The second Sunday after Easter is designated Divine Mercy Sunday. It's a recent feast in the Church, instituted in 2000 by Pope St. John Paul II. He felt that immediately after Easter, while the Paschal mysteries were fresh in our hearts, we needed an opportunity to reflect more deeply on God's g...

The two disciples on the road to Emmaus in today’s reading came to know the Lord in the “breaking of the bread”—the Eucharist. We can see that their encounter with Jesus that day parallels the way Jesus comes to meet us in every Mass.

We like the idea of Jesus as the Good Shepherd, but we seldom like the idea of being sheep—people who blindly follow anyone or anything. However, that's not what sheep and shepherds are like in real life.

Most of us have been either literally or figuratively lost at some time, not knowing which way to go, and feeling a surge of fear and panic. The Apostles in today's Gospel were feeling lost, because Jesus had just told them he was going to leave them in order to be crucified and die. Thomas said ...

While our salvation was won by Jesus's Death, our lives in Christ are not completely fulfilled until we receive the Advocate, the Spirit of Truth, that Jesus promised to send us. That Spirit of Truth is the Third Person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit. It is only through the Spirit that we are ab...

Jesus returned to the right hand of the Father, not to leave us but to lead us all the way to heaven. The great paradox is because he has ascended, and he is able to remain with us in a profound new way.

In today's Gospel, a passage known as the High Priestly Prayer of Jesus in John 17, Jesus talks about the work the Father gave him to do. We might ask, "Exactly what is his work?" And many Christians probably would answer, "Dying on the Cross for the salvation of humanity." But as we unpack this ...

This week we celebrate Pentecost, the feast of the Church's birth. With a roaring of the heavens and in tongues of fire, the Holy Spirit comes and enlightens the Apostles. Peter begins to preach with boldness and authority what Christ's life and Death truly means. From that moment, the great miss...

This week's readings highlight two of the key actions of God: first his love, and second, his giving. Through this we learn that love is an action, not a feeling, and that love is expressed in giving.

When we receive Holy Communion, we hear the words, "This is my Body" and "This is my Blood," to which we dutifully answer, "Amen." But have you ever considered exactly what those words mean?

Welcome to Opening the Word, videos and guides offering prayer and insights for the Sunday Readings.

Jesus was very clear about the cost of discipleship. It might entail family division, persecution, and even death. He didn't mince words when he talked about the hardships his followers would face. And yet, at the same time he says, "Do not be afraid."
Isn't this a bit of a contradiction? Does i...

If you ask people what they want, they'll often say that they want a new car, a better job, a bigger house, or some other possession. But if you probe a little deeper, you'll find that they don't really want possessions. Rather, they desire a sense of fulfillment, a feeling of being loved and che...

Sometimes we are tempted to think that it would be so much easier to believe in Jesus if we were living when he was on earth. Maybe ... but maybe not. Today's Gospel tells us that it has never been easy to understand all of Jesus's teachings, even for those who heard him in person.

When we hear the parable of the sower and seed, it can be easy to assume it is meant for someone else. After all, we are good soil, right?

This week we read three of Jesus's most famous parables: the sower and the seed, the mustard seed, and the yeast in the three measures of flour. What do all of these have in common? You might say they are stories about faith and how it grows and develops. This is correct, but they also have somet...

Today's Scriptures focus on comparing God's Word, law, commands, and will with earthly goods and riches. Psalm 119 tells us that while gold and silver are valuable, God's wisdom is even more valuable. The relative good of precious metals pales in comparison with the good to be found in God.

Today, the majority of Catholics do not, or cannot attend Sunday Mass. What are they missing? In the Gospel, Christ prepares His followers to receive His Body in the Eucharist. He gave the Church His real presence because it is in Christ that we find our true happiness. As Saint Augustine said, “...

Together all of these Scripture passages point toward the divinity of Jesus Christ, one of the most important points of our faith as Christians. This key doctrine is also a great mystery: How can Jesus be fully man? What does that mean? How well do we understand this claim? Can we explain it and ...

Have you ever been in a storm at sea? If you have, you know how terrifying it can be. Now imagine being in a storm in a small wooden boat ... and not knowing how to swim! This is the scene we have in today's Gospel.

Since many of us have had the experience of praying when it seems as if our prayers are battering against a brick wall, this Gospel story of the persistent woman serves to increase our faith in the love and mercy of the Lord for each one of us.

"Who do you say that I am?" That question, asked by Jesus to Simon Peter in today's Gospel, sets the stage for a key foundation of the Catholic Church. Once Simon states that Jesus is the Messiah, then Jesus blesses him, changes his name to Peter (which means rock), and says that he will build hi...

When the Word of God burns within us, it can be sweet, but sometimes it can be very difficult. If we are to faithfully pronounce that Word, we must be totally in love with the Lord, for it is only when we are enamored with God that we can do what St. Paul says: offer our entire lives as a sacrifi...

One of the great spiritual truths is that forgiveness is as much for ourselves as it is for the other person. If we do not forgive, we hold that person in bondage to their sin. And we hold ourselves in bondage both to the sin and the sinner as well.