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Reflection for Third Sunday of Easter (C) – May 5, 2019

 

 

Their world has been turned upside down.  Their best friend and teacher was crucified, but now he is alive.  Mary Magdalene met him outside the tomb, though she thought he was a gardener, and Thomas touched his wounded side, though he thought it impossible to believe one could rise from the dead.  No words could capture the events they witnessed in those days, and the miraculous nature of such inexplicable encounters must have left their minds racing.  In the midst of such joyful chaos, they longed for the familiar, for a sense of normalcy, so they returned to what they knew best.  “I am going fishing,” Peter declares, and together they launch onto the sea.  How often do we too find our lives upset by the strange and exciting, by events both sorrowful and hopeful at the same time?  How often do we find our heads spinning with unanswered questions about the past, about the present, about the future?  How often do we ache for a return to something simpler, something recognizable, something we can easily manage and reason out?  In the commotion of final exams, graduation, travel plans, and summer jobs, it is only natural to long for everything to settle into place.  Yet even in the disciples’ boat, the voice of our risen Lord calls out from the shore.  As our semester closes inside this Easter season, may we continue to listen for Jesus and have the courage to say with Peter, “It is the Lord.”…

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                              Reflection for Second Sunday of Easter/Divine Mercy Sunday (C) – April 28, 2019

 

 

It seems spring has finally sprung on campus. The sun has been shining so brilliantly lately, the tulips are in bloom, birdsong fills our ears, and the trees budding even slightly are tangible reminders to us of God’s promise of freshness and new life. Above all else, Easter has arrived. Christ is Risen, and as His Easter people, we sing Alleluia from morning to night. The new face of creation which we see during this spring season is a fitting mirror for us in our new liturgical season, for there is deep joy and newness in our hearts as well. Christ’s triumph of life over death has been planted within us and with God’s grace, will continue to grow and bloom until Pentecost and beyond. These seasons within us and outside of us are filled with beauty and light, and in that light, we are led to gratitude. However, now that we are in the final stretch of the semester, we may simply feel too inundated by our remaining tests, papers, and tasks to sing Alleluia. We may feel like quite the opposite of a light and praise-filled people some days. As we race against time and deadlines, we can forget so easily that Christ is Risen and that all will…

Read More about Reflection for Second Sunday of Easter/Divine Mercy Sunday (C) – April 28, 2019

Reflection for Palm Sunday (C) – April 14, 2019

 

 

As we move into Holy Week, the liturgy this weekend confronts us with a dramatic shift in tone and perspective.  We begin with a triumphal procession into the church, carrying palms and singing hymns in praise of Jesus, the long-awaited Son of David and King of Israel.  We recall Jesus’ own entrance into Jerusalem when crowds of people assemble to greet him and prepare his way with joyful shouts of hosanna and blessings for the name of the Lord.  Yet Jesus does not enter the city to achieve celebrity status or gain accolades, but rather he enters the city to accomplish the mission for which the Father has sent him.  This mission, however, challenges the religious establishment, and the crowds that welcomed him with loud hosannas now turn against him and cry out, “Crucify him!”  Our exultant entrance meets a sudden halt in the liturgy as the psalmist chants the haunting refrain, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”  From here, we move into the reading of the passion narrative from Luke’s Gospel, culminating with Jesus’ death on the cross at an hour when darkness descends over the whole land.  Here begins our Holy Week reflection.  Yet despite a liturgical about-face this Sunday, hope permeates our celebration.  Christ’s rejection, his humiliation, his death on a tree—these give us the image of perfect love completely poured out for our salvation.…

Read More about Reflection for Palm Sunday (C) – April 14, 2019

Reflection for the Fifth Sunday of Lent (A) – April 7, 2019

 

 

            This Sunday, we will hear the poignant Gospel account of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. Martha and Mary, Lazarus’ sisters who believe and call Christ the Lord, are quite naturally pierced with grief over their brother. Even Christ, who knows…

Read More about Reflection for the Fifth Sunday of Lent (A) - April 7, 2019

Reflection for the Fourth Sunday of Lent (A/Second Scrutiny) – March 31, 2019

 

 

