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St. John the Baptist Byzantine Catholic Church

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St. John the Baptist Byzantine Catholic Church

Byzantine Catholic Church WHO ARE BYZANTINE CATHOLICS? The Byzantine Catholic Church is one of more than twenty Eastern Catholic Churches. Yes!

Each of us is a Church in its own right within the Catholic Church, (a canonical Sui Iuris Church as we are called). Other Eastern Catholic Churches like us include the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, the Melkite Greek Catholic Church, the Maronite Church, the Chaldean Catholic Church, the Armenian Catholic Church, the Coptic Catholic Church, The Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, the Syro-Malankar Ca

tholic Church, etc. While we have different bishops and eparchies, we are all Catholic. These Churches are in full communion with the Catholic Church and our Holy Father, Francis, the Pope of Rome and share the same Catholic Faith, but we express our common Faith differently in our Liturgy and theology. CAN I ATTEND MASS AT YOUR CHURCH? We celebrate the Eucharist every Sunday and on major Holy Days and we call it the Divine Liturgy, not the Mass. It is the Holy Sacrifice of the Eucharist where we receive the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ. DOES ATTENDING A BYZANTINE CATHOLIC LITURGY FULFILL MY WEEKLY OBLIGATION? Attending the Byzantine Catholic Divine Liturgy fulfills your obligation to attend Mass on Sundays and on Holy Days of Obligation. CAN I RECEIVE THE HOLY EUCHARIST (COMMUNION) AT YOUR CHURCH? All Catholics who are properly prepared to receive the Eucharist (i.e, those who are in a state of grace), may do so at our church. Receiving the Eucharist is a little different than what you may be used to in that the Holy Bread (which is leavened) is placed in the Holy Chalice, and the priest or deacon distributes Holy Communion by means of a special spoon. HOW ARE SOME OF THE OTHER SACRAMENTS CELEBRATED IN YOUR CHURCH? When a person is baptized in the Byzantine Rite, including infants and children, they also receive the sacraments of Confirmation (which we call Chrismation) and First Holy Communion. So, infants and children regularly receive Holy Communion at Liturgy. Then, when children are around seven years of age, they have their First Reconciliation, which is sometimes followed by a First Solemn Communion celebration. Anointing of the Sick is administered to those who are in need of healing, and for those who are approaching the end of their earthly life. But, it is also given to all the faithful who wish to receive it on Great and Holy Wednesday. Marriage, the indissoluble union of life and love between a man and a woman, is also called “Crowning,” because after the exchange of vows, the newlyweds are “crowned” in marriage. In our tradition, only priests and bishops can serve as the ministers of the Holy Mystery of Matrimony. Holy Orders (the Ordination of Deacons, Priests, and Bishops) is similar to that in the Roman Rite. Although our priests are the Ordinary Ministers of Chrismation (Confirmation). And we do ordain married men to the priesthood, though we do not ordain married men as bishops. HOW IS THE BYZANTINE DIVINE LITURGY DIFFERENT FROM THE ROMAN CATHOLIC MASS? Like the Mass, the Divine Liturgy is a celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Eucharist. Both have the same basic structure but the Divine Liturgy itself is substantially different. Most of the prayers are different. We have different vestments, a different altar arrangement, and we also give Holy Communion to our infants and children, (who are confirmed immediately after they are baptized, though we call the Sacrament of Confirmation the Holy Mystery of Chrismation).

06/05/2026

Discerning the Good

“See, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse: a blessing for obeying the commandments of the LORD, your God, which I give you today; a curse if you do not obey the commandments of the LORD, your God, but turn aside from the way I command you today to go after other gods whom you do not know.” (Deuteronomy 11:26-28)

“Let us choose what is right; let us determine among ourselves what is good.” (Job 34:4)

We see in the Scriptures that we have the capacity to distinguish good from evil and the free will to make moral choices in our daily lives. This requires effort on our part but as members of the Body of Christ, we should be able to rely on the Church – our fellow Christians, or as Christ puts it, 'one another' – to help us discern what is good. The desert fathers, Saints Barsanuphius and John, offer this reflection:

