Do you ever count your blessings Much in today rsquo s advertising strategy is designed to make us dissatisfied with who we are and what we have The idea is that buying this or that product is going to solve our problems and make us happy Counting the blessings that we have as Christians instead

Today we rejoin Ordinary Time in the Sunday Lectionary cycle The reading from Mark rsquo s Gospel describes Jesus stilling a storm on the Sea of Galilee He and his disciples some of them professional fishermen are traveling by boat from their home base on the western shore to the eastern shore w

In both narratives an inadequate understanding of Jesus’ power leads to a dramatic manifestation of his generosity.

According to the Christian doctrine of the Trinity there are three persons in one God Father Son and Holy Spirit The Scriptures are not much interested in the philosophy or metaphysics of God They are mainly concerned with God in relationship with Israel in the Old Testament and with the church

The Eucharist is a profound mystery with many different aspects As the sacrament of ongoing Christian life the Eucharist is a commemoration of Passover participation in the life of Jesus the memorial of his passion and death a meal with the risen Christ and a sign of hope for the coming kingdom

Pentecost is one of the major dates in the church rsquo s calendar along with Christmas and Easter Our word Pentecost derives from the Greek word for 50 The feast occurs 50 days after Easter Pentecost was and is a Jewish festival celebrated in late spring 50 days after Passover Its biblical

The feast of the Ascension commemorates the risen Jesus rsquo departure from earth and his exaltation to his heavenly Father Pentecost Sunday celebrates the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles and their associates and the beginning of the Christian mission to the ends of the earth Meanwhil

One of the most prominent and profound words in John’s theological lexicon is the term for “remain in, abide, dwell in” (Greek menein). It describes the relationship with God that Jesus’ life, death and resurrection have made possible for those who believe and love.

Luke is the New Testament author most responsible for our concept of the Easter season and the Ascension of Jesus At the beginning of Acts Luke rsquo s sequel to his Gospel he tells us that the risen Jesus made appearances to his disciples during the 40 days after Easter and ascended to heaven T

At its most basic level the word ldquo mysticism rdquo refers to a direct intimate union of a person with God through contemplation and love The Scripture readings for the Fifth Sunday of Easter can help explain why every serious Christian can and should be a mystic The allegory of the vine in