We are in the joyous season of Easter and today we are invited to share this joy with the Apostles of Jesus, especially Thomas, who struggled to believe that Jesus is alive.

In each of the four gospels there are wonderful resurrection stories in which we see the early followers of Christ struggling to grasp the fact and the meaning of the resurrection of Christ.

As this edition of In the Word reaches you, we are about to embark on the Easter Triduum, those blessed days of entering into the passion, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.

It’s a busy time for many of us, with all the liturgies to attend and be part of. But on the flip-side, it is also, for Christians, a time of profound un-busyness, of deep quiet, of fasting, prayer and reflection.

This is the only Sunday in Lent that has two names: Palm Sunday and Passion Sunday.  This is because the liturgy celebrates two aspects of the mystery of our redemption that we are to keep in mind during Holy Week.

Most of us when we were children may have tried to figure out what would happen if we put a seed in a glass of water. At first, it seems nothing is happening, then maybe after a few days, the outer shell of the seed begins to crack, then slowly a little green sprout springs out of the seed until a little bud forms and a green leaf slowly unravels.

The image of the cross is one of the most popular and most powerful images that we see. Whenever we see the cross, for most of us, we feel some sort of solace and security that we’re assured that everything will be alright.

Temptations are a regular part of our lives. Five days a week, I used to go out in the morning and take an hour’s walk around the corner in Macquarie Fields when I was serving in that parish.

The person suffering with leprosy, in today’s Gospel, puts the ball in Jesus’ court and says, “If you want to, you can cure me.” It must have taken an enormous leap of faith for this person ...

Jesus took her by the hand. We sometimes come to Mass poor, sick and troubled, much like the people who crowd around the door of Jesus in today’s gospel.

In today’s gospel Jesus teaches us two important lessons if we would be followers of Him. Like him we must teach with authority. And like him we must bring healing to those in need.