Word & Hammer

Marie de l’Incarnation, Educator and Spiritual Teacher in New France, 1672 - Commemoration Today's Readings: [  Jer 1:2-12; Ps 66:7-12; Jn 15:14-17 ] In today’s readings, we’re drawn into a relationship that begins not with our choice, but with God’s initiative. The call of Jeremiah reminds us that vocation is not something we invent—it is something we receive. “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you”. From a Franciscan perspective, this is deeply humbling. Our lives are not accidents or self-made projects; they are gifts, lovingly spoken into being by God. Jeremiah’s hesitation—“Truly I do not know how to speak, for I am only a boy”—echoes a truth we often feel. We are small, limited, and unsure. Yet God’s response is not to deny that weakness, but to promise presence: “Do not be afraid… for I am with you to deliver you”. Franciscan spirituality embraces this poverty of spirit. Like St. Francis, we are invited to stand before God wi...

Catherine of Siena, Reformer and Spiritual Teacher, 1380 - Memorial Today's Readings: [  1 Jn 1:5—2:2; Ps 36:5-10; Lk 12:22-24, 29-32 ] The memorial of Catherine of Siena invites us into a life of radiant trust... trust rooted not in circumstances, but in the very being of God. St. John writes with disarming clarity: “God is light and in him there is no darkness at all”. That truth alone reshapes everything. If God is pure light, then our lives are not meant to be anxious grasping in the shadows, but a steady walking in that light. Catherine understood this deeply—her boldness in calling the Church to renewal came not from self-assurance, but from abiding in that light, even when it exposed both her own weakness and the brokenness around her. From a Franciscan lens, this is the humility of truth. Like St. Francis, Catherine lived in radical dependence on God, not clinging to control or status. That echoes Christ’s words in the Gospel: “Do not keep striving for what you are to eat ...

Easter Feria Today's Readings: [  Acts 11:19-26; Ps 87; Jn 10:22-30 ] The scattered believers in Acts become, almost quietly, the seeds of something new. What began in disruption becomes mission: “they spoke the word to no one except Jews,” and then, suddenly, wider doors open, and “a great number became believers and turned to the Lord”. Barnabas sees this grace and does not try to control it—he rejoices. There is something deeply Franciscan in that posture: to recognize the work of God already alive in unexpected places and to bless it rather than manage it. Psalm 87 sings of a God whose city is not narrow or exclusive. “Glorious things are spoken of you, O city of God”, and then the surprising turn: nations once considered outsiders are named as belonging. “This one was born there,” it says, as if God delights in expanding the family beyond every boundary we draw. For Francis of Assisi, all creation was kin, and all people were neighbors. The Church in Antioch begins to live th...

Easter Feria Today's Readings: [  Acts 11:1-18; Ps 43; Jn 10:1-10 ] The early Church in Acts wrestles with something that still challenges us: God refuses to be contained by our boundaries. When Peter recounts how the Holy Spirit fell upon the Gentiles, he concludes, “If then God gave them the same gift that he gave us… who was I that I could hinder God?” It’s a moment of holy surrender, of recognizing that grace flows where God wills, not where we might prefer. From a Franciscan perspective, this is deeply resonant. St Francis saw all of creation as belonging to God, infused with divine love and worthy of dignity. There are no outsiders in God’s economy... only beloved creatures waiting to be gathered in. The boundary-breaking work of the Spirit in Acts reminds us that the Kingdom is always wider than our assumptions. Psalm 43 echoes the longing of the human heart: “O send out your light and your truth; let them lead me”. It’s a prayer for guidance, for clarity, for the courage t...

Fourth Sunday of Easter (White) Vocations Sunday Today's Readings: [  Acts 2:42-47; Ps 23; 1 Pet 2:19-25; Jn 10:1-10  ] The picture painted in Acts is almost disarmingly simple: a community gathered in teaching, fellowship, breaking bread, and prayer. They share what they have. They eat with “glad and generous hearts.” And somehow, in that ordinary rhythm, “the Lord added to their number.” It is not strategy that grows the Church—it is a life that looks like Christ. This is the ultimate vocation of every Christian. That image finds its deeper meaning in the voice of Jesus in the Gospel reading: “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” The abundance he offers is not wealth or control, but communion—life lived together under the care of the Good Shepherd. Psalm 23 echoes this truth: “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.” To belong to Christ is already to have enough. From a Franciscan perspective, this simplicity is not accidental—it is the very shape of t...