At the 11:45 Masses during Lent, we are privileged to journey alongside the elect as they prepare for the sacraments of initiation at the Easter Vigil—baptism, confirmation, and Eucharist.  On the three Sundays prior to Holy Week, we witness the celebration of the scrutinies, rites of the Church designed to uncover and heal all that is weak or sinful in the elect so as to summon forth and strengthen all that is strong and good.  While the scrutinies are addressed primarily to those in RCIA, we too can participate in them as a way to turn our hearts back to Christ, acknowledging the need for our own ongoing conversion toward the one who guides and shepherds us.  Accompanying the three scrutinies are selections from John’s Gospel, especially chosen to focus our attention on Christ as Savior and Redeemer.  In hearing the encounter between Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well last Sunday, the spirits of the elect are built up by Christ who is the living water.  This Sunday, the cure of the man born blind leads the elect to experience Christ as the light of the world.  Lastly, the raising of Lazarus brings the elect to meet Christ as the resurrection and the life.  As we listen to these Gospel narratives this Lent, how are we allowing Christ to fortify us with living water, to open our eyes and heal our blindness, and raise us up from death to newness of life with him?…

Read More about Reflection for the Fourth Sunday of Lent (A/Second Scrutiny) – March 31, 2019

Reflection for the Third Sunday of Lent (C) – March 24, 2019

 

 

            In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus tells the parable of the fig tree which was planted but bore no fruit for three years. Rather than tearing the tree down, the gardener insists on giving it the chance to grow for one more year. He hopes the tree may strengthen and bear fruit, if only he fertilizes and reworks the ground around it first. This parable comes right after Jesus encourages those before him to repent, or rather, warns them to repent, so they do not perish. Perhaps we are being invited to examine the ground in which we are planted and are trying to grow, in this same spirit of penance. As we continue journeying through this season of Lent, one which takes us from winter into the hope and new life of spring, from the desert to the Crucifixion, Death, and Resurrection of Christ, perhaps we’ve been given a chance to till, cultivate, and fertilize the ground in which we find ourselves, too. What habits, passions, mindsets, judgments allow you to bear fruit, and which keep you barren? Which friends, teammates, mentors, community mates, co-workers inspire you or hinder you? How might the Lord be inviting you this Lent to sort through and restore all that lay in soil of your life this season? Jesus does not wish for us to become like trees cut down only to perish. In His mercy and love, he allows us to rework the soil in which we are planted time and time again, so that we may grow upward and ever-closer to him. In the Gospel this week, we are encouraged to reflect, to pray, and to repent, so that our lives may become rich and abundant with fruit that gives glory and praise to God.
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Read More about Reflection for the Third Sunday of Lent (C) - March 24, 2019

Reflection for the First Sunday of Lent (C) – March 10, 2019

 

 

As we enter into the season of Lent, Luke’s Gospel takes us with Jesus into the desert.  John has just baptized him in the Jordan, and as yet he has called no disciples, worked no miracles, and told no parables.  For Jesus, these are days of prayer and discernment, preparation and training, days of spiritual exercise for him to strip away all that is inessential and quiet the voices that long for him to surrender to relevance, popularity, and power.  Luke tells us that Jesus fasted for forty days, and in quite the understatement, he was hungry when they were over.  Jesus was hungry—surely hungry for food, but his fasting was not only a physical discipline.  This Lent, perhaps we fast from dining at tables of exclusion in order to develop a hunger for true hospitality and welcome.  Perhaps we fast from meals catered by complaining and criticizing to develop a hunger for gratitude.  Perhaps we fast from an overwhelming menu of social media options to develop a hunger for more authentic human relationship.  Perhaps we fast from buffets of gossip and sarcasm to develop a hunger for honesty in communication.  Perhaps we fast from filling our trays with selfish ambition to develop a hunger for cooperation and collaboration.  By Jesus’ example we fast, increasing a hunger for justice, mercy, unity, and peace, and so too by his example, we move from the desert to act in the world.…

Read More about Reflection for the First Sunday of Lent (C) – March 10, 2019

Reflection for the Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time (C) – March 3, 2019

 

 

            This Sunday’s Gospel is a challenging one and there is no way around it. In speaking to his disciples, Jesus also speaks to us, warning us that we must take care to purify ourselves, tend to our own flaws and weaknesses, and to live so that our actions and words express the truth in our hearts, lest we, too, become like hypocrites. He suggests to us that we cannot lead others without having been led and shown the way first. He tells us that we cannot sincerely help our neighbor remove a splinter from his or her eye, when our vision is so obscured by a wooden beam lodged in our own. These words encourage us to acknowledge our own flaws and imperfections before we try to confront those flaws and imperfections which we notice in others. Further, Christ teaches that, “a good tree does not bear rotten fruit, nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit. For every tree is known by its own fruit”. What kind of fruit are you…

