Sunday, May 24, 2026

PENTECOST SUNDAY

(Acts 2:1-11; I Corinthians 12:3-7, 12-13; John 20:19-23)

Pentecost is the feast of the Holy Spirit. On this day we celebrate the coming of the Spirit upon Jesus’ disciples to proclaim him as Lord. This feast has never received much attention in the United States. For most people here, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day overshadow its importance. In other countries, however, Pentecost attracts the attention of both Catholics and non-Catholics. These nations have retained the custom of observing the day afterwards as a public holiday.

Perhaps the difficulty in celebrating Pentecost lies in the mysterious figure of the Holy Spirit. In the Bible, God the Father and God the Son are presented as human figures, but the Spirit is portrayed through unusual images. He appears as a dove descending upon Jesus at his Baptism. He is the wind hovering over the waters in the creation story of Genesis and restraining the waves in the salvation story of Exodus. In the gospel passage today, the Spirit is described as the breath Jesus blows on his disciples.

Another difficulty faced when considering the Holy Spirit as God is defining his role in creation. If the Father is the Creator and the Son is the Redeemer, what does the Spirit do? To answer properly, we must clarify that the Son and the Spirit also share roles in creation. Furthermore, the Father and the Spirit carry out redemption together with the Son. Because God is one, the roles of the three Persons cannot be separated. Generally, the Spirit is associated with the sanctification of humanity, although the Father and the Son also participate in this work.  We call the Spirit “the Sanctifier,” the one who fills the soul with grace.

We can examine the Scripture readings today for additional ways of understanding the Holy Spirit.  In addition to describing how the Holy Spirit moves Jesus’ disciples to proclaim him to the world, the reading from the Acts of the Apostles presents the Spirit as the New Law. To understand how we must understand the context. The feast of Pentecost is of Jewish, not Christian. origin. The Jews celebrated God’s giving their ancestors the Law on the fiftieth day of their exodus from Egypt. Here God presents to the disciples of Jesus his Spirit as a law written upon the heart. God is fulfilling His promise to the prophet Jeremiah to write a new law on human hearts. This law works within us so that the love it commands becomes our way of life. (Yes, at times it seems difficult to live it out, but we have the witness of the saints that it is possible.)

Saint Paul writes about the gifts of the Holy Spirit in the First Letter to the Corinthians. They are more numerous than the seven mentioned by the prophet Isaiah.  But all are necessary because the project of the Spirit is to build up the Church, the Body of Christ, throughout the world. Additionally, the Spirit forms us into that Body which the Spirit Himself animates.  In other words, the Spirit, who is love, acts through us, the members of Christ’s body. The importance of this truth may be seen in the final biblical passage today.

The Gospel shows how the Holy Spirit renews the face of the earth.  By empowering the apostles to forgive sins, the Spirit saves people from being lost in guilt. Forgiveness grants us a new opportunity to please God through our service. Furthermore, the Spirit of forgiveness is bestowed upon all of Jesus’ disciples, whether ordained or not.  He, the Spirit, enables us to forgive offenses committed against us. Without this aid to forgiveness, the world would have no future. It would be destroyed by revenge, growing ever more violent through the centuries with technology.

In short, the Holy Spirit is God’s gift of Himself to us. We are edified as He builds us into the Body of Christ. As members of Christ’s Body, we become participants of His divine nature and heirs of His eternal happiness.

 

Friday, May 22, 2026

 Friday of the Seventh Week of Easter

 (Acts 25:13b-21; John 21:15-19)

 Many evangelical Protestants openly profess their love of Jesus.  But surely love of the Lord is as much a characteristic of true Catholics.  Mother St. Teresa of Kolkata used to describe herself by saying, “By blood, I am Albanian. By citizenship, an Indian. By faith, I am a Catholic nun. As to my calling, I belong to the world. As to my heart, I belong entirely to the Heart of Jesus.”

 Some will scoff at the idea that one can love another who has never been physically present.  They will ask, “How can we say that you love someone who died two thousand years ago?”  And they will dismiss as fanatical one who claims to love another who has millions of professed lovers.  But these objections do not faze believers.  They know that Jesus is alive and dwells within them spiritually. 

 We too can have a personal relationship with Jesus like Peter in today’s gospel.  By meditating on the words he left us and by caring for the poor, we sense his closeness.  Because he is God, the author of all life, he will assist us who hold him as our beloved. 

