Meditation by the Reverend Canon Caroline Carson
Canon for Congregational Vitality and Engagement
Diocese of New Jersey

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope scientists discovered a surprising end to the story of the first-observed planet being eaten by a star. Spoiler alert: the planet was fully engulfed. The interesting thing here (to me) is the discovery that the star “did not swell to envelop a planet as previously hypothesized. Instead, Webb’s observations show the planet’s orbit shrank over time, slowly bringing the planet closer to its demise until it was engulfed in full.”

Meditation by the Reverend Canon Steve Connor
Canon to the Ordinary
Diocese of New Jersey

A Guided Meditation

Preparation

As you begin this time of quiet prayer, I invite you to find a comfortable place to sit with your back straight and your legs planted on the ground. Take a few moments to breathe in and breathe out.

Spend this time centering yourself to listen to what God may be saying to you during this time of prayer, to listen to what rises in your heart. Close your eyes for a few moments. As you sit with your eyes closed, use these or similar words: “Here I am, Lord. Here I am.” When you are ready, open your eyes and pray.

Meditation by the Reverend Canon Clive Sang
Priest-in-Charge, St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Red Bank
Missioner for Black Ministry, Diocese of New Jersey

Let us pray.

Ever-loving God, no one wants to have burdens, afflictions, and temptations, yet they come into our lives and weigh us down. We can learn from you how to shoulder our troubles, and we find our greatest strength in you. Help us to deny ourselves when it is required. Open our hearts and minds this day, and give us a discerning spirit to acknowledge your blessings and mercies as we complete our journey during this Lenten season. Remove all obstacles and temptations which may lead us astray, and give us the courage and determination to follow in the way of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Meditation by the Reverend Canon Susanna Cates
Canon for Formation and Vocation
Diocese of New Jersey

If I ask you to picture the Last Supper, what image comes to mind? For me, it’s a lot like Leonardo’s painting: just the twelve disciples and Jesus, arrayed picturesquely on one side of a long table. It’s such an omnipresent image that it’s hard to shake. But was it really like that? John’s Gospel doesn’t tell us how many people were there, so it could have been quite a few more than that; if we’re thinking “just the twelve and Jesus”, then we’re thinking Mark and Matthew, not John. The Jesus presented to us by John is one who seems to relish crowds and big parties: the wedding at Cana, the Samaritan city where he stays and teaches, the festivals and temple visits in Jerusalem—and just a few days before the Last Supper, he and the disciples have a big gathering at Lazarus, Martha, and Mary’s house—the same gathering where Mary anoints and washes Jesus’ feet with perfume.

Meditation by the Reverend Canon Valerie Balling
Priest-in-Charge, St. Peter’s Medford

In our reading for today, Jesus talks about a seed being buried in the ground, in a dark place. Being in that environment allows the seed to “die to itself” and become something more. It is a miraculous thing for a seed to sprout, becoming something more than it was. Perhaps even more astonishing is that the plant knows which way to go toward the light when it’s time. Darkness was needed for part of the story, but for the next part, it needs light.

Meditation by the Reverend David Romanik
Rector, Church of the Heavenly Rest, Abilene, TX

On the Fourth Sunday in Lent, we heard the Parable of the Two Lost Sons, one of “greatest hits” in Luke’s gospel. If I am being entirely honest, I am sympathetic to the older son: dutiful, loyal, and resentful of the way his younger brother is welcomed home with open arms. It is interesting to me that the primary source of the older resentment is not his brother’s disloyalty, but rather his wastefulness. Jesus tells us that the younger brother “squandered his property in dissolute living.” Indeed, the older brother’s chief complaint to his father is that “this son of yours” has “devoured your property.” I think this complaint is resonant for many of us: we like to make sure that we don’t waste the resources we have: that we use what has been entrusted to us effectively and appropriately.

Meditation by the Reverend Maria Sanzo
Rector, St. Raphael’s Episcopal Church, Brick

From palms to passion, it is the only Sunday in our liturgical year when we get a two for one!  The service and the way we worship on this day is so meaningful and symbolic, it is a journey.  We begin somewhere else; normally most church communities begin the Liturgy of the Palms in another part of the church property, some in the parish hall, some in the narthex, some in the parking lot, but normally outside the normal space of worship.  We hear the first gospel of the day, the story of Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey, the crowds excited and shouting, waving palm branches like flags as the parade goes by.  People cheering shouts of hosanna, shouts of praise, shouts of enthusiasm.  “Yes, this is the one we’ve been waiting for, this is the one we were promised, this is the one who will make life so much better!” The gospel we hear first is the gospel that points us to the one who will make life so much better.  So, we join in the procession, we take our palm branch and walk along, waving the branches singing “All Glory Laud and Honor”…We are part of the story, we are active witnesses, and for just a fleeting moment we live in the glorious space of triumphant Jesus with palm branches in hand.