Read More about Reflection for the Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time (C) – March 3, 2019

Reflection for the Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time (C) – February 24, 2019

 

 

It is a phrase that we have heard repeated since childhood—treat others as you want to be treated.  Jesus highlights the Golden Rule for his disciples in this weekend’s Gospel, but his words are not simply a plea to be nice to people regardless of the situation.  The Golden Rule involves a complete reversal of our pattern of thinking, speaking, and acting.  Jesus invites us to overhaul our way of being in the world in relation to others so that we are no longer the center of attention.  Far from an easy task, to treat others as we want to be treated means to think well of them, to speak well of them, and to act well toward them just as we want to receive similar encouraging thoughts, words, and actions, ones that build up instead of tear down.  In a world where people so readily pick sides over issues like economic policy, the environment, immigration, the right to life, and the dignity of marriage, it becomes all too easy to align ourselves only with those who think, speak, and act like us.  People outside our opinion camp become the enemy, the object of mistrust or even hatred.  Yet Jesus tells us to stop criticizing them and opt for understanding.  Stop judging them and opt for mercy.  Stop demonizing them and opt for welcome.  What can we do to love our enemies this week, to choose communion over conflict?  What can we do love others as we want to be loved?…

Read More about Reflection for the Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time (C) - February 24, 2019

Reflection for the Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time (C) – February 10, 2019

 

 

            “Put out into deep water.” Jesus says this to Simon Peter on the Lake of Gennesaret, or the Sea of Galilee, but what might this command mean to us in our lives today? After a futile night spent trying to make a catch, Jesus instructs Simon to go out once more. He is doubtful, tired, and reluctant. It seems irrational to go back to the same place where you know…

Read More about Reflection for the Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time (C) - February 10, 2019

Reflection for the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time (C) – January 27, 2019

 

 

For many of us as children, getting up early on Sunday mornings and going to church was a normal part of our family’s weekly routine.  For others, perhaps this is a practice we have discovered or recovered anew since coming to Notre Dame.  What is it about Sundays?  Apart from Scripture telling us to “keep holy the sabbath day,” why do we continue to mark out one day among all the others and go about it differently than all the rest?  In our Gospel this weekend, Jesus returns to his childhood home at Nazareth and enters the synagogue just as he would have done countless times before with Mary and Joseph on the sabbath.  He likely sees familiar faces, the regulars in front and a few latecomers straggling in after the opening prayers, this one who cannot sing and that one who always has a smile.  Even the divine Son of God recognizes the deep need we all have to carve out time each week to make our way to God’s house.  With us Jesus shares a human heart that burns for God, a heart that longs for communion with the Father experienced through the love and fellowship of a worshiping and believing community.  “You have made us for yourself, O Lord,” St. Augustine writes, “and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.”  In this new semester, may our Sunday rest truly be found in God, and may our Sunday celebration bring us closer to the one who longs for us.…

Read More about Reflection for the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time (C) - January 27, 2019

Reflection for the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time (C) – January 20, 2019

 

 

             We have just returned from break, hopefully rested and refreshed, after a liturgical season filled with joy, celebration, and triumphant hymns proclaiming Christ’s birth. Sometimes such effusive celebrations seem to help us more fully surrender whatever burdens we carry with us. We can simply get lost in joy. In these times, letting the glory of Jesus’ Incarnation into our lives does not seem so hard. Yet other times, even in the midst of such joyful celebrations, we are utterly aware of what we are lacking, what we desire, or what we are struggling to bear. It can be hard to celebrate when needs or heartaches are so present to us. However, in this Sunday’s Gospel passage, God reveals his love by reminding us of his closeness to us and his anticipation of our needs. After just a word from his mother, Jesus’ glory is revealed by turning water into wine and enabling the wedding celebration to continue. This is a great act of love conveying to us that our joy is Jesus’ joy. Our burdens are his, too.
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Read More about Reflection for the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time (C) - January 20, 2019

Reflection for the Second Sunday of Advent (C) – December 9, 2018

 

 

