2 Peter 3:12-15a, 17-18; Mark 12:13-17

Today’s scripture readings seem to be about opportunities and priorities.  In 2 Peter, Peter says, “To him be glory now and to the day of eternity.”  He encourages his listeners to grow in grace and knowledge of Christ.  The psalmist proclaims, “Let your work be seen by your servants and your glory by their children.”  And in Mark, Jesus encounters Pharisees and Herodians who attempt to ensnare him with a question about money.  Jesus responds, “Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.”

     If in Mary all the centuries and all the   

     generations will have to admire the wonder of  

     your grace,  in me all mankind will have to

     admire the miracle of your mercy." (OOCC X, 303)

Dearest Sisters, 

In this Marian month, we celebrate with the Universal Church two great and important feasts: Pentecost and the feast of Queen of Apostles. The Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 2:1 ff) remind us that on the day of Pentecost, in the hall of the Cenacle, the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles with great power, He descended  upon them as wind and fire as the Spirit who creates and renews, initiating the mission of the Church in the world.

Acts 2:1-11; 1 Corinthians 12:3-7, 12-13; John 20:19-23

Today’s feast marks a beginning, the birthday of the Church, when the Holy Spirit descended in the form of fiery tongues on our Lady and the apostles. The same Spirit who hovered over the waters of creation in the beginning now brings to birth a renewed humanity, a new creation, a new beginning.

But Pentecost is not only a fresh start for the human race – it is also an end, an end in the sense of completion, of bringing to completion the paschal mystery, the very goal of Christ’s saving death and resurrection. Pentecost is a unique event in a unique history, when the Spirit came down on the Church in a way he had never done before, and in a way that he has never done in quite the same way since. And the Spirit came down, once and for all, to bring Christ’s paschal mystery to completion and to begin the calling of a new humanity, out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, into a single body, a single Church, in praise of a single God, the Creator and Redeemer and Sanctifier of us all.

MARY, QUEEN OF APOSTLES

She is the Maid of Bethlehem,

Mother of Jesus, and Queen of Apostles:

That ragtag group of men

Chosen by Jesus

To change the world.

Acts 25:13b-21; John 21:15-19

I find today’s Gospel both enigmatic – and, somewhat understandable. The enigma – what did Jesus mean with his three questions which were each stated a little differently – “Feed my lambs,” “Tend my sheep,” and, “Feed my sheep.” In that culture at that time with Jesus talking to a male apostle, was there specific language meaning to the choice of words? I don’t know. However, from this Gospel story I take this message for my life – how many times daily do I respond to Christ’s call to me to “tend to others”? How many times daily do I think I’m responding to “tending to others” when perhaps I am not? Am I a 21st century version of Simon Peter and have to be reminded three times every day?