Father Thomas Rosa shares with us a vision of Pentecost, as exciting as any Hollywood blockbuster. As we grow in our faith, the Holy Spirit plants and nurtures in us the qualities of Jesus, transforming anyone who is faithful into a reflection of Christ.

The Scripture references are Genesis 11:1-9 and Acts 2:1-21. The Gospel reference is John 14:8-17.

Jesus' last act of devotion was directed at us. How well have we acknowledged God's love for us as shown by Christ? We should always echo those words from Revelation, "Come, Lord Jesus! Amen."

The Scripture references are Acts 16:25-34 and Revelation 22:12-14,16-17,20-21. The Gospel reference is John 17:20-26.

The Reverend Bill Lenters, chaplain of the Rosecrance Health Network, shares with us the dance between faith and doubt, trust and skepticism. If we believe only what we can see, we will never see the truth of God's love for us. Because we believe, we can see all that we need to see.

The Gospel reference is John 14:8-14.

When singer/songwriter Paul Thorn wrote those words he nailed the seldom discussed truth that liking someone and loving them are not the same thing. We see in John's Gospel Jesus' command to "love one another as I have loved you" taken in a new context; to love those we know, to love those who make it hard to be loved, who vex us and test us. We are commanded to love each other as Jesus loved all His disciples, Judas and Peter included. Jesus thinks we have it in us to commit ourselves to love - let's prove Him right.

The Gospel reference is John 13:31-35.

The Reverend Jim Roberts, pastor of Rockford's Emmanuel Lutheran Church for thirty-six years, helps us to remember that God is always and everywhere around us. He is not just in our churches or in our prayers, but is present throughout all His Creation. Opening our ears and our hearts to His presence reminds us that we are bound together and to all his creatures.

As sincerely as we might pursue Christian charity and outreach, good intentions alone are often not enough. Some programs with the best intentions actually can hurt those they are meant most to help. But "top down" charity can be transformed into something that brings dignity and value, blurring the demarcation of donor and recipient. Our love for Christ is shown in how we feed in ways that actually nourish, clothe with dignity as well as garments, and give not only of our resources but of ourselves.

The Gospel reference is John 21:1-19.

The familiar story of Doubting Thomas takes on an entirely different meaning when viewed through John's eyes rather than our 21st century lens. The absent Thomas asked only for the same opportunity as the other apostles; in John's time the words for belief meant giving one's heart and trusting fully, not just intellectual belief. Through John's eyes we recognize the core beliefs that guide and sustain us; in them we find God and where the Risen Christ appears in our lives.

The Gospel reference is John 20:19-31.

As we celebrate Christ's Resurrection, we know that by his triumph we are no longer prisoners to sin and death. He has created a bridge from Death to Eternal Life, and released us from captivity; we need no longer fear death. We can walk out into the world with freedom and possibility, and see the power of the Resurrection all around. We are free to live deeply, love boldly, and choose the way of love as our new life.

The Gospel reference is Luke 14:1-12.

Sin always has repercussions, if not for the sinner then for the innocents damaged by the sin. In his Good Friday homily, Fr. Tom Rosa reminds us that through Jesus' surrender to a death on the cross for our sins, we are made whole once again, our own sins forgiven.

Just as some in the crowd in Jerusalem that first Palm Sunday were seeing Jesus for the first time, we can choose to enter Holy Week with fresh eyes, allowing the story to change us. Many of those in the crowd were listening to the part of themselves that was ready for new life, the new way that Jesus represented. Let us listen with our hearts to His message as well.

The Gospel reference is Luke 19:28-40.