Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me.

 

Scripture readings for this reflection can be found at Fifth Sunday of Easter | USCCB

The gospel for this Fifth Sunday of Easter from John chapter 14, verses 1-12, I think is one of the most comforting parts of Scripture. It's a gospel I read often at both wakes and funerals. Jesus is reassuring us that he will be there for us and is telling us not to be troubled.  Just have faith in God and faith in Him. 

Whenever I read this at a wake, I encourage all the family members to pray for the deceased and to let their hearts not be troubled. I assure the family that the deceased loved one is in the loving embrace of Jesus and is being led to a place prepared for them by the Lord. Jesus promises, "I am going to prepare a place for you." John 14:3. I encourage regular prayer for our deceased loved one to help them during their journey with Jesus towards heaven. 

As we ourselves journey throughout this life here on earth, let us remember that Jesus is walking along side us. In whatever troubles we may face, let us place our troubles into the loving hands of Jesus. He will be present to us in good times and bad times. We just need to trust that He'll be with us every step of the way.

Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.

 

 The scripture readings for today can be found at Thursday of the Fourth Week of Easter | USCCB

In our gospel for today from St. John, we hear of the scene at the Last Supper of Jesus washing the feet of the Disciples. This act of humility was our Lords way of teaching the disciples of service to others in their lives as followers of Him. By this point in the gospel, it is getting close to the Lord being betrayed by Judas and being turned over to the authorities to die on the Cross. The Gospel of St. John doesn’t focus on the institution of the Eucharist but on that of service to others.

What’s interesting in today’s gospel is that it takes place just before Judas betrays the Lord. So, the Lord, in fact, had also washed the feet of Judas, knowing full well that he was about to betray him to the Scribes and Pharisees. This act of love to not only the other disciples, but to Judas, as well, gives us an example of how we are to treat all people, even those that we may have problems with. The Lord loved Judas and was willing to wash his feet even though the Lord knew Judas was about to betray him. This ultimate humility towards Judas teaches us how we are to treat all people in our lives, even those that we may feel betrayed by.

Further in today’s gospel we hear the Lord make it clear that he was not only truly man, but truly God. The Lord says, “From now on I am telling you before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe that I AM.” (John 13:19) These words, “I AM” are the words that God used with Moses when God sent Moses to the people and declared that he is God, using the phase, “I AM WHO AM.” So, this helped make it clear to the disciples of who Jesus truly is: true God and true man.

As we meditate on this scripture, let us truly remember that we are to serve others in our lives, even those that we may have issues with, and also remember that Jesus is true God and true man. Let us always pray to the Lord to ask him to not only have love for God, but to have love for all those people in our lives, even those we may find it difficult to deal with.

I am the bread of life.

 

Scripture readings for this reflection can be found at https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/042326.cfm

In our gospel for today we continue with the Bread of Life discourse.  Throughout John chapter 6 Jesus is teaching about how we will be fed on His Body and Blood in the Eucharist. The Lord goes on and teaches that unless we eat of his body and drink of his blood we will have no life in us. Jesus tells us in today’s reading,  “Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died; this is the bread that comes down from heaven so that one may eat it and not die.” 

Many of those listening to Jesus had a problem understanding and accepting this teaching, thinking he was talking about cannibalism. We know that Jesus is able to give us His Body and Blood at every Mass. It’s not symbolic, but truly His Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity. 

Let us be truly grateful for this wonderful gift of the Lord each time we attend Mass. 

"We must obey God rather than men.”

 

Scripture readings for this reflection can be found at Thursday of the Second Week of Easter | USCCB

In our first readings from the Acts of the Apostles, we hear of the ongoing persecution of the apostles as they continue to proclaim that Jesus rose from the dead on Easter Sunday. They faced imprisonment and harassment for proclaiming the Risen Lord.

The apostles persisted in preaching the Risen Lord and so serve as an example of how we are to live out our faith in Jesus Christ. When challenged by the religious leaders (who could not bring themselves to mention Jesus' name), Peter famously says, "We must obey God rather than any human authority" (Acts 5:29). There will always be people in our families and friends that may say to us, “…to stop teaching in that name.” People simply don’t want to hear about Jesus and the fact that he is Lord and Messiah. But we must be persistent in our sharing our faith in Jesus Christ. It doesn’t need to be as dramatic as with the apostles where we may be arrested and thrown in jail. Or we may not be called to stand on the street corner with bible in hand preaching Jesus. But we are called to live out our lives in a way that people will know that we are followers of Jesus Christ. We are called to preach Jesus by loving God and loving our neighbor. Like the apostles, we are to be counter-cultural in living out our Christian Faith, which is contrary to how society sees things.

