Posts by Fr Dino Vanin (Page 6)

At the sight of the crowds, Jesus’ heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd. (Matthew 9:36) It should be reassuring to us to know that Jesus is fully aware of all the things and the situations that trouble us, cause us much concern and even sleepless nights.We should never forget that Jesus is moved with pity at the sight of the divisiveness in which our country finds itself and all…

I wonder what must have been Nicodemus’ reaction the night in which Jesus broke to him the greatest piece of good news ever: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) What is our reaction to it now? Decades ago, we might have seen those placards, posters, even big signs at ballgames simply saying: Jn 3:16. The most astonishing news ever is encapsulated in…

We should keep in mind that not only the solemnity of the Ascension, but also the solemnity of Pentecost can be correctly understood only within the context of the mystical Body of Christ, of which Jesus Christ is the Head and all of us are the members of his Body; we are the Church. Now, while we do not know when the birthday of Jesus the Head is, we certainly know that Pentecost is the birthday of the Body, of all of us,…

The only correct way to truly celebrate the Ascension is within the context of the Body of Christ of which Jesus is the Head and we are its members. Since the Body can never be separated from the Head, after Jesus’ Ascension into heaven, he remains with us on earth, as the last sentence in today’s Gospel passage (Mt 28:20) indicates: And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age. At the same time, we also…

Across the centuries, Christians have always needed someone mighty and strong to lean on and to cling to whenever the squalls blow fiercely, and the pain becomes hard to bear. For three years that support was provided by the physical presence of the Lord Jesus in human flesh, visible and operative amid his first disciples. The Apostles took over that task after Jesus ascended into heaven to receive from the Father the fullness of his glory for having obeyed him…

On the Fifth Sunday of Easter, Jesus tells us, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I’m going to prepare a place for you?” Now, these are most certainly words of comfort; but they should not be interpreted as referring only to our endless, blissful future life in heaven. These words should…

What are the voices that scare us?  That’s easy! They are the harsh voices, the voices of condemnation, the menacing voices of impending doom. By contrast, let us think of the voices that have the power to soothe, to reassure, to calm our fears, to make us smile and face the world with a bit more courage. They are choice, selected voices. They are the voices of those people that have gained our trust with more than mere sound bites.…

Could it be that two thousand years ago, the Holy Spirit inspired St. Luke to write this event in the life of two of Jesus’ disciples in such a gripping way that we can see ourselves in many of its details? The geography has changed, of course; the issues are somewhat diverse; our concerns and fears are of a different nature; but the anguish, the worries, and the gloominess of the future ahead of us is so strikingly similar! The…

How long did the joy we wore on Easter Day last? Could it be that the grinding of daily life has reclaimed our heart and mind? The readings for the 2nd Sunday of Easter are purposely very down to earth, addressing accurately human weaknesses, sinful tendencies, and limitations. This could be the reason why St. John Paul II, established the formerly called Dominica in albis depositis (Sunday of the removed white garments) as “Divine Mercy Sunday.” In the early centuries of the Church’s…

We decry that, a long time ago, many in our society took Christ out of Christmas.  As believers, at Easter, our disappointment should be double!  A first disappointment: Easter bunnies have absolutely nothing to do with the risen Lord, while eggs and newly hatched chicks could be symbols of new life and, thus, be somewhat connected to Christ’s victory over death. There should be a second disappointment troubling true believers: so many fail to live viscerally and wholeheartedly in the supernatural reality…

There is something unique about Holy Week.  We know that, starting with Palm Sunday, we should be reliving the events which erased the wrongs of our past, give meaning to our present and shape our future with a promise of immortality and eternal glory. Today’s passion narrative (Matthew 26:14 – 27:66) has a particular significance amid all the mysteries we will be reliving in these days with a heavy heart. We experience shame for being the cause of what Jesus…

In my 50 years of ministerial priesthood, I found myself confronted by situations that elicited in me spontaneous, irrepressible pity.  As a priest, of course, I know, and I preach about the value of suffering in union with Christ. I maintain that euthanasia is a direct interference with God’s plan for a dying person.  But, in hopeless cases, marked by palpable, futile struggles, the prayer that, time and again, rises from my heart and floods my mind is a variation…