March 25 - Annunciation of the Lord

Reflection by Jeppe Nielsen '23, Judge House

Lk 1:26-38

Gospel Passage:

The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin's name was Mary. And coming to her, he said, "Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you. "

Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.

Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High.

Reflection:

Placing faith in God and trusting that He will decide the best path for you is tough. Trusting others and believing that they will be there for you when you need it most is also tough. But learning how to trust others, especially God, is essential to have a good life When the Virgin Mary decided to trust Gabriel, it created new life and salvation for everyone, which is equally applicable to your own life. The angel was able to use reasoning to convince Mary that what she was doing was right, which is what friends do in your life. Having someone to consult who can give an extra opinion is important, as some decisions are not meant to be made alone

When I think of God in my life, I believe that He will be there for me when I need him, exactly how my friends would be. God's love is communicated through my friends, and by gifting me with them, He is providing me with guides who will help me through life Faith and trust have been and will always be two important factors in my life, and when I am in doubt, I know I can turn to others both in the BC High community and outside and to God.

March 26 – Fifth Sunday of Lent

Reflection by Matty Duddy '25, King House

Jn 11:3-7, 17, 20-27, 33b-45

Gospel Passage:

The sisters of Lazarus sent word to Jesus, saying, “Master, the one you love is ill.” When Jesus heard this he said, “This illness is not to end in death, but is for the glory of God.

Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise.”

Martha said, “I know he will rise, in the resurrection on the last day.”

Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

She said to him, “Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world.”

Now many of the Jews who had come to Mary and seen what he had done began to believe in him.

Reflection:

Showing emotion is a large part of this passage. We see Jesus openly weep for his fallen friend. This was never seen before in scripture How do you display your emotions? Do you hold it in for eternity or let it out like Jesus? I believe that as students at an allboys high school, we tend to lean more towards the hold it in option. Teenage boys will say it is “soft” to cry openly, but as we see in this parable it is quite the opposite. I am guilty of holding in my emotions, and I can confirm it is not a good feeling. This can alter your mental health greatly We as a community need to teach the new generation to learn from Jesus and scripture. We need to prove that showing emotion is not soft, but a great showing of strength.

Reflection by Matty Duddy '25, King House

Jn 11:3-7, 17, 20-27, 33b-45

Over these past 3 years death is at an all-time high, and not just death of a human life. Over these past three years our world has been plagued with Covid-19. This has caused many changes throughout the world. The church especially, as fewer people attend Mass every Sunday Many people today don’t feel like attending Mass anymore I do believe that this is a sign of the church dying. As seen in this passage, Jesus asks his father to hear him and save his friend. I believe that the Church can be seen as Lazarus, dead in the tomb. But by the power of God the Church will rise. I will take part in this rising. I will give it my all to go to mass every Sunday so long as it is possible to do so Jesus will put an end to this era of death just as he did when Lazarus was resurrected. Simply just praying in the chapel or just finding time during the day to reflect and thank God for everything is a way to resurrect your faith life.

April 2, Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion

Reflection by Tommy Conley '24, Miki House Mt 27:11-54

Gospel Passage:

Jesus stood before the governor, Pontius Pilate, who questioned him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" Jesus said, "You say so. " And when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he made no answer. Then Pilate said to him, "Do you not hear how many things they are testifying against you?" But he did not answer him one word, so that the governor was greatly amazed.

When Pilate saw that he was not succeeding at all, but that a riot was breaking out instead, he took water and washed his hands in the sight of the crowd, saying, "I am innocent of this man ' s blood. Look to it yourselves."

And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!" They spat upon him and took the reed and kept striking him on the head. And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the cloak, dressed him in his own clothes, and led him off to crucify him.

Reflection:

This passage contains the events leading up to and including the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Pontius Pilate, the fifth governor of the Roman province of Judaea, questions Jesus about how he truly feels about the crimes brought against him but is met with only silence from Jesus Despite the accusations against him, Pilate is reluctant to crucify Jesus, asking the crowds why they would crucify Jesus, specifically asking the crowd, “‘Why? What evil has he done?’”. The governor eventually succumbs to the demands of the crowd and hands Jesus over to be crucified. The soldiers who are responsible for Jesus mock him by giving him a crown of thorns and beating him before his crucifixion

April 2, Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion, continued

Reflection by Tommy Conley '24, Miki House Mt 27:11-54

Despite the actions of those around him, Jesus remains silent People continue to mock and tease Jesus while he is being crucified, up to and even after his death on the cross. The crucifixion is accompanied by supernatural events, including an earthquake and the raising of dead saints. The passage concludes with the death of Jesus and the fear of the centurions who were guarding him as they realize that Jesus was truly the Son of God This passage serves as a powerful reminder of the sacrifice and suffering that Jesus underwent for the sake of humanity and how even in the face of death he stuck to his ideals and truth, understanding that his death will not be for nothing and that he will be rewarded in eternal life with God

April 6, Holy Thursday - Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper

Reflection by Anthony Docanto '15, Pro Head of House, Social Studies

Jn 13:1-15

Gospel Passage:

Before the feast of Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to pass from this world to the Father. He loved his own in the world and he loved them to the end. So, during supper, he rose and took off his outer garments. He took a towel and tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and dry them with the towel around his waist.

So when he had washed their feet and put his garments back on and reclined at table again, he said to them, “Do you realize what I have done for you? You call me ‘teacher’ and ‘master,’ and rightly so, for indeed I am. If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another’s feet. I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do.”

Reflection:

In the Gospel of John, the disciples are stunned by Jesus’s humble act of washing their feet. With this act, Jesus showcases his humanity to the disciples, and demonstrates what it means to be a servant leader. In the act of washing feet, Jesus reveals to us that center to all service is that we are all equal and have dignity in the eyes of God. Jesus, despite being the Son of God, teacher, and master is humble enough to commit this self-emptying act. Then, Jesus calls on his disciples to go and do the same - to be servant leaders.