Saint Mark the Evangelist - Holy Day Eve of Easter IV Today's Readings: [  Eph 4:7-8, 11-16; Ps 2:7-13; Mk 1:1-15 ] The Gospel of Mark begins without ornament: “The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God”. No genealogy, no birth narrative—just a voice crying in the wilderness, a call to prepare, and the startling nearness of God’s reign. It is fitting that on this feast we are given such a beginning, because the life of faith is always beginning again. In Mark’s account, the kingdom is not distant or abstract. Jesus proclaims, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news”. Near... and not earned, not constructed, but given. From a Franciscan perspective, this nearness speaks of a God who delights in drawing close to creation, not standing apart from it. The Incarnation is not an afterthought but an expression of divine love that longs to be with us, even in our wilderness places. Ephesians reminds us that th...

Martyrs of the Twentieth Century - Memorial Today's Readings: [  1 Pet 4:12-19; Ps 69:31-36; Mk 10:34-39 ] The Church’s remembrance of the Martyrs of the Twentieth Century confronts us with a difficult truth: faithfulness is not always safe. In today’s readings, suffering is not presented as an accident or failure, but as something that may accompany a life lived deeply in Christ. In 1 Peter, we are told, “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that is taking place among you”. That line lands differently when we remember those who endured prison camps, persecution, violence, and death for the sake of the Gospel. Their witness strips away any illusion that discipleship is about comfort. Yet Peter does not call suffering good in itself—rather, he calls it meaningful when it is borne “as a Christian”, entrusted to “a faithful Creator”. The Psalm echoes this trust: “For the Lord hears the needy, and does not despise his own that are in bonds”. There is a quiet defiance here....

George, Patron of England, Martyr, 4th c. Today's Readings: [  Eph 6:10-20; Ps 18:1-7; Mk 8:34-38 ] On this commemoration of St. George, often remembered as a soldier and martyr, the readings call us to reflect more deeply on what true strength and victory look like in the Christian life. In Ephesians, we are urged to “be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power”, putting on not worldly armor, but the “whole armor of God.” This is not the armor of domination or conquest, but of truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, and the word of God. From a Franciscan perspective, this passage reframes the idea of knighthood entirely. St. Francis himself renounced earthly warfare and embraced a different kind of battle—the interior struggle to live in radical fidelity to Christ. The “shield of faith” and the “helmet of salvation” are not meant to elevate us above others, but to root us more firmly in humility, peace, and trust in God’s providence. The Psalm echoes this depend...

Easter Feria Today's Readings: [  Acts 8:1b-8; Ps 66:1-6; Jn 6:35-40 ]  Persecution scatters. That is how today’s reading from Acts begins... “that day a severe persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered”. By every worldly measure, this looks like loss: broken community, fear, displacement. Yet the very next lines reveal a quiet, surprising truth—those who were scattered “went from place to place, proclaiming the word”. What seemed like an ending becomes a beginning. In similar fashion, St. Francis embraced a life without clinging, a willingness to be “sent,” even when the sending came through hardship rather than choice. The Gospel does not depend on stability or comfort; it travels lightly, carried in the hearts of those who trust. Like Philip in Samaria, the scattered become sowers, and “there was great joy in that city”. Joy, not despite suffering, but somehow through it. Psalm 66 echoes this paradox: “Make a joyful noise...

Anselm, Archbishop of Canterbury, Teacher of the Faith, 1109 - Memorial Today's Readings: [  Rom 5:1-11; Ps 37:32-39; Mt 11:25-30 ] St. Anselm is often remembered for the clarity of his mind, but today’s readings invite us to see something even deeper: the humility of a heart that rests in God. In Epistle to the Romans, we hear that “we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ”. This is not a peace we achieve, but one we receive. From a Franciscan perspective, this matters deeply. Salvation is not something we construct through perfect reasoning or moral effort—it is a gift flowing from divine love. As St. Bonaventure would emphasize, knowledge of God must lead us into loving union, not just intellectual understanding. Even St. Anselm’s famous "faith seeking understanding" ultimately bows before grace. The Gospel of Matthew brings this into focus: “you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants”. There is a gentl...

