EASTER SUNDAY
Fr. Brian Nolan
University Chaplain

Will You Be Leaven For the World?

“Do you not know that a little yeast leavens all the dough?” 1 Corinthians 5: 6

Jesus is risen, Alleluia! In the 2nd reading for Easter Sunday, St. Paul uses the imagery of “fresh yeast” that “makes the dough rise” to describe the need for the Christian community and our hearts to rid ourselves of any immorality and evil to live “in sincerity and truth” (1 Cor. 5:8). On the night before He died, Jesus gave the gift of Himself as our Eucharistic food. The Risen Lord becomes the fresh leaven within us that leads us to “seek what is above and not what is below.” (Col 3:2)

In one of the most famous letters of the early church entitled, a letter to Diognetus, the author speaks about the gift of Christians to the world. “…the Christian is to the world what the soul is to the body. As the soul is present in every part of the body, while remaining distinct from it, so Christians are found in all the cities in the world, but cannot be identified with the world…The body hates the soul and wars against it…because of the restriction the soul places on its pleasures…because they are opposed it is enjoyments.”

You and I know the Christian faithful are never opposed to true joy and the good things of the world, especially in moderation. We celebrate everything true, good and beautiful in the world. It’s the false pleasures and illicit enjoyments that become idols to be worshipped leading to a spiritual malaise, darkness and even eternal death. On the contrary, Christ suffered, died and rose that we might have life and have it to the full! As Jesus is leaven for our souls, so Christians are called to be leaven to the world.

Lord Jesus who has risen from the dead, continue to rise in our hearts that in loving you above all things, it leads us to share your light and love to the world. Amen.

Acts 10: 34, 37-43, Ps 118: 1-2, 16-17, 22-23, Col 3: 1-4, Jn 20: 1-9

HOLY SATURDAY
Deacon Jake Rose Sem. C ‘13

In the Tomb with Our Lady

“Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart” Luke 2:19

When we look at the tomb of the Lord Jesus today, we know the end of the story; but, for the apostles and disciples, they couldn’t fathom what would come next or how to proceed with their life. Following the lead of Saint Peter, where else could they go? They had realized that Jesus was “the Holy One of God”, that it was He who has “the words of eternal life” (Jn 6:68). Now, the one who had come to save, the Messiah they had been waiting for, had been crucified and buried. Too often there is the temptation to move quickly from Good Friday to Easter Sunday, glossing over the time Our Lord spent in the Tomb. But perhaps there is treasure in lingering today in the tomb with our blessed Lord.

The treasure is found in the darkness, in the only light still shining after the burial of this man from Nazareth, crucified on Calvary: the treasure is found in Mary, the Mother of God. Since the night of his birth, she witnessed the life of Our Lord in a way different from everyone else. She “kept all these things, pondering them in her heart” (Lk 2:19). On the night of Jesus’ death and burial, when the Apostles were disoriented and confused, distraught and filled with sadness, it was Mary who serenely awaited the moment of the Resurrection, believing “there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord” (Lk 1:45). When we find the Apostles together again on Sunday, it is because they had turned to Our Lady. With her faith, her hope, and her love, she protected the first Church, keeping them together, even as they were still weak, startled, and confused. Thus the Church was born— under the mantle of Mary. From the beginning, she has always been the comforter of the afflicted. Like on that first Holy Saturday, we ought to have immediate recourse to that endless burning light in our lives, the Blessed Virgin Mary. When we find ourselves like the Apostles, lost and wondering where to turn, it is Mary who restores us to hope – to hope in the Crucified and Risen Lord.

Lord Jesus, give me the grace of steadfast faith, not running from the tomb but turning always to Mary, serenely awaiting the moment of your Resurrection. Amen.

Gn 1: 1-2:2, Ps 104: 1-2a, 5-6, 10, 12-14, 24, 35, Gn 22: 1-18, Lk 24: 1-12

GOOD FRIDAY
Fr. Will Prospero
Assistant Seminary Spiritual Director

Behold the Wood of the Cross
on Which Hung the Salvation of the World

“Take him away, take him away! Crucify him!” John 19: 15

In the unique liturgical moment of the Adoration of the Holy Cross, the priest and people reverence the Cross most commonly by a kiss. What’s in a kiss? Judas betrays Jesus by a kiss in the garden. St. Paul urges Christians to greet one another with a holy kiss. Family, friends, and spouses kiss each other as a sign of affection. By the symbolic gesture of dropping to our knees and kissing the Cross, we wish to say that we love the Cross of Jesus. Do we?
All liturgical actions point to deeper realities that cannot be expressed merely in words. Their purpose serves to form our minds and hearts for life outside of liturgical celebrations. We repeat them over and over again to help us keep our focus on what is most important to us. Through the Adoration of the Holy Cross Christians symbolically express a love for the instrument of our salvation: the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ.
How might we grow in love for the Cross of Jesus Christ?
Every day Crosses come to us. The Lord wants to help us accept each Cross and grow. In becoming aware of the Cross and finding strength in the Church to accept it, we are able to perceive the Crosses that plague others. Our hearts become more sensitive to the Cross manifested everywhere, moving us to come closer, yet never despairing of the power of God to work through human weakness.

Lord Jesus, help us to love your Holy Cross in whatever way it comes to us. Help us walk alongside others who share your Cross, that together we might praise You with all Your saints. Amen.

