Rich Thoughts

At Blessed John XXIII Parish. The farewell address of St. Paul (Acts 20) and the high priestly prayer of Jesus (John 17). What do you want your legacy to be?

At Blessed John XXIII Parish, Knoxville. Here, as in many parts of the US, the Solemnity of the Ascension is celebrated on the 7th Sunday of Easter. Why is this day so important? (Hint: like the Assumption, it's not "Up, Up, and Away.")

At Blessed John XXIII Parish, Knoxville. Jesus promises the disciples that the Holy Spirit will "guide you to all truth" (John 16:12-15), and the Holy Spirit does just that for Paul as he speaks to the Athenians (Acts 17:22 - 18:1)!

At Blessed John XXIII Parish, Knoxville. Can Jesus' words about the Holy Spirit in John 15:26-16:4 be applied to Paul's (and Luke's?) meeting with Lydia in Acts 16:11-15? Can those words be applied to us, too?

At Knox County Detention Center and Blessed John XXIII Parish. How we maintain a relationship with Jesus, even when we cannot see him (John 14:23-29). Applications to me, to prisoners, and to those students about to graduate.

At Blessed John XXIII Parish, Knoxville. Bringing spirituality to secular concerns, as demonstrated by St. Joseph, Acts 15:1-6, and John 15:1-8.

At Blessed John XXIII Parish, Knoxville. The profound importance of Acts 11:1-18. Where would we be without the Jewish Christians who witnessed about their faith to their Gentile neighbors?

At Blessed John XXIII Parish, Knoxville. Reflecting on the shepherd/sheep images of Psalm 100, Revelation 7:9-17, and John 10:27-30, in conjunction with the Boston Marathon bombings.

At Blessed John XXIII Parish, Knoxville. "Seeing is believing." Always? A reflection on John 6:35-40, assisted by 1 John 1:1-4. Brief mention in "teaser" to Acts 8:1b-8.

At Blessed John XXIII Parish, Knoxville. John 6:22-29 and the call to continue growing in relationship with God.

At Blessed John XXIII Parish, Knoxville. A prayer technique for reconciling past events, as explained by Linn, Linn, and Fabricant in HEALING THE EIGHT STAGES OF LIFE. Also cited GUESS HOW MUCH I LOVE YOU by Sam McBratney. All related to John 21:1-19.

At Immaculate Conception Parish, Knoxville. Exploring John 3:31-36 through the lens of three martyrdoms that occurred during the celebration of Mass: Stanislaus (1079), Thomas a Becket (1170), and Oscar Romero (1980).

At Blessed John XXIII Parish, Knoxville. Especially in the South, we hear/see a lot from John 3 -- especially the phrase "born again" and the placards reading "John 3:16." Let's not over-simplify their significance!

At Blessed John XXIII Parish, Knoxville. Looking at John 3:7b-15 within the larger context of John 3:1-21. We must understand John's use of irony before we can comprehend the Exultation of the Cross.

At Immaculate Conception and Blessed John XXIII Parishes, Knoxville. Contrasting Ahaz (in Isaiah 7:10-14) with Mary (in Luke 1:26-38) and Jesus (in Hebrews 10:4-10), and praying that we can live out Psalm 40.

At Blessed John XXIII Parish, Knoxville. Exploring the virtues of doubt with Susan Werner, through her album THE GOSPEL TRUTH.

At Immaculate Conception Parish, Knoxville. Bob Schreiter, CSsP, is the theologian I forgot to mention. Tom Kane, CSP, is the producer of the prayer card. Jim Moran was the director of Landings International, not the Paulist Reconciliation office.

At Blessed John XXIII Parish. Sharing a favorite song: "In the Breaking of the Bread" by Michael Ward. This recording is from SWEET SWEET SPIRIT by the St. Paul Singers. Soloist: Nancy Meyer. Director: Anne Holland.

At Blessed John XXIII Parish, Knoxville. We have been living in the Easter Era for nearly two thousand years. What can we learn from what happened in the first hours of the Easter Era?

At Blessed John XXIII Parish, Knoxville. Taken, blessed, broken, and shared. What's the significance of the four central verbs of the Eucharistic Institution narrative? The answer is in what we don't find in the tomb!