For all of us studying here at Notre Dame, it may be tempting to say that Advent comes at a rather inconvenient time of year.  As we rush toward the end of the semester, our priorities naturally turn to exams, papers, projects, and plans to travel home.  Academic pressures charge full steam ahead, time easily slips away from us, and before we know it, Christmas arrives amid food, presents, parties, and carols.  As students, we might not feel that we ever properly celebrate Advent.  Despite the increased pace of life during these weeks, however, Advent actually comes at the perfect time of year.  Precisely when we feel most burdened, most deprived of rest, and furthest from our spiritual center, it is then that we most need to slow down and step away from busy routines that consume us.  Here we can reexamine our inner selves and ask how we might carve out space to let Jesus enter anew and transform our minds and hearts.  In this weekend’s Gospel, John the Baptist sends forth an urgent cry inviting us to seek this transformation.  What rough edges can we smooth out?  What paths can we make straight again?  What valleys of doubt or mountains of pride can we make level?  External demands will surely test our internal desires to observe these weeks as a season of joyful hope.  May we still seek God’s grace to heed the Baptist’s call this Advent to prepare a way for Jesus.…

Read More about Reflection for the Second Sunday of Advent - December 9, 2018

Reflection for the First Sunday of Advent (C) – December 2, 2018

 

             
       Jesus said to his disciples: “There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on earth nations will be in dismay, perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will die of fright in anticipation of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. But when these signs begin to happen, stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand. “Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life, and that day catch you by surprise like a trap. For that day will assault everyone who lives on the face of the earth. Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man.”…

Read More about Reflection for the First Sunday of Advent - December 2, 2018

Reflection for the Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time (B) - November 18, 2018

 

 

As we march toward the end of the Church year, the readings this weekend turn our focus to the end times when Christ will come in glory.  The prophet Daniel describes a future moment when those who have fallen asleep in the earth shall at last awake.  The wise will live forever and shine brightly with all the splendor of heaven, while the faithless will be cast away into “everlasting horror and disgrace.”  The Gospel points to a final time of darkness and distress that the Son of Man will defeat when he comes victorious in power to gather those who have remained faithful to his Word.  Over the past several months, we have immersed ourselves as a choir into a musical tradition deeply rooted in these themes of trusting dependence upon Jesus, eternal life in heaven, and freedom from this world’s bondage and tribulation.  The African-American spirituals and gospel songs we have learned remind us of the enduring good news that Christ has gone before us to prepare a glorious place for us.  If we are willing to lay down this world and shoulder the cross, he has robe and crown waiting for us in the Kingdom.  If we surrender to his guidance, he will lead us along the way to that Kingdom through our weakest hours and darkest days.  As we close this year, may the songs we sing and the Gospel we hear draw us nearer to Jesus whose Word conquers all and stands true forever.…

Read More about Reflection for the Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time (B) - November 18, 2018

                                    Reflection for Thirty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time (B) – November 11, 2018
 

Read More about Reflection for Thirty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time – November 11, 2018

Reflection for the Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time (B) - November 4, 2018

 

 

Our college educations have taught us well how to ask tough questions, how to do careful analysis, and how to engage in dialogue.  The pursuit of truth makes all of us better able to respond to injustice, understand the world around us, and enter into life-giving relationships.  The more questions we ask of others, the more we get to know them as human beings made in God’s image.  The more we question our physical and social environments, the more we discover how we fit into God’s creation and how we are to build up the kingdom on earth.  Christians pose questions from a perspective of faith rooted in hope that answers will open doors of opportunity so that more voices can be heard and the dignity of all people can be upheld.  While we have been trained never to cease questioning, do we equally recognize the need to step back and be silent?  When the truth confronts us, are we able to name it and then stand in awe?  Do we allow ourselves simply to be overcome by the beauty of the truth that surrounds us?  In this weekend’s Gospel, a scribe comes to Jesus with a question about the most essential law.  Jesus responds with the command to love God and love our neighbor.  At his word, not a single person dared to ask another question.  May we too be moved to silence our minds and hearts in adoration when meeting Jesus, listening to him who is the Truth.…

Read More about Reflection for the Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time (B) - November 4, 2018