Q: If the soul is faced with two harmful options and cannot avoid one of them, what should it do?
A: “Of two harmful things, one should choose the less harmful. In the stories of the Fathers, it is written: Someone came to ask another for a dinar (i.e., the official currency), and the other did not give it, saying: ‘I have nothing to give you’. When he was asked why he did not give it to him, he replied: ‘If I had given him one, it would have caused harm to his soul, and therefore I preferred to violate one commandment rather than allow something ruinous for the soul’.” (Guidance Toward Spiritual Life. p. 94)

Barsanuphius and John were desert hermits who lived near Gaza around the early sixth century. They chose to dwell in isolation and saw no one with the exception of their secretaries. They communicated in silence through letters with numerous visitors who requested counsel. The writings of more than 800 correspondences offered practical and spiritual guidance to monks, clergy, and laypeople. Their texts cover a wide range of topics, from deep spiritual questions about inner peace to practical, everyday matters such as municipal taxes and the care of animals. The two elders complemented each other, jointly maintaining a harmonious authority rooted in charity.

Barsanuphius’s inspirational advice responds to problems of a more spiritual nature while John’s institutional advice responds to more practical problems. Their letters are characterized by spontaneity, sensitivity, discretion and compassion. They stressed gratitude and joy, humility and labor, prayer and tears. They gave us an example for what we are to be.

We can choose between good and evil, but it can take great discernment to determine what is truly good. This is because we can face choices between two goods or two evils, rather than simply good versus evil. We need godly wisdom to be able to discern the path we are to follow in life with its often-ambiguous choices. We should be guided throughout our daily lives by “doing the right thing”.

05/29/2026

A Reflection on Remembrance
May 31, 2026

Last weekend, millions of people across our country visited a place most would rather avoid: the cemetery. They did that because last Monday was Memorial Day. While many people view it as a chance to celebrate the unofficial start of summer with a three-day weekend, for those who have lost a family member in war or military actions, Memorial Day is a solemn occasion. Gazing out at the sea of crosses and other grave markers is a sobering reminder that each marker and name represents a person - a man or woman who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country, and whose death had a profound impact on their family, community, and even the nation's history. I feel a sense of connection with them, even if I didn't know them. I can only imagine how it must be for the families and relatives of those who served, as well as for their brothers and sisters in arms who fought alongside them in our Revolutionary and Civil wars, in Germany, Italy, the South Pacific, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, and so many other distant lands.

In John’s Gospel, Jesus tells us, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends”. (John 15:13) The power of this verse resonates deeply as we think about the selfless courage and unwavering dedication of our fallen heroes. Their sacrifices reflect the ultimate act of love that Jesus demonstrated on the cross for our salvation.

As Catholics, we are called to remember and pray for those who have given their lives in the line of duty. We honor their memory by praying for their souls, asking for God's mercy and eternal rest. Let us also remember to pray for the families and loved ones who bear the heavy burden of loss, that they may find comfort and peace in the hope of the Resurrection.

On May 30, 1868, Philadelphia held one of the earliest and most significant Memorial Day celebrations. It occurred at Laurel Hill Cemetery, where Mary and I served as docents for a decade. Sponsored by the Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.), an organization of Union Civil War veterans, it was created to honor the Union soldiers who died during the Civil War by decorating their graves with flowers. It established a tradition in the city and it was a move to honor the fallen and to bring us into communion with one another.

Unfortunately, once again in our nation’s history, we urgently need to come together in a deeper communion, moving beyond the superficial bonds of social media, political affiliations, or allegiance to college or pro sports teams. The communion that many need and crave is far more profound than that. It’s rooted in a mystery that is both profound and eternal.

This kind of communion is similar to the experience one might have in a cemetery or a public memorial, where people who, as President Lincoln put it, “gave the last full measure of devotion” are honored. Ideally, it is also the kind of communion one feels when approaching to receive the Body and Blood of the Lord. We should remember that the spirit of God is evident in our world in many ways, especially when we think the best of each other rather than assuming the worst. When we share our own stories instead of gossiping about others, or when we serve selflessly like the men and women in our nation's military, who are willing to give their lives for the cause of freedom. In participating in the various activities, traditions and types of remembrance, let us carry with us a spirit of gratitude and reverence. When we visit a cemetery, or simply spend time with family, let these moments be opportunities to reflect on the precious gift of freedom secured through the sacrifices of others, a vital, year-round commitmeny of everything from visiting historic memorials and participating in local tribute events to supporting veteran-focused organizations.