Easter Feria Today's Readings: [  Acts 6:8-15; Ps 119:161-168; Jn 6:22-29 ] The crowd in John’s Gospel is searching hard, crossing the sea, retracing steps, asking all the right questions. Yet Jesus cuts straight to the heart: “You are looking for me…because you ate your fill of the loaves”. Their hunger is real, but it is still tethered to what perishes. Jesus invites them—and us—into a deeper desire: “Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life”. From a Franciscan lens, this is a call to holy poverty of spirit. St. Francis of Assisi understood that our attachments—even to good things—can keep us from the Giver. The crowd wants bread; Jesus offers himself. The shift is subtle but everything changes when we receive not just gifts, but the Gift. Stephen, in Acts, embodies this same orientation. “Full of grace and power”, he stands before opposition without grasping for safety or reputation. His face, “like the face of an angel”, reflects a...

Third Sunday of Easter Today's Readings: [  Acts 2:14a, 36-41; Ps 116:1-3, 10-17; 1 Pet 1:17-23; Lk 24:13-35 ] The road to Emmaus may be one of the most theologically important resurrection stories. Two disciples walking away in disappointment, their hope buried with the cross. “We had hoped…” is the quiet confession of hearts that cannot yet see what God is doing. And yet, it is precisely on that road, on the way away, that Christ meets them. From a Franciscan perspective, God does not wait for us to arrive at clarity or holiness before drawing near. Instead, like Christ walking beside the disciples, God meets us in our confusion, our grief, and even in our retreat. The Incarnation itself is the great “coming alongside,” and the risen Christ continues this humble companionship. Notice how their eyes are opened: not in argument, not in proof, but “in the breaking of the bread”. For St. Francis, the Eucharist was the place of profound encounter, the humble Christ made present again...

Easter Feria (White) Eve of Easter III (White) Today's Readings: [  Acts 6:1-7; Ps 33:1-5, 18-22; Jn 6:16-21 ] The early Church in Acts faces a very human problem: people are being overlooked. The Hellenists complain that their widows are neglected in the daily distribution. It’s not dramatic or miraculous—it’s administrative, even mundane. (Welcome to the reality of church life) Yet the apostles respond with care, discernment, and a deep trust in the Spirit, appointing others “full of the Spirit and of wisdom”. The result is not just efficiency, but flourishing: “the word of God continued to spread”. Likewise, St. Francis saw no divide between the spiritual and the practical. Feeding the hungry, tending to the overlooked, repairing what is broken... these are not distractions from the Gospel; they are the Gospel embodied. The Spirit moves not only in preaching, but in the quiet faithfulness of service. Psalm 33 reminds us where our confidence lies: “Truly the eye of the Lord is o...

Easter Feria Today's Readings: [  Acts 5:34-42; Ps 27:1-8, 17-18; Jn 6:1-15 ] In today’s readings, we are invited into a quiet but radical trust, one that does not grasp for control, but rests in the providence of God. In Acts, Gamaliel offers a surprising word of wisdom: “If this plan or this undertaking is of human origin, it will fail; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them”. The apostles, beaten and warned, leave “rejoicing that they were considered worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name.” There is a kind of freedom here that Franciscan spirituality knows well—the freedom that comes from letting go of outcomes. St. Francis embraced a life where success was not measured by power or approval, but by faithfulness. If the work is God’s, it will endure. If not, no striving can save it. Psalm 27 echoes this trust with longing and tenderness: “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?” and “Your face, Lord, do I seek.” This is not a di...

Mollie Brant (Konwatsijayenni), Matron among the Mohawks Today's Readings: [  Ruth 1:6-18; Ps 80:1-7; Mt 12:46-50 ]  In today’s readings, we are invited to reflect on belonging—where it is found, how it is chosen, and what it costs. Ruth declares to Naomi, “Where you go, I will go; where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God.” This is not merely sentiment—it is covenant. Ruth binds herself in love, crossing boundaries of nation, culture, and security. Her fidelity echoes the kind of kinship that Jesus later names: “For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” On this commemoration of Mollie Brant, a woman who lived between cultures and bore the weight of sometimes difficult loyalties, we see a similar tension. Like Ruth, she inhabited a space where identity was not simple, where belonging required courage. The Gospel reminds us that true family is not defined by bloodlines alone, but by faithfuln...

