5th Week of Easter 2026 - Wednesday (School Mass) - Belly Buttons, Vines & Branches

 

Why do you have a belly button? Do you know?

Your belly button is actually a scar, marking the spot where you were connected to your mother by a cord—called an umbilical cord, while you were still a tiny baby growing in your mother’s womb. Around the time you were 5-7 weeks old in your mother’s belly, so 33 weeks before you drew your first breath in the world, when you were just half an inch big, you were connected to her by this cord at your belly button. And through that cord, your tiny little body received from your mother oxygen, nutrients, blood. You were completely dependent upon her for life.

So make sure you thank your mother and thank God for the gift of your mother this weekend on Mother’s Day.

In the Gospel today, Jesus uses an image very much like that cord that connects us to our mothers for life. He says, “I am the vine, you are the branches… Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me.” Just like you could not have physical life as a little baby unless you remained connected to your mother, you cannot have spiritual life unless you remain connected to Jesus.

“Without me, you can do nothing” he says.

Now, that does not mean you cannot do your math homework without Jesus, or eat your lunch without Jesus, or tie your shoes without Jesus. He means that without him, we cannot have the kind of life that matters most: the life of grace, the life of holiness that leads to heaven. We cannot become the saints God created us to be unless we remain connected to him.

And how do we stay connected to Jesus?

We stay connected to him by prayer. Every time you pray, even very simply, you are turning your heart toward Jesus.
We stay connected to him by listening to his word. When we hear Scripture, when we learn about the faith, when we pay attention at Mass, Jesus is speaking to us.
We stay connected to him by obeying him. When we choose honesty instead of lying, kindness instead of cruelty, purity instead of sin, forgiveness instead of revenge, we remain in his love.
And of course, we stay connected to him through the sacraments, especially the Holy Eucharist, where Jesus gives us his very self, and Confession, where we become reconnected to Jesus when we sever ourselves from his life through serious sin.

A branch cut off from the vine may look fine for a little while. It may still look green. But it is already dying, because it is no longer connected to its source of life. That can happen to us spiritually too. A person can look fine on the outside, but if he stops praying, stops listening to God, stops going to Mass, stops receiving the sacraments, and chooses sin again and again, then the life of Jesus in the soul begins to weaken.

But the good news is that Jesus wants us close to him. He wants us to have his life in us. He wants us to bear fruit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, and holiness.

So today Jesus gives us a very important reminder: stay connected to me. Remain in me. Do not drift away. Do not allow yourself to live without me, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

 

Trusting in Jesus Christ, the true vine, from whom we receive the life of grace, let us bring our prayers before our heavenly Father.

For the Church:  that she may always remain deeply united to Christ and help all people grow in faith, holiness, and love, let us pray to the Lord.

In anticipation of Mother’s Day, we pray for mothers, grandmothers, and all women who care for children with love and sacrifice: that God may bless them, strengthen them, and reward them for the gift of their love, let us pray to the Lord.

For our academy community: that our students, teachers, and families may stay connected to Jesus through prayer, obedience, and the sacraments, let us pray to the Lord.

For those who feel far from God: that they may hear the voice of Jesus calling them back to remain in his love and receive the life only he can give, let us pray to the Lord.

For the sick, the lonely, and those who are suffering: that remaining close to Christ, they may receive strength, peace, and hope, let us pray to the Lord.

For our beloved dead: that they may live forever with Christ in the joy of heaven, let us pray to the Lord.

Heavenly Father, you give us life through your Son, Jesus Christ, the true vine. Hear these prayers and keep us always united to him, who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.

 

5th Week of Easter 2026 - Monday - He will teach you

 

Already we near the end of the Easter Season and the great feast of Pentecost. Our Scripture readings have even begun to signal Pentecost by mention of the Holy Spirit. In the Gospel today, the Lord announces, “The Advocate, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name—he will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I told you.” The Holy Spirit will teach what Jesus taught in the Father’s name—for Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are teachers.

It is clear from Scripture that God is teacher—he bestows knowledge and wisdom on us that we may live in righteousness. In the Psalms, God says, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go” Isaiah prophesied about a time when the peoples of the earth cry out, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, To the house of the God of Jacob; That He may teach us concerning His ways.”

It is clear from the beginning of his ministry that Jesus is a teacher. He teaches his followers in the ways of holiness and beatitude, he teaches about the kingdom of God, and prayer, and how to attain heaven.

The Holy Spirit, too, is a teacher. How so?

First, the Holy Spirit teaches by guiding the Apostles and their successors into the fullness of truth. The Spirit does not bring a new Gospel, but ensures that the Church never loses, distorts, or forgets what Christ revealed.