05/22/2026

“This is what was spoken through the prophet Joel: ‘It will come to pass in the last days,’ God says, ‘that I will pour out a portion of my spirit upon all flesh. Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams. Indeed, upon my servants and my handmaids I will pour out a portion of my spirit in those days, and they shall prophesy. And I will work wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below: blood, fire, and a cloud of smoke. The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the coming of the great and splendid day of the Lord, and it shall be that everyone shall be saved who calls on the name of the Lord’.” (Acts 2:16-21)

In the first recorded public sermon by the Apostles, rather than proclaiming the resurrection of Christ, St. Peter surprisingly began by discussing God’s pouring forth of the Holy Spirit on the world. Admittedly, the events of the Jewish festival Pentecost (Shavuot, the Festival of Weeks) had drawn a crowd, and Peter seized the opportunity to address the people. There was ample reason for him to immediately explain what the people were experiencing. He spoke directly about the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the world, fulfilling the prophecies God had given to the Jews. The Pentecost event, although stunning, perhaps should not have caught faithful Jews off guard, given their devotion to God's Word and promises.

The Holy Spirit entered into the world as a notable public event, whereas the resurrection was not directly witnessed by anyone – its main sign is the empty tomb, an event accepted in faith by Christ’s disciples. The witnessing of Christ’s resurrection is limited to the believing disciples, not the public. It is with the Pentecost event that the disciples begin going public with their witness to the resurrection. It is with the coming of the Holy Spirit that the disciples become apostles to go forward. It's worth noting that Peter quoted the entire prophecy of Joel, despite the fact that the events described, such as the sun darkening and the moon turning blood red, were not happening at that time. During Christ's crucifixion, the sun darkened, and Peter may be alluding to this event, which the general population had experienced, as a reminder to the people.

For the apostles, it is Pentecost which completed the prophecies of God in the Jewish scriptures. It is Pascha and Pentecost together which are being treated as one divine event for the salvation of the world. In the earliest time of our Church, Pascha-Pentecost was in fact treated as one Feast, not two separate feasts. The entire 50-day period from Pascha to Pentecost was early on kept festively with no fasting or penitential kneeling for the entire period. Pentecost was not just an addendum to Pascha, or merely the ‘icing on the cake’. It represents the fulfillment of Christ’s resurrection, which was the very purpose of God’s incarnation in Christ. Our salvation is comprised of both experiences and the Church closely links baptism and chrismation, as they symbolize our personal participation in the resurrection and Pentecost (receiving the Holy Spirit)

05/15/2026

A prayer for our world by the Maryknoll Sisters:

Pray for Our World

God of mercy and compassion, we pray for the peoples of our world. We cry out to you for all those suffering from the ravages of violence, disease, famine and the consequences of war and conflict. We pray for all those living in fear and at risk. May they know that you hold them close and protect them. We desire to be beacons of the light of your love and justice and ask that you help us to make your love visible through all we say and all we do. Amen.

May your peace be with us all

We come to this prayer as a person/people of faith, to be in the presence of our loving God and contemplate Jesus’ promise of peace. “Peace I leave you, my own peace I give you . . . not as the world gives . . .” (John 15: 27 ff)

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. And he began to speak and taught them, saying:

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely[b] on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Take a moment to reflect on where peace is in our lives today? What are my hopes for peace in my life, the life of my family, the life of the world? As a person/people of faith, we take a moment to reflect on how can we offer peace to those in our family and world community?

Loving God, you are with us in our coming and goings, you are with us in dark times and in the light-filled moments. Shine your light of love and peace on our lives and draw us ever closer to you. We make this prayer through Christ our Lord. Amen

Hoping & praying for peace, someday.
Fr. Deacon Ed

05/15/2026

A Reflection for the Sunday of the Fathers of the 1st Ecumenical Council
John 17:1-13
May 17, 2026
For centuries, humanity has been driven by the quest for the “Fountain of Youth”, a fabled water source that was said to bring eternal youth, a pursuit of eternal life which the Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon searched for in Florida. Those who have given up on finding eternal youth in a place have turned to seeking its appearance, hoping to find it in a bottle, a tube, or through surgery. To live a longer, healthier, and happier life, people often adopt strict regimens of dieting, jogging, exercise, and so on. Jesus promise of “eternal life” is unmatched, as no one has dared to make a similar claim.

