The Liturgy Podcast from Spirit & Song

"Simon Peter went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there... The other disciple also went in. He saw and believed." The Lord is truly risen. Alleluia!

"He is not here, for he has been raised just as he said." Through his passion, death, and resurrection, Jesus defeated the final enemy, death. The gates of heaven are opened wide; the kingdom of this world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ. He will reign forever!

"When Jesus had taken the wine, he said, 'It is finished.' And bowing his head, he handed over the spirit." The disobedience of Adam has been rendered completely powerless through the obedience of Jesus the Christ.

"I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do." Jesus shows that way of discipleship is the way of service.

"He humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." Holy Week begins with the celebration of Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem, followed by the solemn Gospel proclamation of his suffering and death.

"I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" Jesus asked this of Martha. Today, this question is directed to our RCIA candidates, and to the whole Christian community.

"Then Jesus straightened up and said to her, 'Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?' She replied, 'No one, sir.' Then Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on do not sin any more.'" We take comfort in the merciful care of Jesus. He sees our sin; he raises us up, and he invites us to sin no more.

"While I am in the world, I am the light of the world." As our RCIA candidates approach the Easter sacraments, Jesus helps them to see the light and gives them strength to handle adversity and rejection.

"But now we must celebrate and rejoice, because your brother was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found." On Laetare Sunday, we rejoice because of the lavish love that has been given to us through the Father's mercy and the forgiveness of our sins.

"'If you knew the gift of God and who is saying to you, 'Give me a drink,' you would have asked him and he would have given you living water." As our RCIA candidates await their baptism, let us pray for them and recall how our own baptism calls us to give witness to Christ as the Savior of the world.

"'Sir, leave it for this year also, and I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it; it may bear fruit in the future." During the Lenten season, the Master of the Garden does deep work within us so that we may bear the good fruit of eternal life.

"This is my chosen Son. Listen to him." At the Transfiguration, the disciples experienced a glimpse of Jesus' divine glory.

"Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert for forty days, to be tempted by the devil." On our Lenten journey, we are inspired by Jesus' openness to the Holy Spirit.

"Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness; in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense." We begin the solemn season of Lent by acknowledging how we have fallen short of our call to be conformed into the image and likeness of Christ.

"Remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter in your brother's eye." When we have encountered the mercy of God, especially in the Eucharist, we are compelled to offer mercy to others.

"Love your enemies and do good to them, and lend expecting nothing back; then your reward will be great and you will be children of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful." As people who have experienced the Father's mercy, we are to offer mercy and forgiveness to others.

"Blessed are you who are poor, for the kingdom of God is yours... But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation." Jesus' Great Sermon in the Gospel of Luke is a challenge for disciples yesterday and today.

"When they brought their boats to the shore, they left everything and followed him." Jesus calls us to join the Apostles and go fishing for the Kingdom.

"Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, it is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests . . . Love never fails." As Love itself, God never fails us. As we seek to be conformed into the image and likeness of Love, we seek to never fail in loving God and in loving others.

"Now you are Christ's body, and individually parts of it..." Incorporated into Christ's body, we take up the full mission of the Christ through his Church. We serve his purpose through the gifts we have been given.

"Do whatever he tells you." These are the words of Mary to the stewards at the wedding feast of Cana. Her wisdom guides us as we strive to follow her Son.

"I am baptizing you with water, but one mightier than I is coming... He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire." The Baptism of Jesus is a celebration of our own baptism.

"Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem! Your light has come, the glory of the Lord shines upon you." The long-expected Savior has come and calls all nations into communion with him.

"All who heard it were amazed by what had been told them by the shepherds. And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart." The deepest reflection of Mary's heart is the deepest truth of the universe: the Son of God has become human and is the Lord of all creation.

"See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called the children of God. And so we are." The Holy Family is our model of holiness.