’s feast is primarily about communion. Moses desired it, and so he prays, reflecting every person’s inherent desire for God. Nothing can take His place, and so Moses humbly implores Him, “do come along in our company” (Ex. 34:9).

Last weekend, we read about the first place the Apostles went after the Ascension of the Lord: the Upper Room.

It is no coincidence then that as soon as Christ ascends into heaven, the apostles return to the birthplace of the Eucharist – the Upper Room – and dedicate themselves to prayer, modeling the very thing we do each week.

We are “living stones” building upon an everlasting and living foundation…

The Easter season and today’s fifth Sunday invite us to an ongoing reflection and response to the call of God’s Spirit in our everyday lives and actions. As I read this Sunday’s Scriptures, I was brought back to a memory of more than 30 years. I was the principal of Blessed Sacrament School in Cypress Hills, and each Monday the classes came to the auditorium to pray at the start of a new week. We called it “round-up” as they gathered and listened to God’s Word.

Today we celebrate the Fourth Sunday of Easter, but we are hearing Pentecost readings. We reflect on God’s Voice, God’s Word, The Voice and the voices of those who believe.

I do not open the Bible, read from the Lectionary or pray the psalms without recalling these words.

Thomas must have had quite a reputation among the very earliest followers of Jesus!

There are days when I find myself complaining out loud in prayer: “Dear Jesus, could you have made it just a little easier?”

Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion, with the exuberant hosannas of the crowd that welcomed Jesus into Jerusalem quickly giving way to the mockery of Roman soldiers and the derision of the passers-by at Calvary.

“Jesus wept.” This simple phrase stops me in my tracks each and every time I read it.