By Glen Argan St. Luke sees Jesus’ Ascension into heaven as the turning point of world history. Why else would the evangelist tell the story twice – once as the conclusion of his Gospel and the second as the launching point of the Acts of the Apostles? Both versions are included among the readings for this Sunday. Why wouldn’t just
Read moreBy Glen Argan When Jesus declared during his Last Supper discourse, “If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father.” Going away?! Rejoice! “How could we rejoice that our beloved Jesus is going away?” they would have asked themselves. Yet, one lesson of life is that letting a beloved friend or one’s child go from
Read moreBy Glen Argan This Sunday’s Second Reading from the Book of Revelation is among the most astounding short pieces in the Bible. Situated after Christ’s victory over Satan and after the universal judgment, “the holy city, the new Jerusalem, [comes] down out of heaven from God.” And we thought that, at the end of time, we would go either to
Read moreBy Glen Argan Relationship. That is the key to the Good Shepherd. In Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus says, “My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me.” We follow Jesus because he knows us and because we trust him. So often, our image of God gets distorted into seeing God as Commander in Chief. This god relates to
Read moreBy Glen Argan “I am going fishing,” Peter said, and six other disciples sailed with him out into the dark. The dark. The place where God is absent, where that absence is felt. The night was long. It always is when we sail, seeking to achieve great things without the Lord’s help. The North Star may help one find their
Read moreGospel for Sunday, May 28, 2017 Feast of the Ascension By Glen Argan The story of Christ’s ascension into heaven is a political story (Acts 1.1-11). It is not political in the sense that it would make Jesus and the Church political actors who compete against politicians, corporations and military leaders for worldly power. Far from it. Rather, the Ascension
Read moreReadings for Sunday May 21, 2017 Sixth Sunday of Easter By Glen Argan Our age is one where respect for truth is in decline. Whether it is political spokespersons presenting “alternative facts” or an ideological denial of the very existence of truth, that which is true is increasingly put in the shade. This presents a serious problem for Christian proclamation,
Read moreGospel for Sunday, April 16, 2017 Resurrection of the Lord By Glen Argan Mary Magdalene twice suggests that someone has stolen Jesus’ body (Jn 20.13,15). If Jesus’ body were stolen or the belief in the resurrection was the result of mass hallucination, why did the most strident persecutor of the early Church (St. Paul) come to believe in Christ’s resurrection
Read morePalm Sunday Gospel for Sunday, April 9, 2017 By Glen Argan Across the centuries, the cross has brought people to conversion. The Church has its members who have entered into its midst because of the will of their king or their parents. Many of those have also come to faith. But faith always means an acknowledgement of the cross-and-resurrection as
Read moreFifth Sunday of Lent Readings for Sunday, April 2, 2017 By Glen Argan The story of the raising of Lazarus (John 11.1-45) presents us with Jesus’ greatest outpouring of emotion in the four Gospels. Upon arriving at Bethany, Jesus was “greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved.” Then, when arrives at Lazarus’ tomb, Jesus is again “greatly disturbed.” Jesus weeps
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On the Threshold 