Fr. John Ehrich Podcast

Fr. John Ehrich, STL for full video of Sunday Mass go to www.stmglendale.org

Fr. John Ehrich, STL   For full Mass go to www.stmglendale.org

Fr. John Ehrich, STL   For full video go to www.stmglendale.org   St. Thomas More Catholic Church Glendale, AZ.

Fr. John Ehrich, STL www.stmglendale.org

Fr. John Ehrich, STL St. Thomas More, Glendale, AZ. www.stmglendale.org

Fr. John Ehrich, STL For all of you history buffs, the question of what date to use when referencing the Declaration of Independence, etc. depends.  The Declaration was approved on July 2nd, but not ratified until the 4th, the day it has always been celebrated.  The Constitution was created in 1787, ratified in 1788, but didn't come into effect until 1789.  The Bill of Rights created in 1789 but not ratified until 1791.  I have focused on when each actually came into effect.   

Fr. John Ehrich, STL St. Thomas More Catholic Church Glendale, AZ.

Fr. John Ehrich, STL St. Thomas More Catholic Church, Glendale, AZ.

Fr. John Ehrich, STL St. Thomas More Catholic Church

Fr. John Ehrich, STL

Fr. John Ehrich, STL St. Thomas More Catholic Church For the entire video worship service go to www.stmglendale.org

Fr. John Ehrich, STL For full Sunday Worship Service video and music please check out www.stmglendale.org

Fr. John Ehrich, STL Please see entire Worship Service video at www.stmglendale.org

Fr. John Ehrich, STL For full worship service video go to stmglendale.org

The disciples are in a state of excitement and confusion as they recover from a series of events and realizations. Jesus is crucified, His body is gone from the tomb and He appears absent, and then He reveals himself as resurrected, alive again. So He’s with them in presence and life in new form...but then again, He says, “I am leaving.” And the key note to remember is his last words, “Follow Me.”   We hear the departing words of Jesus that His new purpose is to go back to the Father in order to prepare a place for us.   In the whirlwind of events and transitions in our personal lives, where we can feel connected and then disconnected to Christ and his presence or Body, let us reflect on “the bigger plan” that is consistently proclaimed in the Gospel. A bigger reality, a fulfillment that He provides, a gift beyond our expectations. We know intuitively that we are created for more, for a lasting state of being, and ultimately for Union in divinity. By His grace, we can see that our own present plans and realit

Jesus regularly speaks in metaphors about animals and crops, often relating to the agrarian citizens of his historical time.   Take the ‘Shepherd and His Flock’ concept. One of His ideas or depictions could portray two or three shepherds meeting, and congregating together, and therefore, so do their flocks - their individual group of sheep mingle together into a larger flock. If we regard the role of shepherds to the role of priests and prominent holy people, we could see how contemporary religious leaders today are entrusted to their followers and seek to provide their insights and concrete display of faith. Their actions are meant to lead us into deeper communion with Christ and each other.   We as followers might initially have a hard time trusting our shepherds, leaders, as well as the Voice of God, the primary Shepherd. Are we openly listening to these various voices with trust and willingness? Are we willing to later follow through with their practical applications in our lives? These are various and mo

A famous story: The Road to Emmaus   After the harsh and difficult events of the Lord’s Crucifixion and then the rumor His resurrection, you, the reader, can surmise the quality of emotion and struggle that is taking place in the hearts of these disciples.   And then a stranger appears.   Initially, the disciples don’t recognize Him as Jesus Christ, the very catalyst of all these past events. But as they continually share in conversation and even vulnerability with this stranger, He allows them to see the truth of His presence with them. And a key point here is the timing: He reveals Himself during the act of breaking bread with them, in act of congeniality and reception.   Isn’t this very much like God in the times He approaches us in our everyday lives? Christ initiates contact when we are open to sharing and reciprocity, and then we are given deeper wisdom and understanding. The messages and person of Jesus often resonates through this initial reciprocity, this first encounter. And as we recognize it more,

The Son of God bears the wounds of the cross for all of eternity. How severe and powerful this idea of evil can be seen, in the scars of our savior for all of time.   Nevertheless, Jesus’ disposition to the disciples is not victimhood but instead revealed when He says the words “peace be with you.” In other words, “Yes, this severity truly happened, but this is mercy.”   The same mercy is available to each of us. Divine Mercy is freedom that is perfectly given and in pursuit of peace. Can we accept that mercy internally, in fullness and deep awareness of our own fragility and then turn to our neighbor and mirror that mercy to others? By His wounds, Christ says, “yes.” Peace be with you. For full worship service, go to www.stmglendale.org

This may be one of the strangest Easter celebrations in our recent memory.   So many are unable to come to the church in person on one of the most celebrated days of the year. It’s important to remember that God did not cause this pandemic nor has he abandoned us. He may be in the midst of it and He still has as much strength and power as ever.   We can see the Resurrection event from the perspective of disciples who were confronted with a very baffling encounter. They did not understand it, but they believed. They experienced Him was as reincarnated with their senses and testified to the truth of that experience without knowing rationally or having a fully articulated grasp of the “how” or “why” of the situation.   Though we are confronted with the difficulty of not having access to the sacraments during this pandemic, we still have access to the graces of God. This grace that we seek is still experiential and only requires us to trust in this belief. It can still permeate our lives in our social distancing

Fr. John Ehrich Watch the full livestream Mass at www.stmglendale.org