10 MAY 2024 · Gospel John 16:20-23 Jesus said to his disciples: "Amen, amen, I say to you, you will weep and mourn, while the world rejoices; you will grieve, but your grief will become joy. When a woman is in labor, she is in anguish because her hour has arrived; but when she has given birth to a child, she no longer remembers the pain because of her joy that a child has been born into the world. So you also are now in anguish. But I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you. On that day you will not question me about anything. Amen, amen, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you.” Reflection When you think of the expectations that the disciples had, and how the story of Jesus working with them on this earth, they had to go through a sense of great confusion and loss. And somehow, when the truth that you believed most of your life is challenged, it's like a kind of death. It's kind of like an experience of pain. What do I believe? Where do I go? What do I know? That's the most important thing for all of us as we evolve and grow and change into the person God has created us to be. It's a dying and a rising, dying to error and lies, rising to truth in love. Closing Prayer Jesus, you surrendered to the father's will and let go of any human desire to be successful in the ways of the world. And we see Jesus accepting something that had to be so difficult. Every time we're presented with a new way of seeing that radically changes where we were, we are desperately in need of your support. Bless us with a conviction that we do not grow on our own, but only do it through your grace. Through the work of your Holy Spirit. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

9 MAY 2024 · Gospel Mark 16:15-20 Jesus said to his disciples: “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.” So 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. Reflection In this passage, we see the disciples experiencing the fullness of what has been promised. Jesus spent 40 days again speaking to them before he ascended into heaven. And what we see in this story is very clearly that the gift that he gave the world was light and life. It overcomes all the darkness. It has the power to heal. And we see the fruit of the Holy Spirit in these men as they go about preaching everywhere. And Jesus continually showing them, through signs that they are living the gospel. Closing Prayer Father, we are called to also preach, but not necessarily to always use words. We can resonate a life filled with love, a light to people in darkness. All of that is within our capacity as those who have been gifted with redemption. Help us to believe in that. Help us to be attached to it so that we resonate this life giving spirit to all we encounter. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

8 MAY 2024 · Gospel John 16:12-15 Jesus said to his disciples: "I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now. But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth. He will not speak on his own, but he will speak what he hears, and will declare to you the things that are coming. He will glorify me, because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you. Everything that the Father has is mine; for this reason I told you that he will take from what is mine and declare it to you.” Reflection This passage, in a way, underscores the need for something like the Holy Spirit, because we cannot understand and accept the fullness of reality when we simply aren't ready. And the readiness is something that comes about slowly. It is a growth in understanding in consciousness of how the world works, who God is and who we are in him. And the more that evolves, the more open we become to the depth of the mysteries that have to become a part of us. The Holy Spirit's work is to guide us on that journey. Closing Prayer Father, we continue to evolve. To change. To be open to more things than we ever thought we could ever understand. So bless us with patience and understanding of how this all works. So that we can be truly receptive to each new insight that the Holy Spirit sends to us. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

7 MAY 2024 · Gospel John 16:5-11 Jesus said to his disciples: "Now I am going to the one who sent me, and not one of you asks me, 'Where are you going?' But because I told you this, grief has filled your hearts. But I tell you the truth, it is better for you that I go. For if I do not go, the Advocate will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes he will convict the world in regard to sin and righteousness and condemnation: sin, because they do not believe in me; righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will no longer see me; condemnation, because the ruler of this world has been condemned.” Reflection We see in this passage something that’s very human. The disciples have been told that Jesus is leaving, they didn't expect that to happen, and they were completely filled with grief. And I'm sure they were thinking primarily about what's going to happen to us? What's going to happen to this message? And what he's again reminding them is that there is a truth that the world will not see and has not seen yet, and they are the ones to bring that into the world. And he's not telling them, They have to figure it all out. They have to know it now. No, he's saying, That this will be something you will grow into. And as you understand, you will bring those into greater understanding. Closing Prayer Father, there will always be voices that will contradict everything that you're teaching us. We pray always for the wisdom to see clearly what you are to us, and how you have done so much for us. Help us never to waver in our appreciation, our thankfulness for your message. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

