Fr. Lawrence Jagdfeld, O.F.M., Administrator
The story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (Azariah, Hananiah and Mishael in Hebrew) is one of the more thrilling stories of the Hebrew Scriptures. They appear in the Book of Daniel and are among those who maintain the Jewish dietary laws in opposition to the Chaldean King's decree. The king has them thrown into a fiery furnace, but instead of...
Fr. Lawrence Jagdfeld, O.F.M., Administrator
Today's Scriptures draw us into the mystery of Christ's passion, death, and resurrection. Jesus speaks of being "lifted up," an action which will reveal his identity as the one who has been sent by God. Indeed, just as Jesus claimed, many have come to believe in him because of his willingness to die for the sins of all. Just as the Israelites who...
The story of the raising of Lazarus appears only in St. John's Gospel. It differs from the other stories of Jesus raising people from the dead in that it takes place four days after his death. In the synoptic Gospels, the raising of the daughter of Jairus and the raising of the son of the widow of Nain take place within twenty-four hours of their dying. In the former case, the corpse of the...
- Fr. Lawrence Jagdfeld, O.F.M., Administrator
As we draw ever closer to the Solemnity of the Resurrection of the Lord, the high point of our liturgical year, the readings for the fifth Sunday of Lent home in on the issue of our own Resurrection. The question of eternal life and resurrection has been asked by Christians since the foundations of the early Christian...
- Fr. Lawrence Jagdfeld, O.F.M., Administrator
Today's Gospel reading speaks of the sign that Jesus worked in Cana of Galilee; however, it is not the sign we ordinarily associate with Cana. In chapter two of St. John's Gospel, Jesus changes water into wine at a wedding feast. This sign is considered the third in a series of manifestations or epiphanies of Jesus. His...