Natalie Conseur

Readings for Trinity Sunday: Exodus, 2 Corinthians, John

We do not distinguish between personhood and personality, between personhood and human existence. For us Catholics, the word “person” is so much broader and deeper a concept. Each angel is a person, and angels are neither physical nor human. God is beyond all and is three persons in the most profound and true sense of the word “person.” Think of “person” as “unique identity.” Even if you have an identical twin or a clone, who shares the same DNA as you, you would be a unique identity, so that when you say “I think,” the “I” means not him, not her, not anybody else.
In the end, the fact that God is Love, that God is Trinity, explains so many things: why God made a universe he doesn’t need, why God freely chose to save us in Christ, and why we can see God as self-emptying love in the cross of Jesus Christ. Would it be easier for us Catholics, in terms of explaining our faith to others, to just drop the idea of God being the Trinity? Not really…

Readings for Pentecost Sunday (during the day): Acts, 1 Corinthians, John

Have you ever wondered why we call ourselves Catholic Christians? We read in the book of the Acts of Apostles in the Bible: “Then he (Barnabas) went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he had found him he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a large number of people, and it was in Antioch that the disciples were first called Christians.” A Christian is one who believes in Jesus, the God-man, who saves the world by his passion, death, and resurrection. A Christian believes that Jesus is the Son, who teaches us about the Father and the Holy Spirit; one God in three persons.

It is again from Antioch that we received the second part of our name. St. Ignatius of Antioch, writing in 107AD, spoke of the Church as “Catholic,” specifically with the Greek word katholicos, meaning “universal.” The Church is for everyone, Jews and Greeks/gentiles. It doesn’t matter from which country or people you come; God calls everyone to belong to himself in Christ Jesus.

As far as the word “Church” is concerned, it is Greek, ekklesia, meaning “(those) called out of.” The Church is comprised of Jews and gentiles: those called out of sin and death into life, those called out of darkness into light.

That is why in today’s second reading, St. Paul reminds us that, “[I]n one Spirit we were all baptized into one body,
whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons,
and we were all given to drink of one Spirit.” The new covenant that Jesus established opened the doors of salvation to the whole world. Pentecost is when the mission truly began. The Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles, empowering them to speak in many languages and boldly proclaim the Gospel. People from all nations understood them, a clear sign that the Church was for everyone. Today, the Catholic Church continues this mission. With over a billion members worldwide, we are still one body in Christ.

Readings for the Ascension of the Lord: Acts, Ephesians, Matthew

Many of us belong to companies, schools, or organizations that have mission statements. A mission statement explains the purpose of the organization and what it hopes to accomplish. But have you ever wondered what the mission of the Church is? Every Catholic should know the answer, because through baptism we belong to the Church and share in its mission.

The word “mission” comes from the Latin missionem, meaning “to send.” In the sixteenth century, Jesuits were sent throughout the world to preach the Gospel and convert souls to Christ. A mission, therefore, is not simply a goal or dream. It involves someone being sent by an authority to accomplish a task. Like the famous line from Mission Impossible: “Your mission, should you choose to accept it…” A mission requires both a sender and someone willing to say yes.

Christ himself had a mission. Every Sunday in the Creed we proclaim that the Son of God “came down from heaven” for our salvation. The Father sent the Son into the world to become man, suffer, die, and rise again so humanity could be saved from sin and death. The Ascension celebrates the completion of Christ’s earthly mission and his victory over death.

Yet the mission is not fully complete, because the salvation won by Christ must still reach every person in every generation. This is the mission of the Church, the Body of Christ. Through baptism and confirmation, Catholics receive the Holy Spirit and are sent into the world to spread the Gospel.

This mission belongs not only to priests and religious, but to every baptized Christian. Parents live the mission by raising children in the faith. Workers, students, and neighbors live it by showing Christ’s love in daily life and sharing their faith when opportunities arise.

Christ was sent to save the world. Now he sends us, his Church, to bring that salvation to others.

Sixth Sunday of Easter Readings: Acts, 1 Peter, John

Today’s readings remind us of the living presence of God in the world through the Holy Spirit, the call to faithful witness, and the transforming power of love rooted in Christ.

In the first reading, Philip goes to Samaria and boldly proclaims Christ. His preaching is accompanied by healing, liberation, and joy among the people. This passage reminds us that the Gospel is not merely a message to be heard but a reality that changes lives. When Peter and John later lay hands on the new believers, they receive the Holy Spirit, showing that God’s grace continues to strengthen and unite the Church. The Spirit is not given for private comfort alone, but to empower believers to live boldly and joyfully in faith.

This connects beautifully with Peter’s instruction to Christians facing hardship. He tells them to “always be ready to give an explanation” for the hope within them, but to do so with gentleness and reverence. Christian witness is not meant to be harsh or prideful. Instead, it is rooted in humility, courage, and a clear conscience. Peter points to Christ’s own suffering—the innocent one dying for the guilty—as the ultimate example of sacrificial love. Faithfulness to God may involve suffering, but it also leads to life and redemption.

