May 1, 2022
3rd Sunday of Easter - Abbot Daniel Maloney, OSB
On Saturday, April 30, I attended the Baccalaureate Mass at the University of Mary. The Mass was held in the chapel of Our Lady of the Annunciation, which is a large chapel. I have attended several of these Masses over the years, but this was the largest crowd for this occasion I had ever seen. The chapel was full, and the foyer to the south of the chapel was also filled, with standing room only in some areas. The graduation class of 1,047 was the largest in school history, and the Event Center in Bismarck was filled for the ceremony. The liturgy today stresses large numbers.
When Peter and several disciples go fishing at the Sea of Tiberias (the Sea of Galilee) after the resurrection of Jesus, they catch one hundred fifty-three large fish. The second reading today from the Book of Revelation mentions a countless number of angels who surrounded the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In addition, every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth gave praise to the Lamb. What might these large numbers signify for the Church and for the future role of Saint Peter and his successors? These numbers seem to signify the future success of the Church, but there is a warning that the work of the Church can be difficult.
Today’s Gospel reading is somewhat unusual in that it describes Peter and other apostles going back to fishing in the Sea of Galilee after the resurrection of Jesus and his appearances to the apostles in Jerusalem. The appearance of Jesus comes as a surprise. Peter and his companions fish all night, but they catch nothing. A stranger on the shore tells them to take a different approach. He tells them to cast the net over the right side of the boat, and they will catch something. They end up with a large number of fish, one hundred fifty-three in all. The apostles then realize that it is the Lord, and they come to shore to meet him. There is a somewhat similar story in the Gospel of Luke, but that story takes place early in the public ministry of Jesus. Both stories seem to signify that Peter will be the leader of the Church, and that the Church will be successful. Ministry will be similar to fishing in that large numbers will be involved. Church history shows that the Church grew from about 120 disciples to thousands of members in the first century. By the year 300, there were millions of Church members, and today there are over one billion members in the Catholic Church. Yet there will be times of failure, as well as times of success. As followers of Christ, we are sent forth to spread the Gospel, and we are to assist those who are involved in missionary efforts.
There is special emphasis in the Gospel reading about the role of Peter as the head of the apostles and of the Church. After Jesus fed the apostles with fish and bread, he questioned Peter. Jesus asked Peter three times if Peter loved Jesus more than others did. Peter seemed to be upset that Jesus asked him three times, but Jesus seems to be reminding Peter that Peter had denied Jesus three times during the passion of Jesus. Peter soon regretted his denial of Jesus, and he was now given a chance to receive forgiveness. After the resurrection of Jesus, Peter remained faithful in following Jesus, and Peter now took a more humble approach. He put his trust in the grace of God, not in himself. All this reminds us that we also can be forgiven for our failures of the past. The Easter season tells us that we are given a second chance and a new beginning, no matter
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what we might have done in the past. The resurrection of Jesus gives us hope for our own situation and the future of the Church.
Our liturgy today gives us hope, but it also warns us that life as a disciple of Jesus and as a member of the Church can be difficult. In the Gospel reading today from the Gospel of John, Peter is told by Jesus that someday Peter will be led where he does not want to go. This seems to predict that Peter will eventually die as a martyr, and we know that Peter did die as a martyr in Rome in the 60’s when Nero was Emperor. Peter and the apostles met opposition when they proclaimed the resurrection of Jesus. The first reading today from the Acts of the Apostles mentions that Peter and the apostles were brought before Jewish religious leaders in Jerusalem in the early years of the Church. The high priest ordered Peter and others to stop teaching in the name of Jesus. Peter replied, “We must obey God rather than men.” The Acts of the Apostles says a little later that Peter and John were punished by being beaten, but the apostles left the presence of the Jewish authorities rejoicing that they had been found worthy to suffer for the sake of the name of Jesus. We know that the Church has faced persecution and opposition throughout the centuries. This is still true today. We can also face opposition from our sinful nature and ourselves. It is not easy to be a disciple of Jesus. At the end of the Gospel reading today, Jesus tells Peter, “Follow me.” Our task is to follow Jesus, despite the difficulties involved. We have to be willing to suffer as Jesus did on our behalf.
