Happy Easter! This day we must make a commitment to celebrate with purpose. Yes, we will proclaim our “Alleluia” of the excitement in Christ’s rising, but that it is also our chant to say, “Lord, I know I must be your witness for the world.” Where does this begin? The way we share our family time as we get ready …
Side by Side – Day 46 “Holy Saturday”
The reflection of Holy Saturday for me often is filled with confusion. I feel empty because I want Jesus back. I carry guilt about all the ways I haven’t remained faithful or what I didn’t do during my Lenten journey that could have made me stronger. This must be how the disciples felt with a fear of the unknown. We …
Side by Side – Day 45 “Good Friday”
It’s time… All of our Lenten preparation leads us to this moment; Jesus on the cross. Have we remembered though He took OUR cross, the one which bore our weakness and sin? He was handed a wooden beam which was weighed down with the inequities of the world. Christ never asks us to do anything He wasn’t willing to do …
Side by Side – Day 44 “Holy Thursday”
The Last Supper invites us to think about what Jesus was telling the disciples and how it is found every time they share Holy Communion in “remembrance of Him.” Christ came down to the disciples’ level and removed His garments to show them the need for servant leadership to be a true follower. A reminder of the heart we need …
Side by Side – Day 43 “Will They Understand?”
In life we do kind things for people or help others and it isn’t always appreciated the way we hoped. We may not get a “thank you” or even an acknowledgement for whatever it is we worked to do. This hurts, because we want them to know how hard we worked to share our gifts with them. Jesus is aware …
Side by Side – Day 42 “It’s Gettin’ Real”
The betrayal of Jesus is always before us. Immediately we think of Judas as the betrayer, but there are two different people that fit that description in today’s Gospel. In the case of Judas, he struggles with selling out Jesus for his own personal greed. However, Peter is the other figure who feels so confident in his faith that he …
Side by Side – Day 41 “Fulfillment & Understanding”
If you are following along with daily scripture readings, you will see that the prophet Isaiah begins to describe who the savior would be and what He will have to endure. He is telling the people all of these things hundreds of years before Jesus would ever walk the earth. When we read it now, it is part of the …
Side by Side – Day 40 “What’s Your Role?”
Every year I offer the same reflection on Palm Sunday… yet, every year it is going to be different for you. Why? Because we change, our role in the Passion changes, and we desire to one day not have to see ourselves on this hard journey with Jesus. This is the beginning of Holy Week and the moment everything changes …
Side by Side – Day 39 “Recognizing God”
If Jesus was before you in this moment, would you recognize Him if he didn’t come in the appearance that our pictures depict Him. Even in my life, I work SO HARD to find God and to see Him that I get to the end of the day and realized how many times I missed Him when He was present. …
Side by Side – Day 38 “Distress Signal”
Do you ever feel like telling God, “This is not what I signed up for!?” I do lots of times… and little secret, there are times I actually tell Him that. I call them my Jeremiah moments. In today’s reading, we hear Jeremiah telling God of all the awful things that are happening to him since he started proclaiming what …