Meditation by the Reverend Canon Robin Pierre
Missioner for Haitian Ministries
Diocese of New Jersey

Have you ever witnessed something so powerful that it changed the way you saw the world? Have you ever been confronted with a truth that challenged your assumptions and forced you to respond? When faced with Jesus—his miracles, his love, and his call to transformation—how do we react?

Meditation by the Very Reverend Allison Burns-LaGreca
Rector, St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, Stone Harbor

The stones are already in their hands. Rough, cold, and weighty, they fit perfectly in their palms as if molded by years of fear and resistance. Their fingers tighten around them, their knuckles whiten. It is not enough that Jesus speaks of God; it is that He speaks of God within Himself. That is too much. Too scandalous. Too disruptive. So, they do what humanity has always done when faced with the unbearable weight of mystery—they reach for something solid, something that gives them the illusion of control. They reach for stones.

And yet, Jesus does not flinch.

Meditation by the Reverend Jesse Lassiter
Rector, St. Uriel’s Episcopal Church, Sea Girt

In the spirit of this penitential season of Lent, I must confess that I suffer from the Capital Sin of anger. It is true that many bad things have happened to me, and it is true that many good things have happened to me. It is also true that probably only 5-10 percent of my anger is warranted; the rest is sin. Anger is an emotion which is not in itself wrong, but which, when it is not controlled by reason, hardens into resentment and hate, and becomes one of the seven capital sins. Uncontrolled anger blinds those who suffer from it. It is this spiritual blindness that keeps us from seeing our Lord.

Meditation by the Reverend Luke Back
Rector, Church of the Holy Spirit, Lake Forest, IL

John the Evangelist is famous for his opening words, ‘In the beginning‘. The Jews in today’s Gospel passage claim Abraham for their origin. Abraham’s origins in Ur of the Chaldees is a location in today’s Iraq. This would place him in an environment similar to the cultures that evolved today’s Hindu traditions.

Meditation by the Sunday School at Holy Cross Episcopal Church, North Plainfield

This meditation is a little different and represents an interactive Sunday morning session about the Prodigal Son—enjoy!

Overview: The story of the Prodigal Son – familiar to pretty much everyone – is a story told by Jesus to Pharisees who are not all that happy with Jesus interacting with tax collectors and sinners (people who were not behaving the way God or Jesus would want). In short: A father has two sons. The older son is obedient and does what is expected. The younger son wants nothing more than to be given his inheritance and go off to explore the “exciting” world beyond his home. The father gives the younger son what he wants. And it turns out the way you would expect. The younger son wastes all his money. Ends up working on a farm feeding the pigs (not the best place for a Jewish boy); and, going hungry, he considers eating the pigs’ food. He figures even his father’s workers have it better. He decides to go back home with his contrition speech all prepared and finds he doesn’t even have to apologize. His father welcomes him and throws a huge party. The older son is (understatement) put out.  We don’t actually find out if his father telling him he loves both of them makes a huge difference in the moment, but the bottom line is that both the younger son and the older son were in need of forgiveness.

Meditation by the Reverend Ben Maddison
Rector, Trinity Episcopal Church, Wenonah

As tacky as it is, there’s something that I love about prop comedy. Whether it’s Gallagher smashing watermelons or Carrot Top doing whatever Carrot Top does, there’s something kitschy and relatable about it. Looking at mundane things in a surprising new way.

Jesus was no stranger to prop comedy. A Roman coin with the image of Caesar. An incredible catch of fish that burst the nets on the boat. The hilarious announcement that three loaves and five fish would feed over 5000 people. Jesus knew that people were visual and metaphoric—that things that connect are things that can be seen and understood in a new light. Prop comedy makes the viewers feel like they are part of the action—the joke—because the comedian stands behind the props—the props take center stage.

Meditation by the Reverend Emily Mellott
Rector, Trinity Episcopal Church, Moorestown

“She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial.”

I generally try to only buy things I know I will use and need soon, but I also have a tendency to hoard a few special things.

I have three (or maybe five? six?) unopened “perfect” notebooks – for whenever I’m ready to seriously start journaling.

