Tag: Erin Madden

Peter and John. The rock and the beloved disciple. The first Bishop of Rome and the one whom Jesus loved.

Today’s Gospel reading is really intriguing with these two apostles. Intriguing but a little difficult to unpack.

We get so much background information about John yet the focus of the passage is on Peter’s conversation with Jesus. Both were following the Lord but where? We do not know. We feel like we are falling back in time to the Last Supper but we know this encounter takes place after the Resurrection. Not to mention, some of the language mirrors other well-known Gospel passages. Where do we even begin?

Verses 20-23 carry a subhead called “The Beloved Disciple” but from the viewpoint of Peter. It is Peter who notices John following Jesus. It is Peter who asks about John, “Lord, what about him?” It is about John whom the Lord answers initially but He turns the attention back toward Peter, saying, “What concern is it of yours? You follow me.” But then the other disciples begin to whisper about John, that he would not die until Jesus returned. There is no mention of where they are going, where it is that Peter and John are following Jesus.

I mentioned the Last Supper because there is a direct reference in verse 20. In that background information about John, he is described as being “the one who had also reclined upon his chest during the supper and had said, ‘Master, who is the one who will betray you?’” Although we are aware that this Gospel passage we read today takes place after the Passion, Death, and Resurrection, it causes us to take pause. Perhaps to remind us of the events that lead up to this point, especially as we come to the end of the Easter season.

The last little bit of this Gospel that piques my interest is the line Jesus raises to Peter, “What concern is it of yours?” Earlier in the Gospel according to John, we find Our Lord saying similar words to His Mother at the Wedding at Cana: “Woman, how does your concern affect me?” Here, we know that his question followed with the sign of turning water into wine to mark the beginning of His public ministry, turning water into wine. With regards to Peter, Jesus is instructing him to keep his focus on the task at hand – a simple one of following the Lord.

Peter or John. If you look at both apostles right now, who do you relate to? I’m a little partial to Peter right now (I guess that’s what happens when you take a job at St. Peter Church). The Lord is constantly reminding me of the simple in nature yet difficult to follow task of just following Him. Everything else I’m called to do is all because I choose to follow Him.

Side note: I would highly encourage you to prepare for Pentecost this weekend by taking a look at the readings ahead of time. Pentecost is the third-ranking liturgy in the Roman Catholic calendar, inviting the Holy Spirit into the life of the Church to keep it alive. Some parishes will even be celebrating an extended vigil that is similar to the Easter vigil. Check it out if you are able.

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Evangelization seems to be a “buzz word” in the faith. Everyone’s heard it. A lot of people seem to be talking about it. We all know it’s part of our Catholic vocation, something we are called to do. But how often are we seeing evangelization in action? When was the last time you saw someone and said, “That’s evangelization. That’s how it’s supposed to be done”? If you don’t have an answer to that question, don’t worry.

Paragraph 905 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church describes evangelization as “‘the proclamation of Christ by word and the testimony of life.’ For lay people, this evangelization … acquires a specific property and peculiar efficacy because it is accomplished in the ordinary circumstances of the world.’”

A few different things stick out to me here: “the proclamation of Christ by word and the testimony of life” and “in the ordinary circumstances of the world.” We evangelize not only by what we say – the good news of Christ in the Gospels – but also how we act in accordance with His teachings. And we are called to do this in everyday life. Think of the most mundane ordinary circumstance you encounter in a day. Now think of how you can evangelize in that moment. If you need some help, we have a great example in today’s first reading.

Paul stood up in front of the Greek people, probably knowing he was going to experience resentment and dissension, and still began to share Christ’s life anyways. First, he started with what he knew about them, “I see that in every respect, you are very religious,” and then moves on and makes a connection by saying, “what therefore you unknowingly worship, I proclaim to you.”

From that point on, he began to share what he knew about God with the Greeks: that God made the world, created everyone in it, etc. He continues by referencing poets who were known to have said “‘for we too are his offspring.’” Finally, Paul gets to the heart of his exhortation – that they not idolize divinity but rather repent. A harsh message that was probably not well received among the majority. In fact, some scoffed but others were intrigued by what Paul had said and joined him.

What can we learn about evangelization from Paul? A few basic things. 1) Start with what you know about your audience. One little thing, an aspect of comfort, can be your gateway. 2) Use that knowledge to establish a connection. 3) Share your message, perhaps starting with your more easily received points. Don’t hesitate and don’t dance around it. 4) Return to your knowledge as you continue to establish rapport. 5) Lay it all out on the table, including the most difficult news you may have to share. 6) Finally, extend an invitation to continue the conversation.

Evangelization is going to look different for everyone based on the audience. The way I evangelize to my coworkers is different than the way I evangelize to my youth group kids. It’s a difficult task but a necessary one, a task we all need to take more seriously.