Frequent attendance at Daily and Sunday mass, regular time for daily prayer and treating people with love and respect is how we are to preach Jesus Christ to a world that may reject who the Lord is. But, like the apostles we are to be persistent in our faith in the Risen Lord. We are to place God first in all our actions.

The Lord has Risen, indeed he has Risen from the Dead.

GOD OF THE OPEN ARMS

Savior, King, Messiah, LORD, 

JESUS, our Emmanuel

So many names, such mystery!

But on this Christmas morn I see 

Another name You are to me

And have been throughout history:

You're the GOD of the open arms.

 

Since Eden You've extended grace

So we could turn and seek Your face.

Your people failed and turned away,

But when they turned to You and prayed,

If only with a fleeting glance, 
You'd offer them a second chance:

You're the GOD of the open arms.

 

At last You came at Bethlehem

To Mary, shepherds and Wise Men.

Your tiny arms were open wide

To welcome all who came inside 

The stable, then the house.

God Incarnate, in Your flesh we see

What You've been from eternity:

The GOD of the open arms.

 

You grew, and then as a grown man

You proved that all could come to You

With burdens, sorrows, sin and pain

And in You we'd be born again.

You taught us the unchanging love

Comes from the Father up above,

For prodigal returning home

Find the GOD of the open arms.

 

Then one dark day at Calvary

Your loving arms stretched open wide

Were nailed upon the Cross to be

Embracing all humanity.

You died to save the world from sin

For anyone who'll let You in.

Your death to be the seal to prove

You're the GOD of the open arms.

 

And when You rose from death You came

To frightened friends who saw Your face,

And once again felt Your embrace

As the GOD of the open arms.

 

And still Your arms are open wide

To welcome all to come inside.

You touch us in Your Word and prayer

And Sacrament abiding there.

 

Someday I trust I'll see Your face

And run into Your warm embrace,

When I am finally HOME to dwell

With my GOD of the open arms.

 

(c) Copyright 2014 by Arlene B. Müller (Arlene Clare Müller, OSF).

“Were not our hearts burning within us while he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?”

 

Scripture readings for this reflection can be found at Daily Bible Reading - April 8, 2026 | USCCB

In our gospel for today we read of another Resurrection encounter with Jesus.  This story of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus has always been one of my favorite stories of an encounter with the Risen Jesus. 

These two disciples, grieving over the death of Jesus, have no idea that he rose from the dead. They seemed to have forgotten the times before Good Friday when the Lord predicted his death and resurrection. Then a beautiful thing happens on the Road to Emmaus: Jesus joins them and enters into conversation with them and starts explaining scripture to them about all that was predicted about His Death and Resurrection. Wanting to hear more, as they approached where they were staying in the village, something wonderful happens: Jesus blesses the bread, breaks it, and gives it to them. It was then that their eyes were opened. Then Jesus vanishes. They were so overjoyed that they had to return to Jerusalem to share the good news with the other disciples, who in turn had their own resurrection story.

This gospel story of the Apostles on the Road to Emmaus reminds me of what we encounter each time we go to Mass. First, we hear scripture readings, then the priest or deacon attempts to explain the meaning of the Scripture, then we move on to the Eucharist, the Breaking of Bread. We, like these men on the Road to Emmaus, encounter Jesus each time we attend Mass, both through Scripture and through the Eucharist. We are called, like these disciples, to go and bring the Good News of the Risen Jesus to all those in our lives. 

As we live out our lives as Christians, let us always be open to share with others the Good News that Jesus took our sins to the Cross, died for us and rose glorious on Easter Sunday. Let us always say, like the apostles, “The Lord has truly been raised..." (Luke 24:34)

Mary went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord."

 

Scripture readings for this reflection can be found at Daily Bible Reading - April 7, 2026 | USCCB

On this Tuesday in the Octave of Easter, we hear in the Gospel of John Mary Magdalene's encounter with the Risen Jesus at the Tomb. She's there in front of the empty tomb, crying and weeping due to the death of Jesus on Good Friday. Then she has a vision of angels telling her that the Lord has been raised from the dead. At first, she finds it hard to believe. Then Jesus approaches her. At first, she doesn't recognize him. She only comes to recognize him when he calls her by name. After her encounter with Jesus, he instructs her to share the Good News of His Resurrection with the disciples!!

Overjoyed, she runs to the disciples to bring the Good News of the Risen Lord. We, like Mary, are each called by name by Jesus to bring the Good News of the Risen Jesus to those in our lives. We experience the Risen Jesus each time we receive Him in Holy Communion at Mass and each time we study scripture and meet him in our daily prayer routine. 

During this time of Easter, let us not be afraid to share the Good News of the Risen Jesus with all those in our lives. Say to them, “I have seen the Lord,” and share with them the Love that Jesus has for each one of us.