MAY262026

After the forty days of Lent and the fifty days of Easter we return to Ordinary Time. The readings at Mass during Ordinary time are called lectio continuo, where a particular book of the Bible is read through chapter by chapter. The gospel during these days is from Mark, starting with chapter ten. The first reading is from the First Epistle of St. Peter. This epistle encourages believers in the Christian life. For example, Set your hopes completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Three concepts essential to a spiritual life are articulated: hope, grace, revelation. We need hope because things are incomplete, not yet fulfilled. We are people who have hope because of God’s promise. Grace reminds us that it is all a gift, that there is no raising yourself by your own bootstraps in the spiritual life. We need God’s gifts to do anything. And the revelation of Jesus Christ is that God is love and whoever abides in love abides in God and God in them.