Browsing Thoughts from Fr. Bob
5th Sunday of Easter - May 15, 2022
Posted by Fr Bob Betz on 5/11/22
Our first reading today from the Acts of the Apostles sounds like a travelogue of the ancient Gentile world. In between all those cities and villages we hear the care Paul and Barnabas took in calling other disciples to build up the early church. Paralleling the way the region ... Read More »
4th Sunday of Easter - May 8, 2022
Posted by Fr Bob Betz on 5/04/22
Every Sunday Jesus draws us to weekend Mass, as a shepherd draws his flock. “My sheep hear my voice,” he says in today’s Gospel, “and they follow me.” Jesus is the Good Shepherd. He feeds his flock with his word and with his own Body and Blood. He loves ... Read More »
3rd Sunday of Easter - May 1, 2022
Posted by Fr Bob Betz on 4/28/22
In today’s Gospel, the risen Lord appears to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias. It was a strange crew on the boat that morning-Peter, who had denied Jesus; Thomas, who had doubted him; Nathanael, who initially scoffed at the thought of someone important coming from Nazareth; Zebedee’s sons, ... Read More »
Divine Mercy Sunday - April 24, 2022
Posted by Fr Bob Betz on 4/20/22
Hope you all had a wonderful Easter. Well, it’s not over. We celebrate the Resurrection of the Lord for fifty days. Today the second Sunday of Easter is also referred to as Divine Mercy Sunday. Divine Mercy is like the wind, invisible but with effects that can be sensed. ... Read More »
Easter Sunday - April 17, 2022
Posted by Fr Bob Betz on 4/12/22
Christ is risen, alleluia! He is truly risen, alleluia! The dramatic action of the Triduum climaxes today with the first reports of the miraculous news. He is not dead! He has been raised! Our Savior has conquered death and been raised to new life. Since we are all baptized ... Read More »
Palm Sunday - April 10, 2022
Posted by Fr Bob Betz on 4/07/22
Here we are in Holy Week, the most sacred time in the life of the Church. We begin with palm branches (blessed) symbolizing the welcome Jesus received as he entered Jerusalem. In riding upon a colt, newly pressed into service, and with people spreading their cloaks on the road ... Read More »
5th Sunday of Lent - April 3, 2022
Posted by Fr Bob Betz on 3/30/22
As we approach the holiest time of the year, we are afforded the opportunity to realize how transformative God is. Again and again, God has transformed the world and the human race, never as much as when raising Jesus from the dead. But God also transforms us individually in ... Read More »
4th Sunday of Lent - March 27, 2022
Posted by Fr Bob Betz on 3/23/22
On this fourth Sunday of the Lenten season, called Laetare Sunday, a time to anticipate the joy of the Easter season, we get a taste of God’s rich mercy and boundless generosity, eventually realized through Christ’s ultimate sacrifice. The stories and reflections we hear in today’s readings illustrate the ... Read More »
3rd Sunday of Lent - March 20, 2022
Posted by Fr Bob Betz on 3/22/22
In today’s Gospel, Jesus points out that the crowd and some of us, believe that those who experience something negative in their lives are being punished by God. Perhaps its because when we were young and did something wrong we would be spanked, or grounded, or had to go ... Read More »
2nd Sunday of Lent - March 13, 2022
Posted by Fr Bob Betz on 3/10/22
As we continue our journey through the penitential Lenten season, we are reminded in our readings of the promise the Lord makes to us. God asked Abraham to look up to the heavens and witness the countless stars in the sky. Peter, James, and John looked up to the ... Read More »