Dear sisters and brothers in Christ Jesus, I recently attended the final public concert conducted by my old high school band director, Mr. Eric Anderson. “Mr. A” came out of retirement to conduct one portion of the band’s end of year concert. Mr. A had been a major influence on my life, my initial career path in music education, and my growth as a Christian man. More than any other teacher, Mr. A was present to us. His style of teaching was very Christ-like, full of joy and fatherly. His presence impressed upon us both his love for music and his love for life. We were more alive because of the energy we received from him in his conducting. His legacy continued to inspire students at C
Dear sisters and brothers in Christ Jesus, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” Jesus asks us to obey Him out of love—not out of duty, honor, or self-interest. Our motivation for the Christian life is to be nothing less than the honest love of the person of God. Jesus promises us another Advocate, in Greek Parakleton, from which we get our Latinized word Paraclete. This word translates poorly into English, but can be rendered as legal counselor or comforter. The “Spirit of truth” is on our side against the accusations and temptations of the world, the flesh, and the Devil. The presence and advocacy of the Spirit is not a condition of our fidelity, but a gift freely given by
Dear sisters and brothers in Christ Jesus, “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” These words of Jesus set the stage not only for His Passion but also for His Ascension. The apostles needed Jesus’ reassurance in order to endure the pain of watching Jesus suffer and die for us. We, too, need Jesus’ reassurance in order to continue in faith without Jesus’ visible presence here on earth as He was in the first century. We are now His Body, the Church. We are the visible presence of God at work in the world. Jesus promised that we will do His works “and will do greater ones than these,” now that Jesus has ascended to the Father. We have become the living stones out of which the Church is for
Dear sisters and brothers in Christ Jesus, The name of Jesus Christ has power because it is through Him that we are saved from our sins. This is not some magical spell or formula. The name of Jesus has power because with it we invoke Him Who is God-with-us. It is not the power of the combined letters and sounds that make up the name, but the power of God who hears us whenever we call upon Him. We do not command Jesus by invoking His Holy Name, but we are instead held bound by His Name. We who claim to be members of Christ’s Body, the Church, are obliged to do His Will. In the ancient cultures of Jesus’ lifetime on earth, names were sacred. To mention someone’s name was to make them pre
