Through their grief after Jesus' crucifixion, the disciples became more vulnerable in their love for Jesus, which enabled them to recognize his risen, vulnerable presence. These words—grief, vulnerability and recognition—are thus inextricably linked to the Pentecost story and, in particular, to the role the Spirit plays in their lives and our lives in the church.

For those who were hoping for something “new” in this document, perhaps this will be disappointing. And yet this wisdom about dignity is ever ancient, ever new.

A meditation for Easter

History has ignored Joanna, as it has most of the other women who followed Jesus from Galilee to Jerusalem and provided for him and the Twelve “from their resources” (Lk 8:2-3).

Observing Ramadan, a sacred time of fasting in the Islamic world, heightens my awareness of the afflictions that so many are forced to endure and the ways our world still needs healing.

Is our intense focus on the form of liturgical celebration placing a disproportionate emphasis upon the Eucharist as the summit of Christian life?