Easter Feria  Today's Readings: [  Acts 5:17-26; Ps 34:1-8; Jn 3:16-21 ] Today's readings bring us a courage that does not come from defiance for its own sake, but from trust in God’s goodness. In Acts, the apostles are imprisoned for proclaiming Christ, yet an angel opens the doors and sends them back out with a simple command: “Go, stand in the temple and tell the people the whole message about this life.” There is no drama, no hesitation, they simply go. Their freedom is not merely from chains, but for witness. This echoes the invitation of Psalm 34: “O taste and see that the Lord is good; happy are those who take refuge in him.” Franciscan spirituality lingers here. St. Francis did not argue people into faith—he lived it, tasted it, and invited others into that same experience of God’s goodness. The apostles, too, are not proclaiming an abstract idea; they are sharing a life they have encountered. Then in John, we are given the heart of it all: “For God so loved the world...

Easter Feria  Today's Readings: [  Acts 4:32-37; Ps 93; Jn 3:7-15 ] The readings today draw us into a vision of life that is both deeply spiritual and profoundly practical, a life “born from above” yet lived out in the dust and detail of community. In Acts, we see a striking image of the early Church: “the whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul”. This unity was not merely sentimental. It took flesh in radical generosity—“no one claimed private ownership of any possessions”, and “there was not a needy person among them”. This is the fruit of resurrection life, the evidence of a people transformed by grace. From a Franciscan perspective, this passage resonates deeply. St. Francis embraced holy poverty not as deprivation, but as freedom... freedom to love, to give, to depend wholly on God. The early Christians lived this same spirit: hands open, hearts open, trusting that God’s abundance is enough. Psalm 93 reminds us why such trust is possible: “The Lord i...

Easter Feria Today's Readings: [ Acts 4:23-31; Ps 2; Jn 3:1-8 ] In today’s readings, we are invited into a deeper kind of courage—one that does not come from control, but from surrender. In Acts, the early believers pray not for safety, but for boldness. After facing threats, they lift their voices together: “And now, Lord, look at their threats, and grant to your servants to speak your word with all boldness”. This is striking. They do not ask for their circumstances to change; they ask for their hearts to be strengthened within those circumstances. And in response, “they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God with boldness.” This boldness is echoed in John, where Jesus speaks to Nicodemus about being “born from above.” The Spirit, Jesus says, is like the wind—unseen, unpredictable, yet undeniably real: “You hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes.” To live by the Spirit is to relinquish control, to trust in something...

Second Sunday of Easter Today's Readings: [  Acts 2:14a, 22-32; Ps 16; 1 Pet 1:3-9; Jn 20:19-31 ]  The risen Christ comes to his disciples not in triumphal spectacle, but in quiet mercy. “Peace be with you,” he says, standing among those who had abandoned him. There is no rebuke, no settling of accounts—only peace, and then the gift of the Spirit. From a Franciscan perspective, this moment reveals the very heart of God: not domination, but self-giving love that restores what fear has broken. Peter’s proclamation in Acts reminds us that this Jesus, “handed over… you crucified and killed,” is the one whom God has raised up. The resurrection is not simply a reversal of death; it is God’s definitive “yes” to love over violence, to life over sin. For St. Francis, all creation bears the imprint of this love—what he called the goodness of God shining through everything that exists. The resurrection confirms that nothing, not even death, can extinguish that divine goodness. Thomas, o...

Saturday in Easter Week  Today's Readings: [  Acts 4:13-21; Ps 118:1-4, 22-29; Mk 16:9-15 ] There is something both wonderfully human and deeply hopeful about today’s readings. The disciples in the Gospel reading are slow to believe. Mary Magdalene announces, “I have seen the Lord,” yet they do not believe her. Others testify, and still they doubt. When Jesus appears, he rebukes their unbelief and hardness of heart. And yet… he sends them anyway: “Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation.” Franciscan spirituality has always held this tension gently: we are not sent because we are perfect, but because God is good. The mission does not begin with our certainty... it begins with God’s initiative. Like St. Francis, who did not wait until he understood everything before rebuilding the Church, we are called to go, even while our faith is still being formed. In Acts, Peter and John stand before the authorities, described as “uneducated and ordinary men,...