In our liturgy today, we rejoice that Jesus won our salvation through his suffering, death, and resurrection. We give thanks that Jesus founded the Church and appointed Peter to be the first leader. We give thanks that Peter, the apostles, and their successors have been faithful in proclaiming the Gospel message through the centuries. We pray that the Easter season and the presence of the risen Jesus will give us new life and hope. We pray that the grace of God that is given to us in the Eucharist and in other ways will help us to live as faithful disciples of Jesus. May Jesus someday welcome us into the fullness of his kingdom in heaven.
April 24, 2022
2nd Sunday of Easter - Abbot Daniel Maloney, OSB
On March 15, 2022, a Catholic woman named Dani Laurion attended a healing service at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Lansing, Michigan. The healing service was part of a parish mission being conducted at St. Mary’s parish. Dani Laurion had been confined to a wheelchair for thirteen years due to a blood circulation disease that affected her heart and made it difficult for her to breathe and to stand. She also used a ventilator to help her breathe. During the healing service, Dani lifted up her hands to God in worship and prayed, “I need you. I need you to hold me and just take care of me.” Led by faith, she rose from her wheelchair, disconnected her ventilator, and walked to the altar. She seems to be mostly healed, but she went to the clinic to check on her condition. Her doctor told her, “Keep on doing what you are doing.” She is able to walk fairly well, and her faith in God is strong. The liturgy for the second Sunday of Easter stresses the need for faith on our part. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, No. 150, “Faith is first of all a personal adherence to man to God. At the same time, and inseparably, it is a free assent to the whole truth that God has revealed.” The Catechism of the Catholic Church, No. 151, says, “For a Christian, believing in God cannot be separated from believing in the One he sent, his ‘beloved Son.’” Our liturgy today calls us to believe that Jesus Christ is truly risen from the dead and that he is able to share his life with us. In addition, we are called to believe that Jesus has given us a mission to share this life with others.
First of all, we are called to believe that Jesus is risen from the dead. The Gospel reading from the Gospel of John speaks of two appearances of Jesus to his disciples. The first appearance of Jesus to his disciples happens on Easter Sunday evening, but the apostle Thomas is absent. The second appearance is a week later, but now Thomas is present. During his first appearance to the apostles, Jesus said to them, “Peace be with you.” He them showed them his hands and his side. Later, the apostles told Thomas, “We have seen the Lord.” Thomas did not believe them. He said that he needed to see the nailmarks and side of Jesus for himself. When Jesus appeared a week later, he told Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe.” Thomas immediately believed that Jesus was risen, and he said, “My Lord and my God.” In some ways, Thomas is an example of faith for us. He had doubted the resurrection of Jesus, but he came to believe that Jesus was risen. This Sunday is now called “Mercy Sunday,” based on revelations given to Saint Faustina, a mystic who lived in Poland in the 20th century. Jesus showed mercy to Thomas by giving him a second chance to believe in the resurrection of Jesus. Jesus gives us a second chance to believe in him and to deepen our faith in him. Jesus does lead us to faith in his resurrection by his second appearance with Thomas present. However, Jesus does reprimand Thomas by saying, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” Jesus calls to believe in his resurrection because of what eyewitnesses have told us, not because we saw Jesus ourselves. 2
We are also asked to believe that Jesus can share his life with us. When Jesus appeared to his disciples, he said, “Peace be with you.” Jesus is sharing God’s love with his apostles, as he wishes to do for us. Jesus also shares his life with us through the gift of the Holy Spirit. Jesus breathed on his disciples and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” Father Pius Parsch, who was an outstanding liturgist before the Second Vatican Council, once wrote that there are two major themes in the Easter season: the resurrection of Jesus and the gift of God’s grace. God’s grace, given especially in Baptism, gives us a share in God’s love and helps us to live a life of virtue. Jesus calls us to do difficult things, such as loving strangers and enemies, but with the help of God’s grace, it is possible to do those difficult things.