6 MAY 2024 · Gospel John 15:26—16:4a Jesus said to his disciples: "When the Advocate comes whom I will send you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, he will testify to me. And you also testify, because you have been with me from the beginning. "I have told you this so that you may not fall away. They will expel you from the synagogues; in fact, the hour is coming when everyone who kills you will think he is offering worship to God. They will do this because they have not known either the Father or me. I have told you this so that when their hour comes you may remember that I told you.” Reflection We're coming to the end of Jesus ministry with his disciples. And what he's promising them is something really important. He's saying, I'm not really leaving you. My father and I are one, and we are there for you. And the form that we take is this mysterious thing called the advocate. The Holy Spirit. And it's the power of God continually to work with each individual, and open their eyes to the mystery that we are faced with. Understand fully the redemption that Jesus won for us. We need that teacher. Closing Prayer Father, as we ponder the mystery of who you are in our life, we know that we long to understand this mystery more and more. So help us to be open to the ways in which you will guide us. Let us surrender to the insights that you share with us as we continue to live the word of God. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

5 MAY 2024

4 MAY 2024 · Gospel John 15:18-21 Jesus said to his disciples: "If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own; but because you do not belong to the world, and I have chosen you out of the world, the world hates you. Remember the word I spoke to you, 'No slave is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. And they will do all these things to you on account of my name, because they do not know the one who sent me.” Reflection There's something hopeful in realizing that as we have continued to preach and teach this beautiful message of God flowing to us through Jesus and explained through the Holy Spirit that what we're really receiving is an understanding of who we really are. God is asking us to be nothing other than who he created us to be. And when we bring that truth to someone who is caught in the lies that they have created, there's always going to be hatred and a desire to destroy the one who speaks the truth. Closing Prayer Father, help us never to be discouraged. The world is changing. Is moving more and more into being what God intends it to be. Help us to see that and to take courage in simply being the truth. Being a person who is able to understand that they are vehicles of God's grace, changing the world we live in. Making it into the Kingdom of God. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

3 MAY 2024 · Gospel John 14:6-14 Jesus said to Thomas, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, then you will also know my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him." Philip said to him, "Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us." Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own. The Father who dwells in me is doing his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else, believe because of the works themselves. Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father. And whatever you ask in my name, I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it.” Reflection It's clear from the way this story unfolds that the disciples had a hard time believing, trusting, and they really had a hard time believing that they were being called to act in the world, just as Jesus acted in the world and became a healer. And one of the things that’s clear in this work that Jesus is describing is he's not asking each of us to go out there and do this work to help people. He's asking us to believe that he is in us, and we need to allow him, through us to do his work. It's so important that you see that you are not the source of the goodness that God has intended you to be able to give to others. It is his presence in you that is the healing force. Closing Prayer Father, we wonder what is it that we should be asking you that pleases you? And nothing seems clearer to me then if we say to you, use me. Work through me. Let me be an instrument that is the vehicle through which you do the work of salvation. It keeps us humble, thankful, and radically excited about what we see being done for those that we love. Your work through us, in them. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

2 MAY 2024 · Gospel Mark 15:9-11 Jesus said to his disciples: “As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. “I have told you this so that my joy might be in you and your joy might be complete.” Reflection The commandments that Jesus is referring to is the heart of the law. To love God, to love your neighbor, and to love yourself. The beautiful thing about being human is that when we are loved, we learn how to love. We have to understand how much God loves each of us as we are, as he created us, and having that conviction of our value. We have that sense that there is something in us that we can offer to another, that our love has a quality that is needed and always appreciated. Closing Prayer Father, free us from all those voices in our past that have told us that if we're not doing something as we're supposed to, that we will be rejected. There is no rejection on the part of God to anyone that he has created. He's there to support, to tell us we're valuable, to tell us that we have a gift within us. His love that he longs for us to share with the world. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

1 MAY 2024 · Gospel John 15:1-8 Jesus said to his disciples: “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower. He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and everyone that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit. You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you. Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me will be thrown out like a branch and wither; people will gather them and throw them into a fire and they will be burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you. By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.” Reflection Jesus continues to teach his disciples the heart of what he has established his kingdom. The kingdom is one in which he lives in you, you live in him, and the goodness that you have, through that union is what you give to the world. It's called love, acceptance, encouragement, hope. The fruitfulness that God wants each of us to have is nourishing our brothers and sisters and ourselves through this mysterious, indwelling presence of God. Without connection to that, we have no real capacity to give life to anyone. Closing Prayer Father, we can become overwhelmed when we look around us and see the things that we would like to see change. And if we do our work and try to fix them, it is even more discouraging because we are not the ones who can fix this world or improve the way people treat each other. It's only you. You are the gift. Help us to trust in the gift of you, in me, in all of us, and resonate that, intend it for the world and know that it is more than enough. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.