Thursday, May 21, 2026

 

Thursday of the Seventh Week of Easter

(Acts 22:30.23:6-11; John 17:20-26)

From its earliest days the Church has been plagued by disunity.  In several places the New Testament tells of unauthorized preachers spreading discord.  There are thousands of sects today.  Recently two large groups have strained relations with the Bishop of Rome to the extent that both may splinter.

One group claims that the Second Vatican Council was in error.  It specifies, contrary to the Council’s teaching, that people may not follow their consciences in choosing a religion and that seeking reunion with break-off churches and communities undermines the pope’s authority.  The other group seeks to liberalize the Church’s teachings on sexual morality. 

In today’s gospel Jesus prays for unity among all who believe in him.  He realizes the difficulty of keeping human minds and hearts united endowed as they are with free will and a gamut of emotions. Accordingly, Pope Leo recognizes that true unity comes from full union with Christ.  The Church must ever strive to attain the love Jesus had for his disciples.  It does so by rooting itself in his teaching and seeking reunion based on its truths.

Wednesday, May 20, 2026

 

Wednesday of the Seventh Week of Easter

(Acts 20:28-38; John 17:11b-19)

Is the world as evil as Jesus indicates in today’s gospel reading? He says, “… the world hated (his disciples) because they do not belong to the world.”  Yet we don’t experience everything in the world objectionable.  Don’t we enjoy seeing butterflies and listening to music, even find them edifying? 

Without taking away the unique brilliance of the fourth gospel, commentators have noted its tendency to categorize all things as good or bad.  The good is what belongs to God’s original creation and to what Christ has redeemed.  Some of creation’s good, however, has been corrupted by Satan’s rebellion against God’s order. These are actions stemming from pride and its derivatives: lust, greed, and thirst for power.

Followers of Christ are in the world, but they resist Satan’s evildoing.  They may use and indeed enjoy aspects of the world when those things are aligned with God’s authority.  But when the things compete with God for priority, Christ’s disciples reject them firmly.  In the gospel, Jesus prays that his Father enlightens his followers to always choose wisely.

Tuesday, May 19, 2026

 

Tuesday of the Seventh Week of Easter

(Acts 20:17-27; John 17:1-11a)

The two principal readings today present parting words.  In the first, Paul bids farewell to the leaders of the Church in Ephesus.  In the gospel, Jesus prays for his disciples as he prepares to hand himself over to redeem the world.  Both men give strong testimony to their faith, Paul in Jesus and Jesus in his Father.

Paul is not bragging when he mentions his efforts to preach the gospel.  He is saying that the gospel deserves one’s best efforts.  It brings life if accepted and death if rejected.  Jesus says something similar.  As he prays, he tells his disciples that the Father has chosen them with the implication that they go out to tell the world about Him. They must teach others about God’s ways as he taught them. 

We have had preachers and teachers tell us about God.  We continue to learn God’s ways from them.  But our responsibility does not end with knowledge.  We too have been chosen to tell others about God’s ways.  As Paul says, it is a matter of life and death.

Monday, May 18, 2026

 

Monday of the Seventh Week of Easter

(Acts 19:1-8; John 16:19-23)

In today’s passage from the Gospel of John Jesus tells his disciples that they will leave him for their own homes.  In fact, the gospel reports this happening.  After Jesus’ resurrection appearances in the locked room, the disciples are next seen back in Galilee.  Jesus will appear to them again standing on the seashore.  He will urge them to preach the gospel when he tells them to cast their nets.  He will also commission Peter to support and guide those who believe in the disciples’ preaching.

During today’s discourse Jesus indicates the reason for their eventual leaving Jerusalem.  They will have no peace there.  They will fear the Jews who will not want them around to preach in Jesus’ name.  Depressed that Jesus’ mission is apparently lost, they will not bother to pursue it further.  Jesus here gives advanced warning so that fear and depression do not overwhelm them.  He reassures them of his presence by stating that the Father is with him.  Earlier in the discourse (14:20), he told them that as the Father is in him, he is in his disciples.

Fear and depression keep some of us from living our faith in Christ.  In parts of the world Christians are being harassed and persecuted.  In western societies we shun the loneliness and frustration of living in accord with principles of faith. It is critical that we remember Jesus’ promise to be with us.  We can turn to other members of his Body as validating what he said.  He is turning our desolation to fulfillment and our sadness to joy.

