Easter

Change is often difficult for us, especially when it involves letting go of things that have been dear to us and making room for new things, about which we are less sure. This normal experience of moving on is in today’s readings as the pattern of our maturing in faith, our growing in relationship with

Our journey to the new heaven and the new earth, to living in the presence of God, is a journey into transformation and re-creation. It involves a daily dying to self – a taking up the cross – and is expressed in a life of service. Because this is the Christ-shaped love that is at

In the early catacombs of Rome, we find graphic images of the Good Shepherd. Often they show the figure of a young Christ who carries a lamb across his shoulders. The frescos show the intimacy between the shepherd and his sheep; between Christ and His beloved. Other similar sculptres are found on early Christian tombs.

Today we read from the 21st chapter of St. John’s Gospel. For many scholars it looks as though this chapter had been added on to the finished Gospel. The point of today’s Gospel is to show us that belief in the resurrection is not enough unless belief is translated into actions that transform our lives.

The Gospel suggests, without actually saying as much, that at this stage Peter did not believe in the resurrection; the other disciple – probably John – did. “He saw and he believed.” We have different characters. Some of us are inclined to be pesimistic, and suspect good news of being a trick. A later part

Jesus tells us that He is the Good Shepherd who is prepared to die for His sheep. It is quite easy to distinguish between a good and bad shepherd: the latter has no commitment and runs away as soon as danger threatens. In Jesus’ day, shepherds were commonly regarded as disreputable, isolated groups of men

This Sunday the Gospel helps us to deepen our faith in the meaning of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead and is intended to strengthen our response. We hear the ending of the Emmaus story in which the two disciples walk with downcast hearts from Jerusalem to Emmaus. A stranger, in fact Jesus whom they do

Were we to stand on Main Street and ask passers-by, “What do you think is the greatest festival in the Christian calendar?,” the majority would probably say, “Christmas.” Few, if any, would answer, “Easter.” It is like living in two worlds: the world of Main Street and the world of our Christian faith. Coming into