Foot-washer

Easter Sunday https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/040526.cfm Good morning and Happy Easter. The whole world, it seems, celebrates Christmas, even non-Christians and atheists. In the lead-up to December 25th, Christmas songs, decorations, trees, and Santa Claus are inescapable.  And the whole world stops for Christmas.  In our country, schools and many workplaces offer extended breaks for the holiday season, and there is a strong cultural expectation to be home for Christmas with family and loved ones. Easter, on the other hand, is easy to miss.  A few weeks ago, Kroger put out chocolate bunnies, egg-dyeing kits, Peeps, and jelly beans.  That may have led shoppers to ask themselves, “When is that coming up again?” The calendar certainly doesn’t help: Easter can fall anywhere between March 22 and April 25—a 35-day period.  Jesus’ resurrection happened during the Jewish celebration of Passover, and the Church has always kept Easter during the same period.  ...

Bellarmine University Our Lady of the Woods Chapel https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/033124.cfm Good morning, Bellarmine. Happy Easter. The Lord is Risen, Alleluia! In Jesus’ time, the most important and popular art form was the Greek tragedy. These plays originated in Athens in the 6th century B.C. and were performed in large amphitheaters built on the side of hills. They were originally religious in nature, honoring the god Dionysius. A small number of actors (with powerful voices) wearing masks acted on stage while a chorus sang a commentary on the action. Tragedies tell the story of the downfall of a great hero. The noble protagonist of the story is virtuous yet imperfect in ways that make him sympathetic. He has a “tragic flaw” that lead to catastrophe. The most famous example is Oedipus Rex whose flaw is lack of knowledge about his family and his origins. The conclusion of the tragedy is called a catastrophe, a Greek word that means ‘sudden downturn.’ This may b...

  Bellarmine University  Our Lady of the Woods Chapel Easter Sunday https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/033124.cfm    Happy Easter, Bellarmine.  Christ is risen today, Allelulia.  The Easter eggs came out two weeks early in our house this year.  My wife, Kate, brought them out of the basement to get ready for our egg hunt.  Our four kids started to play with them before the Easter bunny could fill them.  Max, one of our four-year old triplets, pulled out this egg here and brought it to me early on Saturday morning (while I was still in bed).   I’m not sure if you can see this well, but this yellow and orange egg has three crosses on it: the cross of Christ and those of the two thieves.  Max said to me, “look Dad!” pointing to Christ’s cross, “Jesus died here.” Then he popped the egg open and said, “it’s empty inside.”  But then he looked a little closer and said, “there’s the sun in there!”  Sun spelled s-u-n....