“I would die without the Trinity,” my friend Fr. Peter said once. How many of us would echo Fr. Peter? Does the Trinity make much difference to our lives or our faith?  Yet it’s one of our key doctrines, distinguishing Christianity from all world religions.   

Pentecost Sunday (Year C) May 27 (Acts 2:1-11/1 Cor 12:3b-7, 12-13/Jn 20:19-23 or Jn 14:15-16, 23b-26)

Pentecost was not only the birth of the church, but the rebirth of humanity.

Seventh Sunday of Easter May 20 (Acts 7:55-60, Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20/John 17:20-26)

It is all too easy to pass judgment on the people found in New Testament crowds. Why can they not believe? Why do they react so negatively and violently to the proclamation of the apostles?

Sixth Sunday of Easter (Year C)  May 13 (Acts 15:1-2, 22-29/Revelation 21:10-14, 22-23/John 14:23-29)

They decided not to impose any burden greater than was absolutely necessary. It seems to be a case of obvious common sense, and yet so often common sense is not common at all — it’s in rather short supply.

Fifth Sunday of Easter (Year C) May 6 (Acts 14:21-27/Revelation 21:1-5a/Jn 13:31-33a, 34-35)

Paul is a hard man to keep down. He has just endured being stoned and left for dead, but he merely got up, dusted himself off and continued his journey and mission. He doesn’t seem disillusioned or discouraged — in fact, he spends time encouraging others in the faith.

The church was in darkness when I came in, the Easter vigil just beginning. The paschal candle was lit. Its fire was passed around the church, until many tiny candles together became a mass of light. 

Third Sunday of Easter (Year C) April 22 (Acts 5:27-32, 40b-41/Rv 5:11-14/Jn 21:1-19)

The man who denied Jesus three times is now courting imprisonment and death by his unrelenting proclamation of the Good News. Peter is unfazed by threats and bullying. One’s life can be very different after having encountered the Spirit of God.

Fourth Sunday of Easter (Year C) April 29 (Acts 13:14, 43-52; Psalm 100; Revelation 7:9, 14-17; John 10:27-30)

An encounter between the old and the new is seldom peaceful or smooth. The old does not give way gracefully, and the struggle is often hateful and hurtful. The new is not necessarily correct, but often it is not even given a fair hearing.

Second Sunday of Easter (Year C) April 15 (Acts 5:12-16; Psalm 118; Revelation 1:9-11, 12-13, 17-19; John 20:19-31)

Many in the crowd were thrilled at what they saw happening in the midst, but still they hung back. Some were afraid of persecution if they joined this strange band of miracle workers, others perhaps did not want to be let down or disappointed.

Easter Sunday (Year C) April 8 (Acts 10:34, 36-43; Psalm 118; Colossians 3:1-4; John 20:1-18)

Peace — power — forgiveness — the words are simple enough, but what do they mean? They can mean many different things, depending on the one using the word and the context. Here they are used in an extraordinary way, for they relate to the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.