Sunday, May 17, 2026

THE ASCENSION OF THE LORD
(Acts 1:1-11; Ephesians 1:17-23; Matthew 28:16-20)

There are only two accounts of the Ascension in the Bible; both were written by Luke. The first is found in his Gospel, and the second in the Acts of the Apostles. Interestingly, the accounts do not agree, at least regarding the day of the event. In the Gospel, the Ascension takes place on the night of the Resurrection. In Acts, Jesus stays with his disciples for forty days before ascending into heaven.

We may ask: which date is correct? Scholars do not offer a definitive answer to this question. They say that Luke probably wanted to conclude his Gospel on the very day of the Resurrection, the event of overwhelming importance for the Church, then and now. Meanwhile, they view the forty days of appearances as symbolic, indicating a period of instruction parallel to Jesus’ time in the desert. In any case, they consider the date of the Ascension less important than its meaning.

The Ascension affirms the lordship of Jesus Christ. When he ascends into heaven, the Father gives him all power to guide the events of the world to their fulfillment. He does this through the Holy Spirit, who forms the Church as the Body of Christ. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, the Church proclaims the Gospel to the whole world. In this way, it offers all men and women the opportunity to embrace salvation. While Jesus remains in the world, the Spirit stays with him. But once he takes his place at the Father’s side, the Son asks the Father to send the Spirit upon us. The Spirit makes us members of his Body to carry out his mission in the world.

We receive the Holy Spirit in Baptism. His presence within us is strengthened through Confirmation and the Eucharist. What are we going to do with so great a gift? In today’s Gospel, Jesus sends the apostles to all nations to teach what he has commanded. We can fulfill our role in this great mission by living with the selfless love inspired by the Spirit. Or we can avoid participation in the mission until the power of the Spirit atrophies within us like muscles that are never moved.

If we pray daily, asking the Lord for our relatives and companions, for those in need, and even for our enemies, we are fulfilling our role in the great mission of Jesus Christ. If we carry out our work well, fulfill our responsibilities at home, and live faithfully as citizens, we are fulfilling our role in the great mission. If we visit the sick, share our resources with the less fortunate, or teach those who lack education, we are also fulfilling our role in the mission.

On the other hand, if we pray only when we feel like it, we are avoiding participation in the mission of Jesus. If we always seek our own comfort, the praise of others, or financial gain, we are avoiding participation in the mission. If we perform no works of mercy, whether corporal or spiritual, we are also avoiding the mission.

There is a widow in El Paso, Texas, who for more than twenty years crossed the border once a week to teach English to the women of a sewing cooperative. Now, in her old age, she can no longer travel as before. Yet she continues serving the poor by writing thank-you notes to the cooperative’s benefactors. She is a living example of a person filled with the Holy Spirit, carrying out her role in the mission of Jesus.

Next Sunday we will celebrate Pentecost, the feast of the Holy Spirit. We will remember the coming of the Spirit upon the apostles and how he drove them out from the Temple to preach the Lord Jesus to the ends of the earth. The same Spirit sends us forth from this and every Mass to carry out our role in the mission of Jesus.

 

  

Friday, May 15, 2026

 

Friday of the Sixth Week of Easter

(Acts 18:9-18; John 16:20-23)

Successful poker players know when to play their hand and when to give it up.  From years of experience, they have a sense when their cards will win and when they will lose.  Similarly, in today’s reading from Acts Paul has an intuitive “vision” what the Lord Jesus wants him to do.  He has developed a firm understanding of his will through years of prayer.  He can say with confidence that the Lord wants him to stay in Corinth to preach the gospel.

Corinth is Greece’s principal port city.  From it ships traverse the Mediterranean, the center of the western world.  Based there, preachers have access to all the known nations.  The city was like a major airport hub city today.  From it preachers can easily reach the places in need of the Word of God.  Probably for this reason, the Lord wants Paul to establish a Christian base there.

In Paul’s vision the Lord assures him of both his accompaniment and his influence.  These advantages are immediately evidenced.  Gallio, the proconsul or governor of Corinth, is such a “friend” of the Lord.  He dismisses the Jews’ charge against Paul as frivolous so that Paul can continue preaching. 

