Theresa Doyle-Nelson

It’s so frustrating when a difference of opinion mushrooms into an angry argument. St. Paul encouraged the Ephesians to avoid these situations, and instead look for and live in the light of the Lord.

Help us to remember to pray for our priests. Help us to remember too that your multitude of saints in heaven will also pray for our priests—to strengthen them, encourage them, be with them.

“Joseph of Arimathea, secretly a disciple of Jesus for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate if he could remove the body of Jesus”—John 19:38a. The horror of the crucifixion was overwhelming. Joseph’s desire to properly bury Jesus overcame his desire for covertness.

“There were many women there . . . who had followed Jesus from Galilee”—Matthew 27:55. Try to imagine these holy Galilean women at various scenes. Try to conceptualize how they may have felt, how they reacted. They are not often depicted, but they were there!

Pontius Pilate had a sign put upon Jesus’ cross–written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek–that read “Jesus the Nazorean, the King of the Jews” (John 19:19). Those who despised Jesus wanted this sign down! But Pilate refused. “What I have written, I have written” (John 19:22).

Some years ago, the priest at a nearby chapel expressed a special love for Scripture. One lesson he often worked in was how the bible is full of little prayers. Consider starting a collection of your own favorite little bible prayers.