In John’s Gospel, however, “eternal life” means more than just hoping to go to Heaven when we die; it begins right now. As the Gospel tells us, Jesus taught, “Now this is eternal life, that they should know You, the only true God, and the One whom You sent, Jesus Christ”. But what does it mean to “know” God and to “know” Jesus Christ? Knowing about God or Jesus is more than just what we learn in parochial school, Sunday school, or a college religion course; it's different. Knowing, in the Jewish sense of the word, means having an intimate relationship with who or what is known. It’s more of an experience than a head-trip. It is what we mean when we speak of “knowing pain” or “knowing love”. We can only truly understand what those words mean by experiencing pain or being in love ourselves. It is not something one “knows” by reading about it in a book. Having a relationship with God and Jesus Christ means knowing them, with Jesus serving as God's messenger and revealer. Knowing the religious vocabulary is helpful, but only up to a point. Understanding God and Jesus Christ provides a mental framework that helps us appreciate certain experiences for what they truly are – fleeting glimpses of God’s own Self.

When asked if the Bible, the Creed, and the dogmas taught by our Catholic Church are true, I respond that they are, but only in a very specific and limited sense. Father Kevin Madigan likened this to how meteorologists used to release balloons to track wind currents. The balloons helped them visualize what was invisible to the naked eye: the movement of air masses in the upper atmosphere. They focused not on the balloons themselves, but on what they indicated and revealed. Without them the meteorologists would have little knowledge of what they were investigating. But the balloons were not what the whole experiment was about. The same principle also applies to the “truths of our faith”, as expressed in the words of the Creed. They are a means to an end, but our ultimate goal should be to live a life centered on a genuine relationship with the living God, which is what those words truly point to.

We should not become so fixated on the words about God and Jesus that we fail to have the experience they’re meant to lead us to. If we only focus on the words, we’re like people who spend all their time reading maps or travel brochures but never actually visit the places, or those who read recipes but never cook or bake. Theologians speak of “orthodoxy”, or right belief, but the Christian message is really about “orthopraxis”, right action. The words are just a means to help us reach that place in our lives.

That is why Jesus taught in parables, not so much to give people information about God, but an experience, however limited, of God. When Jesus shared the parables of the Prodigal Son, the Good Samaritan, and many others, people were drawn in, invited to explore stories of forgiveness and compassion with the hope that they would internalize them and make them their own.

Rather than paying abstract compliments to God, it’s better to live consciously and intentionally, incorporating the values Jesus spoke of in the Sermon on the Mount into our daily lives, as he showed us. It is by doing the godly thing, rather than just talking or thinking about it, that we come close to God and God comes close to us. God is then not simply an abstraction, but an Abiding Presence living in the depths of our soul. As we recite the Creed, let’s pray that the words inspire us to live lives of forgiveness, fairness, and compassion, and thereby experience the presence of the living God.

05/09/2026

A Reflection for the Sunday of the Man Born Blind
John 9:1-38
May 10, 2026

Last week’s gospel about the woman at the well shares many similarities with today’s gospel concerning the man born blind. In both cases, Jesus reached out and took the initiative and he then broke the law. In last week’s gospel we learned it was strange for a Jew to even stop at a Samaritan town. More importantly, it was improper to be alone with this woman, especially given her reputation. Even though Jews and Samaritans would never share anything, Jesus said to this woman, “Give me a drink”. In the case of the blind man, Jesus broke a sacred rule of the Jews when he healed the man on the Sabbath. Blindness is certainly difficult to cure, but unfortunately it can also be difficult to acknowledge in some cases.