The Lord is with us as well.  We need to develop a close relationship with him through prayer.  Then he will tell us when to proceed on a project and when to give it up as futile.  Paul gives the reason for his confidence in his Letter to the Romans: “If God is for us, who can be against us?”

Thursday, May 14, 2026

 

Feast of Saint Matthias, apostle

(Acts 1:15-17.20-26; John 15:9-17)

Today’s reading from Acts gives us hope and a warning.  Peter proclaims, “’The Scripture had to be fulfilled.’”  He is referring to Psalm 41 which says: “Even the friend who had my trust, who shared my table, has scorned me.”  His statement also rings true generally.  Scripture, the Word of God, will be fulfilled.  It includes the good news that God exonerates us from sin when we embrace His grace.  The gospel will likewise alleviate the fear deep within that our sins and shortcomings will ruin us.

Peter’s message implies that those of us who betray Jesus will be punished.  Whether because they do not follow Jesus’ teachings or because they absolutely reject Jesus as Lord, betrayers will be ousted from the community of the saved.  This judgment may sound harsh until we think of all the ways Jesus has favored us.

Do you suppose Matthias was happy to be chosen to replace Judas?  Maybe not!  The apostles were told that they would suffer the fate of Jesus, which meant a violent death. Yet he promised as well that he would accompany them until the end.  That is not death but eternal life.  This promise has become Scripture to be fulfilled.  With Jesus at our side as well, there is nothing to fear.  The bad news-good news we hear from Peter becomes our assurance of reaching our destiny in Christ.

 

Wednesday, May 13, 2026

 Wednesday of the Sixth Week of Easter

 (Acts 7:15.22-18.1; John 16:12-15)

 No doctrine of the Church is harder to grasp than the Holy Trinity.  How the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are both three and one almost defies explanation.  They are not three individuals making up a collective like a three-person volleyball team.  The three persons have but one mind and one will.  The Son, of course, has taken on a human nature, which involves his body in his heavenly presence.  But this extrinsic quality does not explain the real difference among the three.  They differ only by their relationships – one is Father; one is Son; and one is the life or Spirit among them.  In today’s gospel Jesus reassures his disciples with reference to the unique triad and unity of the Holy Trinity.

Jesus underscores the unity of the Trinity when he says that the Spirit will teach only what it receives from him.  In turn Jesus passes on only what he has received from the Father.  One might ask whether only the Spirit would be present to Jesus’ disciples or to Christians today.  No, Jesus has said in this same discourse that all three are present to his disciples.  The Church would formulate the Trinity’s presence in this way: “The Father is present to us through the Son and in the Holy Spirit.”

Although they are one, we can develop a relationship with each of the three divine persons.  To do this daily we can make an examination of conscience with the three in mind.  We can say, “Thank you” to the Father, the source of all things, for any good that we have experienced during the day.  We can say, “Forgive me,” to the Son who died because of our sins for any sins we committed.  And we can say, “Please…” to the Holy Spirit who is sent to help us for any special need we have tomorrow.

Tuesday, May 12, 2026

 

Tuesday of the Sixth Week of Easter

(Acts 16:22-34; John 16:5-11)

Robert Duvall, the recently deceased actor, made a movie called “The Apostle.”  He played the title role, a flawed but charismatic preacher.  The movie ends with the preacher on a chain gang leading fellow prisoners in a song praising the Lord.  Much like Paul and Barnabas in today’s reading from Acts, he never stopped evangelizing.

Song lifts up hearts.  It is especially helpful when working with children, the aged and the sick.  These people have limited self-preoccupation so that they aren’t embarrassed raising their voices, even if they sing off key.  Asking them to sing praise to God not only evangelizes; it also heightens their hope.

Nevertheless, singing is usually better when done well.  Even those who are inhibited when quality is lacking may be stirred to join in good singing.  In any case, singing praise to God should be encouraged because it gives God added glory.

Monday, May 11, 2026

 

Monday of the Sixth Week of Easter

(Acts 16:11-15; John 15:26-16:4a)

A most disconcerting aspect of the allegations against Cesar Chavez is that he was a representative of the Catholic Church as well as farmworker justice.  Chavez featured an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe on his protest marches.  He also acknowledged Catholic social teaching as a basis for worker rights, and he consulted churchmen on his policies and practices.  He even broke a twenty-five day fast by publicly taking Holy Communion.

