Eastern Africa Dominican Friars

Saturday in the Fourth Week of Easter 

Saint for the day: St. Simeon (d. c. 107)

Scripture readings for today's liturgy:

Acts 13:44-52

Psalm 98

John 14:7-14

“Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth.”

All of the Holy Scripture readings that we are hearing in these “Easter Days” straddle the post resurrection growth of the early Christian Community and the “Last Discourse” of Jesus at the Last Supper.

So, we’re hearing about the disciples going out to proclaim Jesus as Savior of the World up against Gospels that point out that they didn’t quite grasp what He was telling them. We are given these Holy Scripture readings because we are so like those early followers of Jesus: kind of aware what He is trying to tell us but still confused about how to go about our missionary challenge.

That’s where the “Holy Spirit Prayer” that I quoted at the beginning of today’s reflection comes in. It’s the Holy Spirit that’s like petrol that fuels our ability to go out and proclaim that Jesus is Lord. This promise of the Holy Spirit takes us all the way back to the very beginning of the Bible when we read in Genesis, that the Holy Spirit was the force that brought order out of the chaos and also blew the breath of life into the first human beings.

Now, millions of years after that creation scene we are still in need of the Holy Spirit’s Power to re-create us and burn within us the fire of God’s love.

It’s no accident that the image of the Holy Spirit is given to us as breath which we cannot see but are still very much aware of. It reminds me of the story of Elijah at Mt. Horeb (1^st Kings 19:8ff) where he is looking for the presence of God who promises to pass by. He hears and feels the great wind, but God was not in the storm. Then the earth quakes: but God is not in the earthquake And He wasn’t in the fire. It’s when Elijah steps out and senses the still, gentle breeze that he recognizes God’s presence.

That should tell us something about encountering God’s presence in our lives. It’s not always in the spectacular signs but in that still, gentle breath of God’s Spirit that we, too, are recreated.

Now, go back and reverently pray that Holy Spirit Prayer and allow it to gently breath its re-creating life in you. Amen!

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Friday in the Fourth Week of Easter

Saint for the day: St. Cletus (1st Century)

Scripture readings for today's liturgy:

Acts 13:26-33

Psalm 2

John 14:1-6

“Thomas said to Jesus, ‘Master, we do not know where you are going: how can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life.’” (the ending of today’s Holy Gospel)

Today, we get another chance to use the “bookend theme” with the quote above and the beginning of today’s Holy Gospel: “Let not your hearts be troubled…” The bonus is that you can put these two quotes at either end and you will still have some profound meaning. My friend, Fr. Richard Rohr says that the term “fear not” (or some variation of it) appears 366 times in the Bible. That one for each day of the year including Leap Year! That fact in itself should give all of us encouragement.

Jesus knew that the “journey theme” - that is a mainstay of the Gospels – would be a hard one for many of us. Just think for a moment about your own travels and how anxious you can get as you plan to step out of your comfort zone to begin a journey. Then let these two phrases give you confidence: “Don’t be afraid! I am the way, the truth and the life!”

Today’s Gospel also tells us that “there are many dwelling places in my Father’s House” implying that even if we start to get anxious there’s a place for us to stay and rest for awhile – just like the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. It was in that setting that the disciples where then able to say, “Were not our hearts burning within as He spoke to us?” And, lest we forget: this all happened in the context of the Eucharist – our Bread of Life! The Eucharist – the very presence of God to us – gives us food and courage to continue our journey.

This Sunday, our Dominican Parish here in Nairobi will celebrate our “patroness,” St. Catherine of Siena who is famous for saying, “It’s Heaven all the way to Heaven!” Lots of encouraging words for us today. Thank you Lord.

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Feast of St. Mark, Evangelist 

Scripture readings for today's Feast of St. Mark

I Peter 5:5-14

Psalm 89

Mark 16:15-20

“Jesus appeared to the Eleven and said to them: ‘’Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature.’” (Mark’s Holy Gospel 16:15)

In most of these days after Easter we’ve been hearing accounts of the growth and spread of the Gospel but mostly fairly close to home. They were Jews so it was natural that they would begin at a base that was familiar to them – their own Synagogues.

But today, on this Feast of St. Mark, the Risen Jesus commissions them to leave all that is familiar and “Go out into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature.”

Take just a moment to think of what that might have been like for those who were still trying to make sense out of the death and resurrection of Jesus. At first they locked themselves in an upper room out of fear and that’s where the Resurrected Jesus found them and where He was able to breath the breath of the Holy Spirit into them recreating them and making them new creatures. This event enabled them to have the courage to leave their comfort zones and “go out into the whole world…” Then, reminding them of what He, himself did in His brief public life, He tells them that “these are the signs that will accompany you:”

If you go on you can see what we, as followers of Jesus – are to do”

- drive out demons:

- speak new languages

- handle serpents

- drink anything’

- heal the sick

Then He left them and was taken up to Heaven! But He left them with the Power of the Holy Spirit hovering over the uncertainty and chaos of their lives (just like the beginning of Genesis in the creation story) to follow His example, which is personified in those “works” listed above:

- pull people out of their attraction to evil;

- speak the language of Heaven – Love;

- teach how to deal with the temptations of “the Serpent” – the Devil;

- thirst for the Living Water of Jesus;

- restore people to the fullness of life

The two “bookends” in this commissioning are the most important since they sum up Jesus’ entire ministry: let people know that their sins are forgiven; then say to them, “pick up you mat and go…”

“They went forth and preached everywhere” remembering that He also said, “I will be with you always!” Amen!

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Wednesday in the Fourth Week of Easter. 

Saint for the day: St. Fidelis of Sigmaringen (1577-1622)

Scripture readings for today's liturgy:

Acts 12:24-13:8

Psalm 67

John 12:44-50

“Jesus says, ‘I came into the world as light, so that everyone who believes in me might not remain in darkness.’” (from today’s Holy Gospel according to St. John.)

I have to chuckle when I read the above words as I sit in the dark of our little house chapel early in the morning before the sun has even thought about shinning. But it’s amazing how quickly my eyes adjust to this darkness and in no time I’m able to see even in the apparent darkness.

I have the light that shines out from our tabernacle that really is enough to see everything in the room. Two candles on the altar; a votive light at the statue of Mary; and the light from my computer screen

From all of this, I have to come to the conclusion that believing in Jesus as the light of the world can be a reality if I only come up to Him – even from behind – and “touch the hem of his brilliance!”

It’s then, in the spark of that light that I am able to begin to see what the Lord calls me to. In these Easter Days when we’re reading about the rapid gowth of the early Church we don’t just read it as a history project but, rather, as a model of what each one of us is called to do: “Go out into all the world and proclaim this ‘Good News’ that Jesus has brought light into a world that only knew darkness.”

At our baptisms each one of us was given a candle. A tiny sign of our commissioning to spread that “Light of Christ.” Isn’t there an old song that went, “… if everyone lit just one little candle what a bright world it would be?” Then, just to keep us honest, we’re reminded, “blowing out someone else’s candle doesn’t make our candle any brighter!”

Darkness can be a means to a good end if we seek to fine-tune our vision so that we are able to see where and how the Lord is leading us. And that brings us right back to square one where we, like the early believers, are sent out – on the way to bring light into a darkened world. Amen!

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I’d like to hear from you to know that you’re getting these reflections. Use this link to go to my "home page" where you’ll find more stories and pictures along with a link to e-mail me