Lastly, we are to believe in the mission that Jesus gave to his apostles and to us. When Jesus first appeared to his apostles, he said to them, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” A little later, he said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” We are sent to bring God’s forgiveness and healing to others, especially through the Sacraments. In the first reading today from the Acts of the Apostles, we hear about the early Church in Jerusalem. People brought their sick to the apostles so that they could be healed through the intercession of Peter and the apostles. The Church has had a healing ministry throughout its history, and it takes place in different ways. The woman who conducted the healing service at the cathedral in Lansing, Michigan on March 15 said that healing could involve both physical and spiritual aspects. In addition, the forgiveness of sins is an important aspect of the Church’s mission. The Church continues to grow, often in unexpected places. The Catholic journalist, John Allen, has the acronym PINS to describe four mission countries with a large Catholic population: the Philippines (84 million), India (24 million), Nigeria (30 million), and South Korea (6 million). There are also other areas where the Catholic Church is growing, but there is still more to be done.
In our Eucharist today, we give thanks for the resurrection of Jesus and for the life of grace that he gives us. We give thanks for the gift of faith and for the testimony of people of faith. We give thanks that we are called to share in the mission of the Church. May the grace of God help us to grow in love of God and neighbor and to carry out the task that God gives us. May we be faithful disciples of Jesus, and may we someday experience the fullness of Christ’s kingdom in heaven.
April 16, 2022
Easter Vigil – Abbot Daniel Maloney, OSB
There are unexpected events in life. Our recent blizzard is probably one of them, although the weather forecast did warn us that it was coming. Some unexpected events are bad things that happen, such as storms or people dying suddenly. But, some unexpected events can be good news, such as winning the lottery or being cured from some disease. Tonight we celebrate the most unexpected event of all time—the resurrection of Jesus Christ. And the resurrection of Jesus is good news for everybody. Sometimes, it is difficult for us to believe that unexpected events actually happened. It helps to have others, especially eyewitnesses, confirm that the events actually happened.
It is important that we believe that the resurrection of Jesus actually happened, but this can be difficult for some people. The close disciples of Jesus had trouble believing it at first. The Gospel of Saint Luke tells us that some women disciples of Jesus, including Mary Magdalene and others, went the tomb of Jesus early on the first day of the week to anoint the body of Jesus. They found the stone to the tomb rolled away, and they did not find the body of Jesus. Two men in dazzling garments appeared to them. They seem to be angels. The angels tell the women that Jesus is not there, but he has been raised. The angels remind the women that Jesus had predicted in Galilee that he would be handed over to sinners and be crucified and rise on the third day. The women remembered those words and believed that Jesus was risen. They now had some understanding about what Jesus had told them. They went to tell the apostles, but the apostles did not believe them. Peter did go to the tomb and saw the burial cloths. He was amazed and did not fully understand what had happened. Later that day, Jesus did appear to the apostles, although Thomas was absent. The apostles believed and began to understand what had happened.
We who are disciples of Jesus today are called to believe in the resurrection of Jesus, and we are called to become his disciples. We have the advantage of having many eyewitnesses to testify that Jesus did rise from the dead. We are also called to believe that we can share in the death and resurrection of Jesus in a very special way. In Baptism, as Saint Paul tells us, we die to sin and we live for God in Christ Jesus. We become a new creation, and we are able to live in a new way. We have the promise of everlasting life in heaven. Tonight we have an opportunity to renew our Baptismal promises and our belief in the risen Lord. We are called once again to become disciples of Jesus and live in a new way.
Just as the women at the tomb and the apostles were called to be witnesses to Jesus and to his resurrection, so we are called to be witnesses to people in the world of today. Many people may have a hard time believing us, and they may not share our faith. We can bear witness by example as well as by words. We hear a lot today about Christians who help the poor or help refugees in Ukraine or in other parts of the world. Our charity to others can be witness. Setting a good example and living a life of virtue is also a way to bear witness. Teaching members of our family and friends about Christ can be a witness. I sometimes meet people who teach religious education classes in their parish or help in parish activities in various ways. The Rule of Saint Benedict stresses the need to welcome guests and visitors.