Now that he is being discredited, the urgency of Jesus’ statement in today’s gospel that his followers testify to him is underscored.  Like priests’ abusing children, Chavez’ actions will turn people away from Christ instead of toward him.  They will deny themselves the truth and coherency of Christ’s teaching.  They will also be hindered from the benefit of faith in death.  It may be said without pretension that the welfare of the world depends upon good Christian witness.  Chavez unfortunately gave the opposite.

In a way we are in a bind.  We know that, by-and-large, committed Christians are faithful to Christ’s moral teachings.  Yet the exceptions to this rule cause public scandal and resultant harm.  Should we hide our faith so that we do not bring disgrace to Christ?  Of course, this suggestion opposes Jesus’ desire that we give testimony to him.  Rather a much better way of life is to develop virtue by right living when seen and unseen and by asking the Lord to send his Spirit to assist us.

Sunday, May 10, 2026

 

SIXTH SUNDAY OF EASTER(Mother's Day) 

(Acts 8:5-8, 14-17; 1 Peter 3:15-18; John 14:15-21)

Today is Mother’s Day, not only here but in many countries around the world. Because mothers have played such a vital role in our lives, it is worth reflecting on their spiritual contribution to us.  By "spiritual" we mean our orientation toward God. We want to examine how our mothers have helped us draw closer to Him?  Let’s look at the readings we have just heard for some principles of the spiritual life and apply them to the role of motherhood through examples from Scripture and the lives of the saints.

The reading from the Acts of the Apostles shows Peter and John praying for the converts in Samaria to receive the Holy Spirit. The Apostles want them to offer thanks and praise to God that characterize the Spirit. In the Gospel of Luke, Elizabeth is described as "filled with the Holy Spirit" when Mary visits her. The mother of John the Baptist exalts God when she declares Mary and the child in her womb "blessed." Saint Monica, the mother of Saint Augustine, similarly praised the Lord for her son's conversion.  She told her son: "One thing only did I desire... that I might see you a Catholic Christian before I died. My God has exceeded this abundantly, so that I see you now even despising earthly happiness and consecrated to His service." Our mothers taught us how to give thanks and praise to God when they taught us the Lord's Prayer.

In his letter, the Apostle Peter counsels his readers to be "ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope." As Christians, we seek to evangelize others with truthful and solid explanations. This reminds me of the Canaanite mother who gives the Lord a compelling reason to cast the demon out of her daughter. Saint Perpetua was a mother when she was arrested for being a Christian. In her diary she wrote how she explained to her father that she preferred to suffer martyrdom rather than give up her faith. Our mothers taught us how to defend the faith when they answered our earnest questions, such as: "What happens when we die?"

Today's Gospel urges us to love Christ by keeping His commandments. His first commandment is to love God above all things. In the Second Book of Maccabees, we read about a widowed mother who watched each of her seven sons be martyred. She consoled her youngest and last to be killed: "The Creator of the universe... will in his mercy give life and breath back to you again, since you now disregard yourselves for the sake of his laws" (II Mac 7:22-23). In the last century, Saint Gianna Beretta Molla, an Italian physician, refused a treatment that would have saved her own life but destroyed the life of her unborn baby. It was an act of selfless love for God as much as for her daughter. For many of us, our mothers were the first to teach us to follow God's will by obeying our consciences.  They would tell us: "Let your conscience be your guide."

When the children of one family asked their mother what she would like for Mother’s Day, Christmas, or her birthday, she invariably responded: "Good children." It is true. To please our mothers, we need only develop virtue so that we live justly amidst the evil of this world. We may add that living virtuously includes observing the Fourth Commandment: "Honor your father and your mother."

 

 

Friday, May 8, 2026

 

Friday of the Fifth Week of Easter

(Acts 15:22-31; John 15:12-17)

Sr. Marie Chin was a Sister of Mercy from Jamaica who became famous as a speaker on the spirituality of mercy.  She told the story of how she discovered mercy with the help of a leper.  When she was in secondary school she accompanied a woman religious to a leper colony.  Knocking on the door of one of the huts, they heard a voice from inside say, “Come in.” Entering, she saw something that repulsed her.  The leper, named Miss Lillian, had a completely deformed face.  When she stretched out her arm, which was little more than a stump without fingers, to the youth, Marie was taken aback again.  “Go on,” Miss Lillian prodded, “put your hand in mine.”  Marie responded, “I can’t; I’m afraid.”  The leper woman said, “Yes, you can.”  Marie said that she did not know where the grace came to touch the rotten flesh, but suddenly she was shaking hands with the leper. The story may help us to understand why Jesus has to command us to love one another.