Divisions among people have always existed and while Roman magistrates might charge someone for offending public order, Rome had no policy against Jews or others from teaching non-Roman customs. The question for us is: how do we overcome difficulties and divisions? Do we change the framework or tenets of our faith? Should we agree that there are many different truths and one truth is better than another? Should we accept the moral behavior of our children or others no matter what they do? Of course, the answer to all these questions is NO. We cannot allow others to push us out of social and political life and go against what we have been taught. We are to believe in the words of the Son of God which tell us to love one another. Unfortunately, some people do not realize how they themselves can be blind.

One example of this is when a man dismisses his young daughter who wants to show him her school work, saying, ‘Can’t you see I am trying to watch the game?’ On the other hand, another father was so overwhelmed by the birth of his daughter Aisha that he wrote the song ‘Isn’t She Lovely’ in her honor; this was the blind singer Stevie Wonder. Which man truly sees his daughter, and which man is blind?

We then have the woman who sits in church but blind to the Liturgy. Whil, the Word of God is spoken and the bread of life is given she obsesses with, “I wonder what I should fix for lunch, or look at that woman’s coat - I bet it’s not real fur”. In contrast, there was another woman in a church who was blind from birth. Her name was F***y Crosby, known as the “Queen of Gospel Song Writers”. She viewed her blindness as a gift that allowed her to focus on God. She wrote famous hymns such as “Blessed Assurance,” “Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior” and “All the Way My Savior Leads Me”. Crosby also worked closely with urban rescue missions, often focusing her writing on salvation and serving the poor. Of these, which woman truly sees God, and which is blind?

In today’s gospel we ask who is truly blind and what kind of blindness is hardest to heal? Notice how many times in this chapter from John someone begins a statement with the phrase “we know”. In truth, they did not know, and throughout the story, we are the ones who see. The hardest blindness to heal is not that of the man born blind, but rather that of the Pharisees, who become increasingly blind. They were willfully blind to the Son of God standing right in front of them. Many of us have blind spots, failing to recognize or dare to acknowledge racial prejudices, wrongdoing, deception, or moral darkness within our own companies, friends or families despite it being visible. This blindness stems from one’s inability or refusal to perceive the truth, often leading people to mistake and accept evil for good.

We may be blind to the needs of others especially those closest to us. There was another time that Jesus cured a blind man. (Luke 18:36-43) He knelt before Jesus and proclaimed what we might want to whisper now and again. He simply said, “Lord let me see”. We need to pray to God to let us see the things we need to see, the people we may have hurt, the wrongs we have done. We need to pray that we may see God’s goodness.

05/01/2026

A Reflect on the Sunday of the Samaritan Woman
Live the Easter hope of new life
John 4:5-42
May 3, 2026

In our Eastern Catholic tradition, the Gospel readings for the Sundays following Easter (Pascha) focus on Jesus and new life, often described as a "new creation" or a "new resurrection" of humanity. These Gospels specifically highlight how Christ transforms the disciples, heals humanity, and offers "living water". In our Gospel for this Fifth Sunday of the Paschal season, we hear the story of the Samaritan Woman where Jesus revealed himself as the Messiah and offered "living water" and expanding the Gospel to all people, regardless of their background. This means living out the hope, joy, and transformative love of Jesus in our daily life. It involves bringing new life, healing, and justice to broken situations, expressing the Kingdom of God in the here and now.

But we ask ourselves how that is possible when there is so much evil in the world, when my own country is attacking Iran or when we are on the brink of war with any other country? When Immigration and Customs Enforcement terrorized our neighbors? Where our government is more interested in revenge than anything else. Amazingly, there are bright spots in this life. I was amazed at the messages broadcast by Astronaut Victor Glover from the Artemis II spacecraft as they passed the moon and viewed the earth: “When I read the Bible and reflect on all of the amazing things that were created for us, I’m reminded that you have this incredible place—this ‘spaceship’…. In all of this vast emptiness, in what can feel like nothing, we have this thing we call the universe. And within it, you have this oasis—this beautiful place where we get to exist together. As we go into Easter Sunday, and think about all the cultures around the world—whether you celebrate it or not, whether you believe in God or not—this is an opportunity for us to remember where we are, who we are, and that we are all the same and that we have to get through this together.”