This evening let us renew our faith in Jesus and in his resurrection. Let us also renew our commitment to follow Jesus and his teachings and to share our faith with others. We pray that someday we will meet Jesus face to face in heaven.
April 10, 2022
Palm Sunday – Abbot Daniel Maloney, OSB
In the 1960’s, there was a popular play and movie named “A Man for All Seasons.” The story was about Sir Thomas More, who was an English lawyer and statesman. Thomas More was a close friend of King Henry VIII and his wife, and he served as chancellor, the highest political official. Thomas More was well regarded by most people, but that changed when King Henry VIII decided to divorce his wife and to become head of the Church of England. Thomas More was loyal to the Pope and to the teachings of the Catholic Church. Because of this, he did not support the changes that King Henry VIII had made. This led to the imprisonment of Thomas Mare and to his execution in 1535. Thomas More was considered a traitor by many people in England, but he was canonized by the Catholic Church in 1935. Popular opinion can change rapidly. We see an example of this in the Palm Sunday liturgy. Near the beginning of the service, we have the blessing of palms and the Gospel reading about the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. Later, we have the Passion narrative from the Gospel of Luke. The popular opinion of Jesus changed rapidly. Jesus was arrested and convicted of treason... He was sentenced to die by crucifixion, in the middle of two criminals. Many of the people turned against him, most of his disciples deserted him, and Saint Peter, the leader of the apostles, denied him three times. The Palm Sunday liturgy is a warning for us to stay loyal to Jesus in every situation, but it also gives us hope that we can be forgiven and given a second chance.
Many baptized Christians today have ceased to follow Jesus at some stage in their lives. This is a problem that has present in the Church throughout the history of the Church. In the first centuries of the Church, the Roman Empire favored pagan worship, and it persecuted Christians in different parts of the Roman Empire at certain times. If a person confessed that he or she was a Christian, that person could be tortured and condemned to death. Under those conditions, many Christians denied that they were Christians, and their lives were spared. When the persecution was over, many of those Christians who had denied their faith repented and sought to be readmitted to the Church. Church authorities usually allowed the lapsed Christians to return, although the lapsed Christians often had a rather severe penance. In some cases, it took several years for the lapsed Christians to have full membership in the Church. In our own time, we have many Christians who had ceased to be active members of the Church return to the Church. The process of returning to active membership in the Church is much easier now than before. In this Lenten season, we are asked to reflect on our own practice of our faith. Have we failed to practice our faith at times? Have we failed to make our faith the most important thing in our lives? During this Lenten season, we have the opportunity to repent of our sins and to become fully active in our faith. Many people do receive the Sacrament of Penance or Reconciliation during this season and renew their faith commitment to Christ. In addition, there are many people who are baptized or who join the Church at Easter.
Despite our human weakness and failures, there is a reason to have hope that we can follow Christ in our daily lives. We know that Saint Peter and many other disciples returned to follow Christ after his resurrection. In the Passion account from the Gospel of Luke, we
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hear that one of the criminals crucified with Jesus repented and said to Jesus, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus said to him, “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” This criminal received forgiveness for his sins, and he was given a chance to enter into the kingdom of Jesus. The centurion who had witnessed what had happened said, “This man was innocent beyond doubt.” Saint Luke adds that many who had gathered there for the crucifixion returned home beating their breasts. This seemed to indicate repentance on their part. We know that when the apostles began preaching the Gospel message at Pentecost, there were many people who repented and were baptized. In addition, Saint Luke mentions that there were several disciples there during the crucifixion of Jesus who stayed loyal to Jesus, including women from Galilee who had followed Jesus from Galilee and Joseph of Arimathea. Joseph asked Pilate for the body of Jesus and buried him in a tomb in which no one had yet been buried. There is also hope for us and for others. We can become followers of Christ, even if we fell short in the past. Many others can also repent and follow Christ.
Today we give thanks that Jesus was willing to suffer and die for our salvation. We ask forgiveness for our sins and for our failure to follow Christ as fully as possible. We give thanks that Jesus is willing to forgive us and to give us a new beginning. We pray that we will live as disciples of Jesus and that we some day will be welcomed into his heavenly kingdom.