When Saint Peter rose to make his first speech in the Acts of the Apostles, he began not by talking about Jesus’ life and Resurrection but about his betrayal.

The Second Vatican Council’s Gaudium et Spes is a remarkable document when viewed from any angle: conception, content, or consequences, but equally intriguing is its subtitle in English: “Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World.”

Believing in a God who shows us kindness, we ask for God’s mercy as we continue our Easter journey toward the fullness of the Spirit at Pentecost.

"They do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the world.” Just as when Saint Paul speaks of the “body,” readers and hearers of scripture need to be careful when John talks about the “world.”

Jesus . . . . prayed that we would be one with God even as he was. He asked that we know the fullness of joy and glory in God that he knew.” —Brian C. Taylor, Setting the Gospel Free​