Every year I save a box or two of Thin Mint cookies for “when I really need them” – usually until they go stale. (Still tasty, though!)

I also own a pair of shoes bought for one very specific occasion (on which I wound up not being able to wear them).

I know I’m not the only one who buys “for a special occasion”. The internet is full of advice not to keep the bubble bath, or the artisan candles, or the expensive treat gathering dust until an “occasion” arrives, as a friend reminded me when we read this story together. “Now is the time” say these online advisors. Celebrate how “special” this ordinary day is; recognize the specialness of ordinary family and friends.

Meditation by Clare Gutwein
Diocesan Youth MIssioner
Diocese of New Jersey

As someone who has frequently been judged for where I am from, I instantly bristle at the words of the Pharisees and those questioning Jesus because of his place of origin. My initial focus is not on Jesus’ words, or the importance of his message, but rather what is being said to question his authority and express doubts about his value. I am brought back to my own memories of having people move physically away from me or say “eeww” when they learn where I grew up. It is difficult not to linger on these feelings of anger at the unfairness of judging someone’s worth based on something so arbitrary.

Meditation by Canon Barbie Bach
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Westfield

The Gospel according to John stresses the divinity of Jesus more than the other three Gospels.  John’s Gospel emphasizes Jesus’ origin, divine identity, human form and experience, and mission to save us from our sins. Verse 1 of chapter 1 introduces the theme of the Gospel as the Divine Savior who came into the world as divine life that gives eternal life to believers.  Chapter 7 and verses of that chapter assigned for today’s scripture test the debate of Jesus’ divine identity and conjure vivid images of the divine son of God fully human. The description of Jesus’ life according to John make it easy to imagine walking and talking with Jesus on dusty paths, in the market, at the Festival of Booths, in the Temple.  The scripture passage from John’s Gospel provides detail to express the unbelief of Jesus’ friends and the skepticism of some people in the crowd while others call him the Messiah.  Added to this tension is the threat that Jewish authorities want to arrest and kill him. We are drawn to Jesus’ actions and words as he knows that his “hour” or “time” has not yet come (but will).

Meditation by the Reverend Terence Lee
Priest-in-Charge, Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, South River

Growing up in the deep south, there was a song that we often sang at funerals.  It said, “May the work I’ve done, speak for me.”  I remember these lyrics often, especially in this season, as I reflect on my life’s living.  In life there are times we need evidence to prove our identity.  It might be the proper identification to purchase a ticket and board a plane.  You will need a passport to enter customs of a foreign nation or to return home from international travel.  During these times, a word about your identity will not be enough evidence.  You will need something more substantial.  This was the dilemma Jesus finds himself as he answers the charges of his opponents.  They wanted evidence that his claims are true.

Meditation by Canon Valaida Wynn Guerrero
St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, New Providence

“Do not ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” – Howard Thurman

John 5:19–29 presents us with a powerful reminder of the divine partnership between Jesus and the Father—a partnership that calls us into action—to align with God’s work and become living reflections of divine love. Just as the Father raises the dead and gives life, so too does the Son give life to whomever he chooses. This isn’t just about a future promise—it’s a present call to awaken the spirit within us. When we begin to follow Christ, we are invited to step out of the death offered by indifference, intolerance, injustice, oppression, and isolation, and into a transformative life. This transformation is both personal and shared; it’s an invitation to lift one another up, making God’s eternal life visible through our love, justice, and action.

Meditation by the Reverend Canon Rebekah Hatch
Canon for Lay and Ordained Vocations
The Episcopal Church in Connecticut

Last year, I gave up worry for Lent. Just slap gave it up.

It wasn’t a decision I made capriciously, but one I landed on after some discernment. I had been overtaken in the recent weeks and months leading up to Lent by passages in Scripture where Jesus provided in some way or another unequivocal assurance, much like He does in this passage from John’s Gospel. And I’d become particularly taken with Jesus frequently telling his disciples to not be afraid. Over and over again, we hear in Scripture about God’s assurance, and we’re cautioned time and again to not be afraid. So, why did I worry so much? The question became as clear as it ever had before. Why did I worry so much? If my faith teaches me otherwise, again, why did I worry so much?

Meditation by the Reverend Jared Houze
Rector, St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, Amarillo

I imagine the community of John piecing this gospel together. Collecting their stories or fragments of stories, years after the other three gospels arrived, wanting to offer their own voice, tell their own story of Jesus. 

“Okay…” they might have asked, “after the disciples who does Jesus meet next?”