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Martyr (n.): A person who is put to death or endures great suffering on behalf of any belief, principle or cause. This is one of the many definitions I found on dictionary.com.

Today’s first reading tells us the story of the martyrdom of St. Stephen, who is widely recognized as the first Christian martyr. A deacon in the early Church, his teachings angered many people and so they desired to put him to death. Rather than renounce his beliefs and teachings, Stephen instead faced the cruelty of stoning.

Unfortunately, martyrdom is not some ancient, out-of-touch practice but something that has been present in modern times. Take the recent attack in Sri Lanka on Easter morning, for example. Or back in 2015, the Egyptian Coptic martyrs killed by ISIS.

The cold, hard reality is this – just how far are we willing to go for our faith? Are we ready, willing and able to follow behind Jesus with our crosses on the road to Calvary? Or are we lukewarm? Catholic when it’s convenient to us?

Martyrdom aside, we often face many difficulties and persecutions when it comes to sharing or even simply practicing our faith. Those persecutions can take many different forms – a child who says the words “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance in a public school gets reprimanded, an employee forced to work on a Sunday to cover a shift, among others.

The fear of persecution, however, can almost do more harm as we choose to stay silent instead, choose to follow the cultural norms. Wishing someone a “Happy Holidays” instead of a “Merry Christmas,” just to name one. We’re fearful of offending someone and being labeled as insensitive or worse – being labeled a Christian.

Christianity isn’t easy, friends! Remember earlier when I asked, “Are we ready, willing and able to follow behind Jesus with our crosses on the road to Calvary?” It’s literally an invitation, an exhortation, from Jesus himself (Matthew 16:24). Persecution comes with the territory.

And sometimes we might not enjoy what is being told to us. We might even hate it. It might make us angry, infuriate us. But it is important that the message doesn’t fall on dead ears, like the elders and the scribes in the first reading. Otherwise, we’ll find ourselves, stone in hand, ready to throw. This time, who will we be aiming at

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Christ is risen, alleluia, alleluia! Often times, Catholics and Christians alike forget that Easter is a whole liturgical season spanning 50 days and not just the one solitary Sunday. As we continue through this joyful Easter season, I wish to offer you just a simple reflection.

“The two recounted what had taken place on the way and how he was made known to them in the breaking of the bread.” (Luke 24:35)

The risen Christ has just encountered two disciples on the road to Emmaus, which is one of the more recognizable Gospel passages. There are many references of “the way” in each of the four Gospels, comparing one’s faith to a journey. Let’s take a look at the two disciples’ faith at this moment between the initial encounter with Christ on the road and the moment He appears to all of the disciples in Jerusalem, which is the rest of today’s Gospel.

Take a moment to sort through the range of emotions that must be flooding through these two disciples in the retelling of the story. Were they disappointed that they failed to recognize Jesus at the exact moment they met on the road? What about later as He interpreted the scriptures for them, explaining why the Messiah needed to suffer all that He did? There were so many opportunities for recognition and yet it took all the way to the end, to the breaking of the bread, for the two to open up their eyes.

And yet, at the same time, there must have been deep gratitude in their hearts that Jesus chose to meet them and reveal Himself to them at all. What a humbling moment it must have been! As I place myself in their shoes, I struggle to find any other words to describe this possible feeling.

I’m sure they wondered why Jesus vanished at the moment they recognized Him, wondered if they would have another encounter with Him ever again. How long would the risen Christ be around? In their hard-heartedness, did they wonder if He would succumb to death again?

Think about the simple act of recounting the story. Did they argue about who was telling the story to begin with? Were there conflicting accounts? Did one forget details that the other was able to fill in? Are they telling the story over and over again out of gratitude? Out of disbelief? Were they trying to commit their meeting with the Lord to memory?

On the other side of the story, what about the other disciples? The listeners? Did they believe the story being told or were there doubts in their minds and in their hearts? Were the two disciples desperately trying to convince the others the validity of what had happened?

I invite you to take these thoughts and questions to prayer with you throughout this season of Easter as we continue to open our own eyes to the glory of Christ’s Resurrection.

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Bio: Erin is a Parma Heights, Ohio, native and a 2016 graduate of the Franciscan University of Steubenville. She uses her communication arts degree in a couple of different ways: first, as an Athletic Communications Assistant at Baldwin Wallace University and, secondly, as a youth minister at her home parish of Holy Family Church. Although both of her jobs are on complete opposite spectrums, she truly enjoys being able to span the realm of communications. You can follow her on multiple Twitter accounts – @erinmadden2016 (personal), @bwathletics (work) and @HFVision (youth ministry).