Friday in Easter Week  Today's Readings: [  Acts 4:1-12; Ps 116:1-8; Jn 21:1-14 ] In the readings for Friday in Easter Week, we are drawn into a powerful tension between fear and boldness, scarcity and abundance, failure and restoration. And right in the middle of it all stands the risen Christ, quietly present, yet utterly transformative. In Acts, Peter—once the one who denied Jesus—now stands before the authorities with astonishing courage. Filled with the Holy Spirit, he proclaims, “there is salvation in no one else”. This is not the voice of a man relying on his own strength. This is the fruit of resurrection grace.  Then in Psalm 116, we hear the intimate gratitude of one who has been delivered: “I love the Lord, because he has heard my voice and my supplications.” This is the prayer of someone who knows they have been lifted from the brink. It echoes the Franciscan spirit of joyful dependence—recognizing that every breath, every rescue, every mercy is gift. Finally...

Thursday in Easter Week  Today's Readings: [  Acts 3:11-26; Ps 8; Lk 24:36b-48 ] In today’s readings, the Risen Christ stands among His disciples and says, “Peace be with you”. It is a simple greeting, but in the wake of fear, confusion, and failure, it is also a profound gift. This is not merely the absence of conflict—it is the restoration of relationship. The One whom they abandoned now comes not with judgment, but with peace. From a Franciscan perspective, this moment resonates deeply. St. Francis of Assisi greeted others with “Pax et bonum”—peace and goodness—because he understood that true peace flows from reconciliation with God and with all creation. The risen Christ embodies this peace, not as an abstract idea, but as a living presence. He shows His wounds, not to accuse, but to heal. Even His scars become signs of mercy. Peter’s words in Acts echo this same pattern. He speaks plainly, saying, “you rejected the Holy and Righteous One”, yet immediately proclaims hope:...

Wednesday in Easter Week Today's Readings: [  Acts 3:1-10; Ps 105:1-9; Lk 24:13-35 ] There is a quiet, earthy beauty running through today’s readings... a holiness that meets us not in spectacle, but in the ordinary places of life. In Acts, Peter and John encounter a man who has known nothing but limitation. He asks for alms, expecting coins, but instead receives something far greater: “In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, stand up and walk”. The healing is not just physical—it is relational and restorative. He enters the temple “walking and leaping and praising God,” restored to community and worship. From a Franciscan perspective, this moment reveals the dignity already present in the man. Francis of Assisi saw every person as bearing the image of Christ, often hidden beneath suffering or poverty. Peter does not give from excess; he gives from communion with Christ. “What I have I give you.” This is the poverty of spirit Francis embraced—not emptiness, but radical dependence...

Tuesday in Easter Week Today's Readings: [  Acts 2:14, 36-41; Ps 33:1-5, 18-22; Jn 20:11-18 ] Mary stands weeping outside the tomb. The world, as she knew it, has ended. Even the body of the Lord she loves seems to have been taken. In Gospel reading she pleads, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him.” Her grief is raw, honest, and unguarded. And then—everything changes with a single word: “Mary!”  This is the moment of recognition. Not through argument or proof, but through relationship. The Risen Christ calls her by name, and she knows him. From a Franciscan perspective, this moment is deeply fitting. Francis of Assisi emphasized a personal, loving encounter with Christ—one that engages the heart before the intellect. God is not distant or abstract. He is near, intimate, calling each creature into relationship. Just as Mary is known and named, so too are we. Meanwhile, in Acts, Peter proclaims boldly: “Repent, and be baptized… in the name of Jesu...

Monday in Easter Week Today's Readings: [  Acts 2:14, 22-32; Ps 16:1, 5-11; Mt 28:8-15 ] Peter stands up in Acts and speaks plainly: “this Jesus… you crucified and killed… But God raised him up”. There is no softening of the truth, yet there is no despair either. The same breath that names sin proclaims resurrection. That is the rhythm of Easter. The Gospel reading shows the women leaving the tomb “with fear and great joy”. That pairing feels deeply human. Resurrection does not erase fear, it transforms it. In a Franciscan spirit, we might say that grace does not bypass our smallness; it meets us there. Saint Francis embraced minority—littleness—as the place where God’s glory shines most clearly. The empty tomb is not a triumph of power as the world understands it, but of God’s humble, life-giving love. Psalm 16 gives us the interior posture of Easter faith: “I keep the Lord always before me… my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices”. This is not naïve optimism. It is trust rooted i...