Is 52: 13-53: 12, Ps 31: 2, 6, 12-13, 15-17, 25,
Heb 4: 14-16, 5:7-9, Jn 18: 1-19:42

HOLY THURSDAY
Deacon Kevin Kayda Sem. C ‘13

Servant of the Servants of God

“I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do.” John 13: 15

Having a teacher or boss wash a student or employee’s feet was just as strange during the time of Christ that it is to us today. The person in the higher position does not serve the person in the lower position. Unless you are a Christian that is. At the Last Supper, Christ told the Apostles that if they want to be a true follower they must be both a teacher and a servant. And this is true for all Christians today. This is true for all Christians including especially for those in the clergy. This is why the Pope has the title of the Servant of the Servants of God. The New Evangelization that Blessed John Paul II called for says that we must lead others to Christ with both words and actions. We must be willing to do works of mercy. Many people in the Early Church were converted because of the actions that they saw Christians doing such as creating the first hospitals and orphanages. We must remember that words for charity and love are normally interchangeable in the Church. If we love our neighbor we must be willing to serve them. Pictures and icons of saints always have the holy person’s eyes opened. This is because they know the path to Heaven requires them to leave self by loving others. Christian meditation is where a person reflects on the love of God and how that love has affected the world. As Good Friday and Easter come, may we see the ultimate sacrifice of love and seek to imitate that offering of self ourselves.

Lord, help me to serve others as you have served us. Amen

Ex 12: 1-8, 11-14, Ps 116: 12-13, 15-16, 17-18, 1 Cor 11: 23-26, Jn 13: 1-15

WEDNESDAY OF HOLY WEEK
Christine Saah C ‘14

Ultimate Betrayal

“What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?” Matthew 26: 15

Jesus knew that Judas was going to betray him. We might not understand how someone so close to the Messiah could do such a thing, but then we take a closer look at our own lives and see that we betray Christ on a regular basis. It isn’t to the extreme of Judas, but every sin we commit is a form of betraying Christ. The tragic choice of Judas is a cau-tion for us because it reminds us of the blindness of sin and how it could lead us to deny the very One who came to save us from our sins.
And yet, despite the betrayal, and even through it, Christ offered Himself to the Father for our salvation. We are not called to live a life of sin, we are called to a life of conversion. When we fall short, we are able to receive the sacrament of reconciliation to avail ourselves of His mercy so we might remain in Christ. He knows we stray from his help, but his help is always there when we ask for it!

Dear Lord, we rejoice in your death and resurrection. It saddens us that you had to suffer, but we remember that you suffered out of love for us and that we might have eternal life. Please give us the grace to turn to you, our help. Amen.

Is 50: 4-9a, Ps 69: 8-10, 21-22, 31, 33-34, Mt 26: 14-25

TUESDAY OF HOLY WEEK
Beth Puleo C ‘13

In God We Trust

“In you, Lord, I take refuge, let me never be put to shame.” Psalms 71: 1

Life can be so stressful between classes, work, and worrying about our future. We become overwhelmed and need an escape. Turn to God and trust in Him for anything is possible when God is by your side. He will give you protection and comfort. Hand over your worries to God, for He will take care of you and guide you down the path He wishes you to take; let His will be done. During this Lenten season, we must learn to lean on God and to trust in Him even when we don’t feel in complete control of our life.

Lord, protect me from evil and help me to do Your will today.
Help me to place complete trust in you even during times of despair. Amen.

Is 49: 1-6, Ps 71: 1-4a, 5-6ab, 15, 17, Jn 13: 21-33, 36-38

PALM SUNDAY
Dr. Alejandro Cañadas
Professor of Economics

I Refuse to Give Up Because I Know
God Will Never Let Me Down

“The Lord God is my help, therefore I am not disgraced.” Isaiah 50: 7

This passage from the prophet Isaiah is called “God’s Servant must suffer.” We find this passage in the second part of the book in which Isaiah delivers a message of comfort and hope to God’s people who were, at the time, living in exile in Babylonia. “The Lord God gives me the right words to encourage the weary. (Is. 50:4)” This is God’s servant. Scholars usually identify the servant as Israel or the same prophet who wrote these words. It can also be the ruler from the family of David who received Lord’s Spirit, the chosen one to lead Israel. The task of the servant is to bring “justice” to the nations. For us in this day, we can pre-figure the whole Passion of the Lord in this passage from Isaiah and we can identify God’s servant with Jesus suffering to save us from our sins.

How beautiful it is to think that God had his loving plan in Jesus Christ from all eternity and he gave a glimpse of it through the prophets in the history of Israel. How beautiful it is to think that Jesus has read this passage many times before his Passion and might have found the realization of his Father’s will in it, as well as the strength and the hope to do his Father’s will by reading: “So I refuse to give up, because I know God will never let me down. (Is. 50:7b)”

God also has a loving plan for each one of us which is following Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior and being faithful to our personal vocation. Today we also need words of hope and encouragement to pick up our personal crosses and follow in the footsteps of Jesus. We can receive the grace of God this Holy Week by being closer to Jesus and praying many times: “I refuse to give up, because I know God will never let me down.”

Let us thank God for his loving plan of salvation in Jesus Christ our Lord. Let us ask Him during this Holy Week that we might receive His Grace to never give up in following Jesus our Lord, because we know God will never let us down. Amen

Lk 19: 28-40, Is 50: 4-7, Ps 22: 8-9, 17-18a, 19-20, 23-24,
Phil 2: 6-11, Lk 22: 14-23:56