Fr. Bob’s Weekly Reflections

In 1996, a 21-year-old man from Chicago named Peter suffered severe head injuries in a car accident, leaving him in a coma with significant brain damage. Doctors gave little hope for his survival or recovery.  But his fiancée, Linda, refused to give up. For three and a half months, she stayed by his side, speaking to him and caring for him. Eventually, Peter showed signs of life – first a slight movement, then a flutter of his eyelash. Ignoring doctors, Linda quit her job and dedicated herself to Peter’s care full-time, even spending her savings on a swimming pool, hoping the water and sunlight might help revive him. After months of effort, Peter’s first word was a grunt, which later turned into clear speech.  Two years later, Peter walked down the aisle at Our Lady of Pompeii Church in Chicago with Linda, although aided by a walker, for their wedding. Their story captured universal attention. People from all over the world wrote letters to the couple, and celebrities called to congratulate them.  Peter went on to live a normal life, speaking clearly and walking without aid. He and Linda even had a child together. Their story serves as a powerful example of what Jesus teaches us in today’s Gospel: “I give you a new commandment: love one another as I have loved you. This is how all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” In our world today, we need to rediscover the true power of love – the kind of love that Jesus exemplified. It’s not the superficial love we hear about in songs or see on TV, where love is often confused with lust. The word “love” has been overused and weakened, losing much of its real meaning. Linda and Peter’s story illustrates the sacrificial love Jesus spoke of: a love that never tires of giving for the sake of another. It’s a love that gives until it hurts. It’s the love of a mother for her child. And this kind of love has immense power – a miraculous power, one that can bring people back from the brink of death. From hopeless sickness to perfect health. On the evening news, we witness acts of injustice, violence and killings in the streets of our cities. The strange thing is, that if you were to ask the people involved in these actions what religion they follow, many would say they are Christians – meaning they are followers of Christ. But many Christians just do not imitate Christ, the one we are supposed to follow. They do not imitate Him in the way He treated others, or in the way He loved, even His enemies. Imitating Christ doesn’t have to be difficult. Think about it: if, at any point in your life, you have done something that Jesus would have done, then you have already taken the first step. The rest is just a matter of practice. Like anything worth mastering, love takes time and repetition. Some of us need to practice being good. What you’ve done once, you can do again and again. It’s that simple. St. Augustine was once asked, “What does love look like?” As a Theologian, he could have offered a complex, intellectual answer. Instead, he gave a much more practical response: “Love has hands to help others. It has feet to hasten to the poor and needy. It has eyes to see misery and want. It has ears to hear the sighs and the sorrows of others.” My friends, that is what love looks like.

Every time I see the phrase “In God we trust” printed on money, I can't help but smirk at its irony. Many of us who chase, hold, or spend that money give little thought to trusting in God. Instead, we place our trust in the money itself, or in our own ability to earn it. The government that issues the money seems to rely more on its military power, economic strength, and technological advancements than it does on God. Yet, the phrase remains marked on the currency. But I’m glad it’s there. Perhaps it will occasionally remind the person holding it, even if just for a moment, that in the end – and even before the end – our ultimate trust belongs to God. Our Gospel today highlights this truth. Jesus uses the image of the shepherd to show that no one cares for us as deeply, eternally, or passionately as He does. We can always place our trust in Him. When we trust in money, we must also trust in security measures to protect it. When we trust in government, we can be disappointed by its self-serving nature. When we trust only in ourselves, we eventually face limits to our knowledge, our strength, or our health. Sheep, however, have no built-in protection. They don't have claws, sharp teeth, or loud cries. They don’t run fast, or climb trees. Sheep cannot fly. If they are to be safe, they must have a shepherd. But a shepherd cannot simply be a hired hand. What happens if the shepherd has no loyalty, no passion for the sheep? This is a harsh reality to confront. Who is more likely to take care of a business: an employee or an owner? Who is more likely to take care of a house: a renter or an owner? Jesus is telling us that He is the Good Shepherd. He cares for His sheep, knows them by name and takes a personal interest in each one. He doesn’t see His sheep as someone else’s problem. In the book “The Last Temptation of Christ,” a retelling of Christ’s passion, a serpent slithers up the wood of the cross. Out of sight of everyone, the snake whispers in Jesus’ ear as He is dying. “Look at them,” it says. “They are not worth this suffering. Give them what they deserve. Send them to Hell.” Jesus replies, “No. I would rather die than stop loving them.” In that moment, we see the overwhelming desire of God to be with us; to enter into our suffering. In our losses, our struggles, our broken relationships, and all the pain life brings, God is with us. There’s a story about a young boy in a parish school who was tasked with memorizing Psalm 23 for a school assembly. He was to recite it in front of the pastor and all the parents. When the big night arrived, he stood on the stage. He said, “The Lord is my Shepherd,” but then he froze, unable to recall the next line. After a pause, he started again: “The Lord is my Shepherd, and that is all I need to know.” At first, there was silence. Then, applause. Because the boy was right. The Lord is our Shepherd, and that is all we need to know. The next time you hold some money in your hand or in your pocket, ask yourself: Can this money love you, protect you, sacrifice for you, or die for you? It’s clear that it cannot.  The only one in whom we can truly place our trust is God.  

Today’s Gospel can be seen as the rehabilitation of St. Peter. The scene takes us back to both a prediction and a fact. The prediction came during the Last Supper, when Jesus warned His disciples that they would all fall away and be scattered. He specifically warned Peter that he would deny Him.

Week after week, most of us come to church, and the years pass by. The agenda of our gatherings often remains the same. It takes different shapes and forms, but there is one central focus: our faith in Christ.

If there is one word that describes the essence of the Christian faith, it is “Easter.” In celebrating Easter, we are celebrating victory – the victory of the Son of God over humanity’s greatest enemy: death.

Palm Sunday marks the start of Holy Week, the most solemn and sacred period in the Church calendar. It is a pivotal moment in the journey towards Christ’s passion.

We come across a unique scene in this week’s Gospel. Jesus is sitting down and quietly teaching when a hostile crowd appears. In their custody is a woman accused of adultery. In today’s world, adultery is quite common, sadly

Many of us remember the iconic singer Marvin Gaye, who rose to fame in the 1970s and '80s. A key figure in the Motown label, he earned multiple Grammys.

Most of us are familiar with the term “freeloader”— someone who takes and takes, but never gives back. If you’ve ever gone to lunch with a freeloader, they’re the one who happens to forget their money. In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells a story about this kind of life, but instead of a person, the freeloader is a fig tree. The tree takes from the soil, drawing nourishment but never producing fruit—no figs to return what it’s been given.

I’ve preached on this Gospel many times and I’ve read it countless times. Yet, each time I read about the Transfiguration of Christ, I discover new meaning, fresh questions, and deeper insights into Christian doctrine.