                                       Reflection for 30^th Sunday of Ordinary Time (B) – October 28, 2018

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            I think we can all agree that when we are gathered here in the rehearsal room, with full energy and excitement, we are capable of reaching a pretty high volume level. Imagine it at full capacity, with the buzz of conversations rising into a clamor of sound. Do you think you could hear someone on the other side of the room calling out to you? Would you stop to listen?
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Read More about Reflection for the Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time - October 28, 2018

                                              Reflection for 27^th Sunday of Ordinary Time (B) – October 7, 2018

Reflection:
       In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus teaches the Pharisees about marriage by beginning with creation in the Book of Genesis. We’ve heard this passage many times and we’ll hear it again in both this Sunday’s first reading and Gospel: “God made them male and female. For this reason a man should leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” No matter our state of life, we all can appreciate this deep form of union in which two become one, because not only is it beautiful, but it points to the communion God intends for all of us as well.

Read More about Reflection for the Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time - October 7, 2018

Reflection for the Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time - September 30, 2018

 

 

In his book The Weight of Glory, C.S. Lewis draws attention to a common mistake Christians make when seeking God’s forgiveness for their sins.  He suggests that when we think we are asking God to forgive us, in reality we are merely asking God to accept our excuses.  We rationalize our wrongdoing, assign blame to external factors, and ignore “the bit left over, the bit which the excuses don’t cover.”  Sometimes we may be aware of such omissions, but often we come to God with good intentions to improve our habits while unintentionally discounting our direct role in their unraveling.  Lewis urges us to show God our full selves, even the most blemished parts beyond rationalizations.  These might be inexcusable, but they are not unforgivable.  He writes, “When you go to the doctor you show him the bit of you that is wrong—say, a broken arm.  It would be a mere waste of time to keep on explaining that your legs, and eyes, and throat are all right.”  In this weekend’s Gospel, the disciples alert Jesus to a person driving out demons who does not follow his way.  Jesus in essence cautions them not to assign blame for sin elsewhere, but rather to admit their own carelessness that prevents union with God.  If our hands lead us to sin, or our feet, or our eyes, or any other part of ourselves, God desires that we openly present these to him, quit our excuses, and receive his mercy.…

Read More about Reflection for the Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time - September 30, 2018

                                                        Reflection for the Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time - September 23, 2018  

Reflection:
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            Imagine what it’s like running a race and you’re in first place. You’re hustling, feeling good, because nothing stands between you and the finish line. Your vision is focused; you see no people; it’s really all about you in this moment. Now imagine, or remember, what it’s like holding a child in your arms. That child is utterly dependent on you. You feel the full weight of his or her precious life, and you hold it with all of your attention and care. It is no longer about you, but the beautiful, beloved child you hold in your arms.
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Read More about Reflection for the Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time - September 23, 2018

Reflection for the Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time - September 16, 2018

 

 

Questions about identity and purpose lie at the heart of our human experience.  From a very young age, we navigate countless social roles that shape us as individuals—roles as son or daughter, brother or sister, student, teammate, friend.  Self-discovery leads us to recognize certain talents and uncover additional dimensions of our identity as musicians, athletes, writers, artists, researchers, organizers, and good listeners.  We look to mentors and elders and imagine how our identity will evolve as we anticipate potential employment, married life, and parenthood.  As Christians, however, what infuses and unifies all these aspects is our shared identity in Christ through baptism.  We are first and foremost God’s children, chosen and beloved.  In this weekend’s Gospel, Jesus poses the question to his disciples concerning what the crowds are saying about his identity.  “Who do people say that I am?” he asks.  Varied responses surface, all of which he silences by another question: “But who do you say that I am?”  The speculation of others means nothing—Jesus wants the honest faith of his followers to shine forth, even as their identity is tied to his on the cross.  In our lives today, let us not rely on external opinions to mark out our identity, but instead let us be rooted in Christ.  He alone calls us and he alone loves us completely.  In him is our identity anchored now and forever.…

Read More about Reflection for the Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time - September 16, 2018

                                                 Reflection for the Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time - September 9, 2018
Reflection:
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       In faith, we know that God, in his mercy, meets us and is with us wherever…

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Reflection for the Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time - September 2, 2018

 

 

