Catholic Latte

Focusing on how Jesus is portrayed often in the Gospels as eating with sinners, tax collectors and prostitutes (Mt 9:10-17; Mk 2:15-22 and Lk 5:29-39), Fr. Eric reflects on how this classic image speaks to the willingness of Christ to journey with us as we struggle to become the people He’s calling us to be.  Fr. Eric uses examples of seminary formation and the Parable of the Two Sons (Mt 21:28-32) to underline the extraordinary patience and understanding of Our Father in heaven as He journeys with us during our pilgrim journey here on this earth.

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One of the most famous lines in the so-called “Bread of Life Discourse” from the sixth chapter of the Gospel of John is when Jesus says: “Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life” (Jn 6:27).  In reference to this passage, Fr. Eric discusses how we might approach issues of dating and relationship, as well as the general problem of human suffering, in light of our eternal destiny; instead of focusing exclusively on temporal concerns in approaching these issues.

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One of the key narrative points in today’s Gospel (Lk 24:13-35), which recounts the iconic story of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, is when Jesus says to the disciples: “Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and enter into His glory” (Lk 24:26)?  To unpack the theological import of this line, Fr. Eric reflects upon “The Bourne Ultimatum” (2007) starring Matt Damon to expound upon the significance of the Paschal Mystery; and in particular, how it relates to the salvific power of the sacraments of the Church.

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Reflecting specifically on the song “Into the Unknown” from Walt Disney’s box office hit “Frozen 2”, Fr. Eric covers a whole variety of topics related to spiritual discernment, including our inability to serve two masters (Mt 5:24), the need to say “no” to all sorts of competing or lesser goods to pursue the particular will of God, and our fear of having no value apart from a sense of productivity and busyness.  Other topics include the need to consent to our own vulnerability as a prerequisite to real intimacy with God,  the intersection between our deepest desires and our deepest fears, the recurring temptation to compromise and otherwise deny our deepest desires, and the invitation to run in the direction that the Lord wants us to run.

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One of the most striking features of today’s Gospel (Jn 20:19-31) from Divine Mercy Sunday is when the resurrected Christ invites His disciples to share in His peace, despite their past failures and present fears and insecurities.  Fr. Eric reflects on this narrative detail to expound upon the amazing and gratuitous nature of God’s love and forgiveness, particularly as it applies to how we approach the Sacrament of Confession.

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As an example of how we can often find shades of Christianity in the popular culture, Fr. Eric talks about last year’s smash hit Avengers: Endgame, which ended up becoming the highest grossing movie of all time worldwide.  In particular, Fr. Eric reflects upon how on the character arc of Tony Stark (a.k.a. Iron Man) points to several Biblical themes pertaining to our deepest desires, the call to share in Christ’s salvific mission, spiritual childhood, authentic love, and what it looks like to imitate the crucified Lord. 

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Given the inability for most Catholics to attend Mass in light of the current pandemic, there is need for some guidance as to how to keep holy the Sabbath Day.  To assist with developing a more textured understanding as to how to approach the Lord’s Day, Fr. Eric reflects on the Biblical motivations for observing the Sabbath, the philosophical distinction between the useful and the useless, and the importance of incorporating some element of contemplative prayer into our regular routine.

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During the Easter season, we’re invited to celebrate the Resurrection of Our Lord; but to respond also to the corresponding call to evangelize the world, since evangelization amounts fundamentally to spreading the Good News of the Jesus’ triumph over sin and death.  Fr. Eric draws upon the writings of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI in 2013 on the occasion of World Communications Day to offer some helpful tips as  to how to evangelize over social networks, mindful that the Internet has become one of the predominant means to communicate and spread the Gospel during these challenging times.   

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While today’s Good Friday liturgy is meant to “simulate” the absence of the Lord’s presence as a means to commemorate His suffering and death for the salvation of the world, there is a precious opportunity for us now in light of various restrictions stemming from the current world pandemic to have an “extended” Good Friday experience in the sense of really feeling the absence of the Lord’s Eucharistic presence for a prolonged period of time.  As such, perhaps we might see this experience as a chance for us to resolve never to take for granted again God’s many graces and blessings in the context of our ordinary lives, particularly the Lord’s presence in the Eucharistic species.

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There is a recurring tendency to reduce Christianity to a mere concept, which reduces the spiritual life to a series of burdensome duties and obligations, as opposed to a life of love and freedom to which the Lord ultimately calls us.  Fr. Eric discusses how the primacy of being as opposed to doing, particularly the sense of responding to Christ’s invitation to simply be with Him, can have massive implications for how we approach the moral life and the call to discipleship, in general.

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