As anyone over twenty should realize, love is often not easy.  Fyodor Dostoyevsky called love in action “a harsh and dreadful thing.”  Love, after all, requires commitment and often suffering as well.  We could never love everybody, and some of us might never love anybody without Jesus’ command.  We also need Jesus’ help to accomplish the seemingly impossible feat of loving as he loved. 

Let us not worry if we do not feel affection for others.  Affection is not of the essence of love.  We must, however, treat everyone with respect.  Those for whom we feel a particular repulsion we can, at least, pray for.  We pray that they receive God’s grace to become better people and to know His eternal love.

 

Thursday, May 7, 2026

 

Thursday of the Fifth Week of Easter

(Acts 15:7-21; John 15:9-11)

The primitive Church community faces a monumental problem in today’s reading from Acts. Should it set aside the Jewish law that has given its members a sense of distinctiveness, rectitude, and stability to accept new members who for good reason cannot abide by the rule?  The Church here is not alone in confronting a dilemma imposed by the law.  In the play Billy Budd, the protagonist -- as innocent a soul as ever existed -- is tried for an infraction that carries a death sentence. Budd did what was prohibited by law, but the circumstances seem to excuse him.

Maliciously accused by an officer of mutiny, Budd’s speech impediment incapacitated him from defending himself verbally.  To protest the lie, Budd struck the officer who fell to the floor, hit his head, and died.  The jury must decide if Budd is guilty of striking an officer.  Similarly in the first reading, the governing body of apostles and presbyters must decide whether God permits willing but uncircumcised men into the community of disciples.  Peter provides the winning argument.  He tells the jury that circumcision, the traditional sign of faith, is not the only sign.  Rather evidence of being moved by the Holy Spirit provides even greater evidence of a person’s faith.  

After James, the leader of the community, indicates agreement with Peter, the leadership decides to allow admittance of uncircumcised men to the community.  In contrast, Billy Budd is hanged for his action.  We are chastened to be very discerning about how we judge.  Rules need not dictate every case.  Rather intent and other circumstances may affect culpability.

Wednesday, May 6, 2026

Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Easter

(Acts 15:1-6; John 15:1-8)

“Mary’s Meals” sounds like a local church outreach to impoverished homebound people.  The reality, however, is that the organization feeds three million children a day at educational sites in seventeen underdeveloped countries.  The organization was founded by a Catholic Scotsman as the fruit of his devotion to the Blessed Mother.  It exemplifies the abundant fruit on the branches in today’s gospel parable.

Jesus uses the image of a vine and branches to indicate the potential of his love.  Staying connected to Jesus, disciples receive a copious supply of his love.  Nourished by that love, they will do much good.  Disciples are under the Father’s care.  He will prune them of defects that hinder fructification.  But disciples must stay connected to Jesus through Scripture and the sacraments.  If they wander from him, their fruit will taste like bitter grapes.

Sometimes our lives become very busy.  We have a dozen things to do and very little time.  We may have to limit our prayer, but we should never eliminate it.  Quite the contrary, we should pray as we begin to address the demands before us and periodically turn to Jesus in our activity.  Keeping Jesus in mind will make our work abundantly worthwhile.

Tuesday, May 5, 2026

 

Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Easter

(Acts 14:19-28; John 14:27-31a)

Most Americans are aware of Adolph Hitler’s false promise of peace to English Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain before World War II.  Far fewer realize that the United States government made a similar bogus promise to the Sioux Nation in 1868.  In the Treaty of Fort Laramie the U.S. government promised the Sioux a reservation that included the Black Hills.  Then, after gold was discovered in the Black Hills. Congress unilaterally abrogated that treaty.  The point here is not to condemn the United States, but to show how tenuous peace is among humans. 

For this reason Jesus tells his disciples in today’s gospel that the peace he gives is not like the world’s peace.  His peace is the shalom of closeness to God.  Its surety might be compared to the security a child feels sleeping between his parents.  Jesus can promise this peace because in dying to redeem the People, he carries out his Father’s will.

We should be wary of false promises of peace in our day.  A home in the country, a cruise in the Mediterranean, or a luxury SUV may turn into a nightmare.  But when we put our trust in God, we will not end disappointed.