Perhaps the hope and amazement that the astronauts shared is what we needed this Easter season, when so much of the world feels bleak. They remind us that we all rise and fall together, that we belong to each other. In the midst of so much bad, they remind us that we must band together to reach new heights and that we must stick together if we want to discover a new way of seeing the world. It's easy to see that with the explosion of color as we enter spring when trees and flowers are blooming. It's easy to feel that on Easter Sunday or at the Easter vigil when we ring the bells and proclaim “Christ is Risen!”

So, how do we move on from the high of Easter Sunday to where we are right now? I believe the answer lies in courageously speaking, and living, the mission of the Gospel. In Acts, we read: "As they prayed, the place where they gathered shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness" (Acts 4:31). We are to speak boldly in this world, to counter the bad news with hope, courage, and truth. Pope Leo XIV recently showed us that this response is how we are to live. After being criticized, he replied: “I will continue to speak out loudly against war, looking to promote peace, promoting dialogue and multilateral relationships among the states to look for just solutions to problems. Too many people are suffering today, too many innocent people have been killed, and I think someone has to stand up and say that there is a better way”.

We cannot not speak out loudly about the message of the Gospel as that is what the church is called to do. We are not politicians, we are not looking to make foreign policy, but I do believe that the message of the Gospel of Blessed are the peacemakers is a what the world needs to hear today. We have to speak out boldly to faithfully preach and live the Gospel even when we are afraid. That is the only way we can see our way out of war. That is the way we can achieve peace. That is how we can come together to create a world where all can abundantly live the Easter hope of new life.

04/24/2026

Sunday of the Paralytic Man
John 5:1-15
April 26, 2021

The paralyzed man lay beside the pool of Bethesda waiting for the stirring of the waters so that he could be healed. His wait lasted not for an hour, or a few days, or even a few years, but thirty-eight years. As amazing as this man’s perseverance and his feeling of helplessness were, one other thing to note is that not a single person during those thirty-eight years showed any compassion to help him.

Because situations of great suffering exist all around us the message for us is that whether we like it or not, we are responsible for one another. People suffer every day from various physical, mental and spiritual afflictions and many have no one to care for them. I saw this all way too often in the psychiatric, medical and nursing home facilities I managed as well as in the homeless and with friends and family.

One’s suffering may not be as obvious as this man’s was. We have no way of truly knowing just how broken others are, how much pain, agony or broken hopes they experienced. They may be afflicted with fear, rejection, contempt and some (perhaps many) have yet another hidden illness, a spiritual struggle. Spiritual sickness is terrible because it harms everything, what we think about ourselves, our relationship not only with others but especially with our relationship with God.

Before we can help others we may need to do some housekeeping of our own. We need to have the courage to examine ourselves to see what might be plaguing us. When we do, we may find things that we don’t like and/or don’t want to accept. Let’s face it, when we look for the source of our problems we tend to look for causes outside of ourselves.

People can easily place blame on someone or something other than themselves. That is nothing new. People have blamed others for their problems since the beginning of time. I mentioned sometime in the past in a sermon or reflection that when God asked Adam why he disobeyed him, Adam said he was just being a good and obedient husband saying “The woman whom you put here with me—she gave me fruit from the tree, so I ate it.” Eve then conveniently blamed the serpent. When Moses asked his brother Aaron why he let the Israelites build and worship a golden calf, Aaron said, “It’s not my fault, you were gone and the people are prone to evil”. (Exodus 32:21-24)

We need to find our inner strength to face the truth that the cause of our problems might just be within ourselves. We need to realize that our problems will not change overnight and they can affect everything we do. Change can be hard. For the man in today’s Gospel, it meant he will no longer sit in the street and beg; he had to change, he now had to get up and earn a living and deal with others in a very different way. If we try to hide from taking responsibility, if we show no sign that we want to be healed, if we do not place our trust and hope in God, then we will not be healed and that could make the Paralytic’s thirty-eight years seem like nothing.

As believers, as disciples, we have to be prepared to obey Christ and to do what we are called to do. At every Divine Liturgy we are told: “Let us pray to the Lord.” “Let us lift up our hearts.” “Let us love one another.” “Let us be attentive.” “Let us listen to the Holy Gospel.” “Let us draw near in faith and love.” These are not just nice lines the deacon intones at every Liturgy; they are commands as to what we are expected to do.