The Sunday of the Resurrection: Easter Day Today's Readings: [  Jer 31:1-6; Ps 118:1-2, 14-24; Acts 10:34-43; Jn 20:1-18 ] “He is not here, but has risen” (Luke 24:6) In today's reading from the Gospel according to John, Mary Magdalene comes to the tomb while it is still dark. That detail matters. Resurrection does not begin in bright certainty, but in confusion, grief, and unanswered questions. The stone is rolled away, but understanding has not yet dawned. She weeps. She searches. She does not yet recognize the risen Christ, even when He stands before her. From a Franciscan perspective, this is deeply fitting. God does not wait for perfect clarity or polished faith. Instead, He meets us in our poverty—our not-knowing, our grief, our longing. Like St. Francis embracing the leper, Mary encounters the risen Christ precisely in the place she would least expect: in the midst of loss and pain. It is only when Jesus calls her by name—“Mary!”—that everything changes. Resurrection be...

Holy Saturday Easter Eve Today's Readings: [  Lam 3:1-9, 19-24; Ps 31:1-4, 15-16; 1 Pet 4:1-8; Jn 19:38-42 ]  Holy Saturday is perhaps the quietest day of the Triduum—the day of waiting, of stillness, of what feels like absence. Christ has been laid in the tomb. The violence and noise of Good Friday has faded, but the joy of Easter has not yet dawned. We sit in a liminal place this day. Lamentations gives some voice to this in-betweenness. “He has made me sit in darkness like the dead of long ago”. It is a stark, honest acknowledgment of sorrow and disorientation. Yet even here, in the depths, hope is not extinguished: “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases… they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness”. Holy Saturday holds these tensions together—grief and hope, silence and promise. From a Franciscan perspective, this day invites us to embrace the humility and trust required to wait. St. Francis had a deep reverence for the humanity of Christ, not only in His...

Good Friday: The Celebration of the Lord’s Passion Today's Readings: [  Is 52:13—53:12; Ps 22; Heb 10:16-25; Jn 18:1—19:42 ] On Good Friday, we are invited to not look away. Isaiah’s suffering servant is “despised and rejected… a man of suffering and acquainted with infirmity”. The psalmist cries, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”. And in John’s Passion, we see Christ handed over, lifted up, and crucified—not as a tragic accident, but as a self-gift and completion of His mission. “It is finished”. From a Franciscan perspective, this day reveals not only the depth of human sin, but the even greater depth of divine love. St. Francis of Assisi saw the Incarnation and the Cross as inseparable: God does not remain distant from suffering but enters fully into it. The crucified Christ is not a distant judge, but the poor, wounded one... in solidarity with all who suffer. The reading from Hebrews reminds us that Christ’s offering is once for all: “I will remember their sins and ...

Maundy Thursday Today's Readings: [  Ex 12:1-4, 11-14; Ps 116:1, 10-17; 1 Cor 11:23-26; Jn 13:1-17, 31b-35 ] There is a quiet tenderness running through tonight’s readings—a humility that kneels. In Exodus 12, the people are told to prepare the Passover meal “with your loins girded… it is the passover of the Lord”. It is a meal eaten in readiness, in trust, in dependence. Nothing is hoarded; nothing is wasted. Even here, God is forming a people who live not by possession, but by provision.  Psalm 116 responds with gratitude: “What shall I return to the Lord for all his bounty to me?” The answer is not repayment, but offering: “I will lift up the cup of salvation” and call on the name of the Lord. Gratitude, not grasping, is the proper posture of the redeemed. Then comes the upper room. Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 11 that “the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread… ‘This is my body that is for you.’” The Eucharist is not merely remembrance, it ...

Wednesday in Holy Week Today's Readings: [  Is 50:4-9a; Ps 70; Heb 12:1-3; Jn 13:21-32 ] Holy Wednesday draws us into a quiet tension: faithfulness set against betrayal, resolve against fear. In Isaiah, the servant declares, “I have set my face like flint”. There is no illusion here. The servant knows suffering is coming—mockery, shame, violence—and yet does not turn away. This is not stubborn pride, but trust: “The Lord God helps me; therefore I have not been disgraced.” In the Franciscan tradition, we see in this steadfastness a deep humility. St. Francis did not seek suffering for its own sake, but he embraced it when it came, recognizing Christ present even in hardship. To “set one’s face like flint” is not to harden the heart, but to anchor it firmly in God. Psalm 70 echoes the urgency of a heart that knows its need: “O God, come to my assistance; O Lord, make haste to help me!” There is no pretense here, no polished prayer, just honest dependence. This too is Franciscan: a s...