In the Gospel of John, Jesus promises his disciples that they will not be abandoned. He says, “I will not leave you orphans,” assuring them that through the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, he will remain with them forever. Jesus also makes clear that love for him is shown through obedience to his commandments. This obedience is not legalistic duty, but a loving response to the One who first loved us. Through that love, believers enter into a deep relationship with the Father, the Son, and the Spirit.

Taken together, these readings challenge Christians to live Spirit-filled lives marked by hope, love, and witness. The Holy Spirit strengthens us, Christ’s example guides us, and God’s abiding presence comforts us. In a world often marked by fear, division, and suffering, believers are called to be signs of joy, peace, and steadfast hope—living testimony that Christ is alive and still transforming hearts today.

Fifth Sunday of Easter Readings: Acts, 1 Peter, John

Fourth Sunday of Easter Readings: Acts, 1 Peter, John

The truth is uncomfortable: we are both smart and foolish. We make good choices, yet we also sin, often knowingly. Sin, at its core, is irrational—it places us in harm’s way. Like sheep wandering from the flock, we expose ourselves to danger by listening to the wrong voices.

In a world full of noise—media, entertainment, and endless opinions—it becomes difficult to hear Christ. The question is simple but challenging: whose voice are we following? If we are honest, we may find we are shaped more by the world than by the Shepherd. The call, then, is to return, to listen more closely, and to follow more faithfully.

The Eucharist looks like bread and wine. But its reality is transformed—this is what the Church calls transubstantiation. What appears ordinary is, in truth, extraordinary: the living Christ.

The response of the disciples is immediate. They return to Jerusalem, back to the community, back to faith. Their encounter changes everything.

So what should we do? If we truly believe the Eucharist is Jesus, then we should seek him—every Sunday, and even more often. We should prepare our hearts through confession and spend time with him in adoration. The question is no longer whether communion is offered, but whether we are ready to receive. How deeply do we desire him?

Readings: Acts, 1 Peter, John

That is how we can believe in only one God who is yet three persons: the Father is not the Son or the Holy Spirit, the Son is the not the Father or the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is neither the Father nor the Son. Yet, these three identities share one existence.

Why reflect on this?  Jesus suffered, died, and rose from the dead. He did it to save us from sin and death, and ultimately to offer us life with himself forever in heaven. Jesus wants you, as a person, to be with him forever. It is personal. Through Jesus, the Son, we share in the very life of the Trinity. It is personal. When Jesus appear to Thomas to answer his doubt, it was about personal relationship.

If you want to live forever, what do you hope heaven looks like?  A golf course?  Or better, a never ending relationship of love between persons: you with God in Jesus, and through Jesus with everyone else.

Readings for Sunday: Acts, Colossians, John

The shocking truth: Jesus, in his humanity, rose bodily from the tomb. We live in a culture where people often think that a human is a soul in a body, as if the soul were merely driving the body like we drive our cars. And then, at death, the soul is free from the body to live forever without the body. However, that is not true. Jesus’ bodily resurrection, and he now lives forever, shows us the truth.

We as humans do not simply have bodies, like we have cars — we are bodily. We are the unity of body and soul. If someone were to punch you, your response would not be, “why did you hit my body?” but “why did you hit me?” Your body is an integral part of what you are as human. In Catholic thought we are soul-bodies, the unique combination of the physical and spiritual. In that way we are both like and unlike the other animals; in that way we are both like and unlike the angels.  Animals are merely physical creatures.  Angels are pure spirits. Humans sit at the threshold or boundary of both realms.

Death, then, is not natural to our design but a rupture. It is the tearing apart of what was meant to be united: body and soul. This is why both lifeless bodies and disembodied spirits unsettle us—they point to something fundamentally broken. More deeply, death also reflects a rupture between humanity and God, brought about by sin, which is a failure to love.
The resurrection of Jesus transforms this reality. In Him, the division caused by sin is healed. His resurrection was not the mere reunification of body and soul, but also the transformation of the soul-body in glory. Jesus is glorified and now lives forever, making it possible for humanity to live in relationship with God forever. It was not a return to Eden, but the beginning of divine adoption of men and women as sons and daughters of God, heirs of the kingdom.

Readings for Sunday: Matthew, Isaiah, Philippians, Matthew

About 2,000 years ago, Jesus walked into Jerusalem in triumph on the first day of the Jewish week. They were waving palm branches, the historic and biblical sign of victory. By Friday, the crowd was yelling, “crucify him!” What happened in between? Even among the twelve apostles, Judas betrayed him, Peter denied him, and all but John ran away. The Blessed Mother Mary and a few other women stood fast. But overall, Holy Week begins with the reading of the Passion story: Jesus was abandoned, denied, tortured, and publicly executed. The man did absolutely nothing wrong in life whatsoever; he was and is sinless.

We see in Jesus, God’s love for us in that God took on our humanity and then suffered and died at our hands to save us from sin and everlasting death.

When we celebrate Easter, Christ’s victory, the cross itself becomes transformed. In that way, the cross takes on multiple meanings: our sins, God’s mercy and love, the transformation of human suffering, and ultimate victory.

All four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, are different in their own ways. Yet all four center on, and devote the most space to, the Passion narrative. It is the center of our faith. If Jesus didn’t suffer, die, and rise, we simply would not exist as the Church; there would be no St. James Parish.