To be healed we need to change, merely wishing is not enough. Let’s face it; inevitably, we can fall down again, however, that does not mean we stop trying. If we do, we become the helpless paralytic of thirty-eight years. Inner reflection and repentance mean that we start learning about where and (truthfully) why we failed in the past; we can then get up and carry our pallet as a reminder to avoid the same pitfalls we made before, doing so with God’s help.

04/17/2026

A Reflection for the Sunday of the Ointment Bearers
The Empty Tomb and Enlightenment
Matthew 28:1-10, Mark 16:1-11, Luke 24:1-12, John 20:1-10
April 19, 2026

The women came from all walks of life and had all sorts of relationships to Jesus. Jesus changed their lives by his words and actions. He was an itinerant rabbi who taught, healed and loved people in a way no one had ever seen before. None loved Jesus better than another, but they all loved him in their own special ways. None of them followed Jesus more faithfully than another, but they all followed Jesus faithfully, even unto Jesus’ last gut-wrenching, heartbreaking moments and beyond.

When things got dark and difficult, their love and devotion to him, their bottomless faith remained. Even after all the others betrayed him, denied him, deserted the pain and shame of the cross, these women stayed. They stayed in the midst of utter grief, stayed long enough to see Joseph of Arimathea take down from the cross Jesus’ broken, lifeless body wrap Jesus body in the cloth and lay him in a tomb carved out of the rock. Although there was no time to begin the ritual preparations for the dead before the beginning of the Sabbath, they not only stayed but, after the Sabbath, they came back. They returned to that place of grief, of hopelessness, of trauma thinking not of themselves and their own discomfort and agony, but of what they could still do for their beloved Teacher: give him the ritual burial that they knew he deserved.

Things in our world are seldom as perfect, rosy or easy as we would like them to be. Our world is broken and flawed because humans are broken and flawed, and sometimes that makes it so incredibly hard to do what we need to do. We are afraid. We are weary, wrung out in body, mind, and soul, just like these women surely were. In the face of that physical, emotional, and spiritual exhaustion, the women let their love for Jesus lead them to the next step, and the next step and the next step. It did not require any elaborate plan, a false smile or the impression that they had everything together. It only required their presence and their devotion to the one they had grown to love: Jesus, the Christ.

There is a lesson we can learn from these women in our Gospels even though the details of that early Sunday morning differ from one another. While they had to be confused, frightened and everything else, they took the good news of the gospel out to others! They proclaimed a resurrected Christ! They ministered! They did not let anything get in their way: fear of repercussions from the Romans who had just crucified their beloved Teacher; the disbelief of others, even some as powerful and influential as Peter, some as intimate as themselves; not even societal expectations related to their gender and their abilities. We must never forget that the very first people to preach the gospel were women. They became the Apostles to the Apostles,

There are a lot of things in the world that try to get in the way of our living and sharing our faith. And there are a lot of things inside us that try to get in the way of living and sharing our faith. Sometimes, we are afraid. Sometimes, we are uncertain. Sometimes, we are intimidated or we think that we will not find the right words, the perfect words or the courage to act according to Jesus teachings. As the Gospel accounts show us, it is okay to be in those moments of hesitation. Fear and uncertainty and doubt are not markers of an inadequate faith. Fear and uncertainty and even doubt do not make one a bad person or a bad Christian. Even Jesus feared and experienced uncertainty and doubt in the Garden of Gethsemane on the cusp of his arrest. But 2000 years later, we are still telling the story of that Resurrection Morning, so somewhere, somehow, we know that the strength of the myrrh-bearing women’s faith and the power of the good news of a Risen Christ spurred them to overcome their fear and uncertainty. Eventually, they told their story, a story we still get to tell today. No matter how they eventually came to it, the women ended up finding the words that morning – perfectly right and perfectly simple and perfectly faithful: “Christ is risen!”

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301 Cherry Street
Pottstown, PA
19464

Opening Hours

Thursday	9am - 10:30am
Friday	9am - 10:30am
Saturday	4pm - 6pm
Sunday	9am - 11am

Telephone

+16103261877

Website

https://stjohnbyz.org/

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