Monday, May 4, 2026

 

Monday of the Fifth Week of Easter

(Acts 14:5-18; John 14:21-26)

Today’s reading from Acts relates to what Pope Leo XIV told the people of Angola two weeks ago.  The reading tells how St. Paul chastises the people of Lystra for wanting to offer sacrifices to men as if they were gods.  In Angola Pope Leo warned the people of syncretism, the amalgamation of established faith with pagan practices to essentially form a new religion.

Appearing in Christian practice, syncretism corrupts the truth of faith.  When the Lystrians prepare sacrifices for Paul and Barnabas, they are making them gods.  They should realize, before they lose their way to Him, that the true God requires their utmost devotion.  If they dally with other gods, who can give them nothing, they will not develop the sacrificial love that leads to salvation.

We think of syncretism as a practice of unsophisticated people. But individuals in developed countries also practice syncretistic belief.  Burying a statue of St. Joseph upside-down to sell one’s house, for example, combines superstition with the cult of the saints.  Something similar may be said of entering a church for Mass and then refusing to participate in the prayers.  We can depend on God’s love for us.  But our love for God, which is necessary for salvation, requires the truth of faith.

Sunday, May 3, 2026

FIFTH SUNDAY OF EASTER

(Acts 6:1–7; 1 Peter 2:4–9; John 14:1–12)

Each year during the seven weeks of Easter, we hear passages from the Acts of the Apostles. This biblical book narrates the development of the early Christian community in Jerusalem and shows how the Holy Spirit promotes the spread of the Gospel throughout the world. The reading we hear today recounts how the community overcomes a problem inherent in every human organization.

Administrative problems appear in organizations as small as the family and as large as the national government. It is inevitable that, at some point, those responsible for administration will overlook someone’s need or have disagreements among themselves. The early Christian community is no exception. But it is exceptional in that it resolves the problem without resentment (at least as recorded in Acts) and with dependence on God.

Believers follow Jesus by holding close to their hearts certain principles regarding the disposition of material resources. First, no one should be in need. Clearly, the concern here is for the poor. Second, everyone should place their goods at the service of the community. This principle challenges especially the well to do. Typically, they have worked hard to obtain their possessions and do not want to see them wasted. And third, the apostles should distribute goods from the community dispensary according to each person’s need.

However, as the community experiences rapid growth, the apostles are unable to meet the increasing demand. The reading tells us that the widows of the Greek-speaking group are lacking food. They are Jews of the diaspora, who settled in Jerusalem and converted to Jesus. They turn to the apostles for help in sustaining themselves. But, being devoted to preaching, the apostles cannot meet their needs. For this reason, they must find another way to care for the widows.

Their procedure is instructive. Rather than viewing the problem as political, the apostles address it as administrative. That is, they do not dwell on why it is the “Greek widows” who are in need. Instead, they propose a solution that may cost them influence but will, in the long run, benefit everyone. They call the community together to select seven men who can serve as administrators of the communal pantry.

Three qualities are proposed for selecting the seven. Each must be a man of good reputation so that people can trust him. He must be filled with the Holy Spirit in order to guide others in ways of justice. Finally, he must have prudence to manage the common resources. Then the apostles lay hands on them to invoke the Spirit, who grants them the authority to carry out their new ministry.

We might ask how the Holy Spirit comes to the seven. Today’s Gospel gives us the key to understanding the transmission of the Holy Spirit. Jesus says that he goes to prepare a place for his disciples in his Father’s house. We often think of God’s house as being in some heaven beyond the stars. But at the beginning of this Gospel, Jesus associates his Father’s house with his own body. Jesus prepares a place for us in his Father’s house by giving himself over to be crucified and rising from the dead. Baptized into this Paschal mystery, we become members of the Body of Christ, the house of the Father where the Holy Spirit dwells.

The presence of the Holy Spirit within us gives us a new life of grace to live in this world with eternal life as our goal. The seven receive a double portion of the Spirit for their ministry of attending to the physical needs of the people.

We are approaching Pentecost, the feast of the Holy Spirit. More than celebrating the “birthday of the Church,” it is a time to reflect on how the Holy Spirit is guiding us and to ask for the gifts needed to do His will. He will not fail us. He must renew the face of the earth, and He wants us to help Him in this task.