Reflection for Sunday April 28th, 2024
Sunday Gospel: Jn 15:1-8
In this week’s Gospel, Jesus speaks to His disciples, and compares Himself to a fruit vine with God as the vine grower. He also compares Himself as the vine with his disciples as fruit branches. The branches that don’t bear fruit are removed from the tree but the fruitful are pruned to make more, just as anyone who remains connected with Jesus will bear more fruit in their lives. Anyone who remains disconnected and does not put trust in Jesus, will be like the fruitless trees tossed and used as firewood. If you remain fruitful and connected with Jesus, ask Him for whatever it is you need, and He may fulfill it. Life is full of harsh conditions that make the branches (us) less likely to produce fruit. Sometimes, life can be so harsh that the branch falls off the vine completely. Sometimes holding onto our faith in God is so challenging that we forget our abundances from Him. We forget all the fruits and joys in our lives from the love and forgiveness we feel from Him. We can’t thrive in our lives without being connected to Christ. But if we do remain disconnected from Jesus, we can expect a fate like the fruitless branches. Forever away from God. Christ is the only way we can produce fruit in our lives. So, I challenge you for this week, even during struggling times, to put a bit of extra faith in God. You may like the results. This week's reflection is by Brendan, La Salle College HS class of 2026 |
Reflection for Sunday April 14th, 2024Sunday Gospel: Lk 24:35-48
In Luke 24:35-48, the resurrected Jesus appears to his disciples, demonstrating the reality of his resurrection through eating with them and explaining the Scriptures. This passage illustrates the importance of Jesus' bodily resurrection as a foundational truth of the Christian faith, as well as referring to the Old Testament prophecies and Jesus' life, death, and resurrection, highlighting the fulfillment of God's promises. Jesus commissions his disciples to proclaim repentance and forgiveness of sins to all nations, underscoring the universal scope of the Gospel message and the ongoing mission of the Church. How may we fulfill God’s promises while also holding ourselves accountable to repent? This week's reflection is by Sean, Springfield township class of 2025. |
Reflection for Sunday April 7th, 2023 Sunday Gospel: Jn 20:19-31
In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus appears to the disciples after his resurrection. However, Thomas was not there when Jesus came to them, and would only believe it was actually Jesus once he was able to put his finger into Jesus’ wounds. When Thomas was finally with Jesus, he felt the wounds and said, “My Lord and my God!” He was the last of the disciples to believe Jesus had actually returned. This passage tells us that many things may seem hard to believe, even when they are coming from people we trust and are close to. We want to see evidence and proof, while doubt is uncomfortable and faith is not easy. We are often no different than Thomas, but Jesus still loved him in spite of his doubts. As a Christian, ask yourself, "How do I address things that I am unsure of, and how do I come to terms with doubt and trust?" This week's reflection is by Marcus, Springfield Township class of 2026 |
Reflection for Sunday April 21st, 2024Sunday Gospel: Jn 10:11-18
This passage mentions the difference between worldly and otherworldly love. Jesus states to his disciples that “I am the good shepherd, and I know mine and mine know me.” He makes the decision to compare a paid shepherd versus a shepherd that has a deep and unyielding connection to his sheep. He continues and speaks “I will lay down my life for the sheep” which is an obvious foreshadowing to His inevitable death on the cross for our sins. Jesus concludes with mention of life and death, he declares “I have the power to lay it down (life), and the power to take it up again.” The shepherd that has the power to take and give life serves great distinction from the shepherd that leaves just a singular sheep to the wolves. But what is the true difference between worldly and God's love for us? The shepherd on earth could represent an idol, a subject, or a fixation on a certain topic. That shepherd will give us the ruse of one who cares, but when one strays away from him, that sheep will either be mauled by sin or return to an empty field where the worldly shepherd once was. The shepherd who will lay His life down for the sheep, the shepherd who knows His sheep, will search high and low for that sheep to return to the flock. We must remember that despite our desire to follow the worldly shepherd who will abandon us, we must not forget the one who will sit with stick in hand through day and night, waiting for us to follow Him once again. This week's reflection is by Liz, MSJA class of 2026. |
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