A common temptation of human beings is to imagine evil as some untamed force external to ourselves.  We sometimes believe that we encounter evil out in the world and must brace ourselves for its onslaught.  Even Scripture seems to support this when St. Peter cautions us to be vigilant against the deceptions of the devil, “prowling around like a roaring lion” ready to devour us.  This weekend’s Gospel, however, offers us an alternative view of evil that hits much closer to home, and in fact situates the true source of evil within the human heart.  Jesus confronts the hypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees who insist on outer ritual purity while paying little attention to the interior state of their hearts.  He turns to the crowd and instructs them not to look outward to judge what is wholesome from what is improper, but to look inward to examine their own thoughts, motivations, prejudices, and habits.  For all of us today, where do we stand as Jesus’ disciples when we look deep within our own hearts?  Do we find a heart of compassion for friends and loved ones, mercy for those who wrong us, and welcome for the stranger?  Or do we find self-centeredness, jealousy, and resentment lodged within a heart grown cold?  May this new year be our invitation to rid ourselves of destructive attitudes and behaviors so as to conform our hearts completely to the heart of Christ.…

Read More about Reflection for the Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time - September 2, 2018

We are thrilled to premiere a new piece by Karen Schneider-Kirner, Assistant Director of the Folk Choir, and John Kyler, ND ‘10, ‘13 (and FC alum) "God Hushes Storms to Silence". 

The hymn is based on Psalm 107 and is dedicated to victims of natural disasters and those carrying heavy burdens. This is a perfect piece to be sung with the congregation in unison or in SATB parts with choir and congregation. …

Read More about NEW VIDEO AND SCORE - "God Hushes Storms to Silence"

What is a home? How do you find a home, make a home, or come back to a home? These questions weighed down my thoughts as I made my first journey from San Antonio, Texas all the way to South Bend, Indiana to start my college career at Notre Dame. I was thrilled to embark on four years of adventure, but I missed the family and the familiarity I was leaving behind in Texas. I knew that this far north the winters would be harsh, the nights would be long, and the tea just wouldn’t be as sweet as it was in the Lone Star State.  …

Read More about Singing Me Home

If you have been wondering what precisely Christian unity looks like, I can recommend two stops you might make on your life’s journey. The first would be to New Melleray Abbey—a Trappist monastery in Iowa; the second would be to the Michigan City Prison—a maximum security facility in Indiana. Allow me to explain……

Read More about Bless the Corners: New Melleray Abbey to the Michigan City Prison

As Folk Choir alumni surely know, there is a tradition in the Folk Choir going back who-knows-how-long known as “tenor names.” Essentially, when new tenors join the choir, the older tenors assign them a new name. This name is generally taken from a song in the Folk Choir’s repertoire. I think it’s all kind of weird, but I’m a bass, so I’m biased.…

Read More about Perfect in Weakness

At Notre Dame, everyone is smart and talented, so much so that the environment can be more than a little intimidating. As the story for many probably goes, I went from being the super-smart kid in high school to being an average student at Notre Dame. It is certainly a different way to go through life. For a while, I was not really sure how to handle this new environment; I felt intellectually intimidated by my super-smart classmates who tested into Calculus III,  got perfect ACT scores, and had semi-photographic memories. I didn’t feel very smart, which made me sad, because there is so much pressure to make a good impression. Nobody wants to be the student that makes other students ask “Why is that guy here? He’s stupid.” I felt like that guy, until halfway through my freshmen year.…

Read More about My Choir Friend, Nick Munsen

 

As we approach the end of this academic year, John’s Gospel this weekend fittingly leaves us with words from Jesus’ farewell discourse.  Following upon his hope for the disciples that they remain committed in the faith as branches growing from the vine, Jesus turns to the foundational commandment to love others from a generous heart.  Whether our personal time in the choir is best measured in weeks, months, or years, we have all experienced the love that exists in this ensemble.  This love manifests itself in the way we sing together, eat together, socialize together, laugh together, and pray together.  We reach out to comfort those who are going through hard times, and we affirm the gifts present in one another that make a positive difference in our lives.  We support each other in academic endeavors, in spiritual and professional discernment, and in joyful praise of our God each Sunday morning from the basilica loft.  As we enter this final month, may we be able to say of one another, “I have called you friends,” and may we always hear Jesus say the same words to us in the depths of our hearts.  We are indeed friends of Christ, and trusting in his promise and example, we open ourselves to become true friends to one another.  May we continue to let Jesus’ love transform our lives, and may this love be the solid ground from which all our friendships blossom.…

Read More about Reflection for the Sixth Sunday of Easter - May 6, 2018