Second, the Holy Spirit teaches through the Church’s Magisterium. Jesus entrusted his teaching authority to the Apostles, and the Spirit preserves that authority from error in matters of faith and morals. When the Church clarifies a doctrine, when a council gathers, when the Pope teaches definitively, Catholics believe the Holy Spirit is guiding that process. The Spirit ensures that the Church remains the “pillar and foundation of truth,” not because of human brilliance, but because God himself is the teacher.

Third, the Holy Spirit teaches through Scripture. The same Spirit who inspired the sacred authors continues to open the Scriptures for us. When a passage suddenly speaks to our hearts, when a line of the Gospel convicts us, consoles us, or challenges us—that is the Holy Spirit acting as teacher.

Fourth, the Holy Spirit teaches in the hearts of believers. Saint Paul says, “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit.” The Spirit forms our conscience, stirs our desire for holiness, and gives us insight into how to live the Gospel in the concrete circumstances of our lives. Whenever we experience a nudge toward goodness, a conviction to repent, or a deeper understanding of God’s love, the Spirit is teaching us from within.

Finally, the Holy Spirit teaches through the gifts he pours out on the Church—wisdom, understanding, counsel, knowledge, fortitude, piety, and fear of the Lord. Through these gifts, the Spirit shapes us into disciples, who are also called to instruct the ignorant, counsel the doubtful, correct the sinner, and comfort the afflicted.

As Pentecost approaches, let us pray for an openness to being taught by the Holy Spirit: for ourselves, the whole church, and the whole world, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

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As we prepare to celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, let us open our hearts to God’s grace and ask for the Spirit’s guidance in our lives.

For all Christians, that we may remain open to the Spirit’s instruction, constantly growing in our understanding and practice of the faith, let us pray to the Lord.

For all who are struggling with confusion, doubt, or temptation, that the Holy Spirit may remind them of Christ’s nearness and strengthen them in holiness and hope, let us pray to the Lord.

For those who teach the faith—parents, catechists, clergy, and educators, that the Holy Spirit may guide their words and example, helping others to encounter Christ through them, let us pray to the Lord.

For the sick, the dying, and those in need of comfort, that the Holy Spirit, the Consoler, may fill them with peace and strength, let us pray to the Lord.

For our beloved dead, that the Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead may bring them into eternal life, let us pray to the Lord.

Father, send your Holy Spirit into our hearts to teach us, remind us, and transform us in the image of your Son. Hear the prayers we offer today and grant us the grace to live as faithful disciples of Jesus. Through the same Christ our Lord.

5th Sunday of Easter 2026 - Jesus is the Way

 

“I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.”  Imagine the apostles hearing these words for the first time.

For centuries, the apostles and their Jewish ancestors had been praying to God in the psalms “Teach me your way, O Lord” and here Jesus was saying, “I AM the way.” They like their ancestors had been imploring God in their daily and weekly prayers, “Teach me your decrees” that “I may walk in your truth,” and here Jesus was saying, “I AM the Truth.” They had been begging God in times of difficulty and oppression, “Show me the path of life,” and here Jesus was claiming, “I AM the Life.”

“I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. In this profound declaration, Jesus declared to the apostles to be the answer to their deepest and most insistent longing for God. Yet, these desires and prayers were not exclusively Jewish, of course. They are deepest religious desires every human soul.

I’d like to focus today on that first declaration, where Jesus says, “I am the Way.”

Have you ever lost your way? Many of us carry around sophisticated Global Positioning Devices and satellite-connected maps with us wherever we go at this point, to avoid losing our way, and showing us the way to our destination because being lost is destabilizing, terrifying. Many people avoid traveling because losing ones way in strange places with strange people is terribly unsettling.

But have you ever lost your way, in life? The loss of a job, the death of a spouse, a financial setback, perhaps even retirement, can lead us to question: “what’s the way forward. What am I to do now?” Being at the crossroads of life can be overwhelming. Seniors in high school often feel this: do I go to college, do I get a job, do I join military service, or volunteer with the peace corp, or do some missionary work. “Where do I go?”

Sometimes the way forward is unclear among the many ethical or moral decisions we face: what is the right thing to do? What is the right thing to do to be happy. What is the right thing to extend my health. What is the right thing to do with my money, with my time? Here we often face real temptation: a choice to follow the way of the world or the way of God—and the way of God is not always easy.

Well, what does it matter if I follow the right way? Well, for thousands and thousands of years, in nearly every culture, we find that the an awareness of the fact that the way that we follow in this life has eternal consequences.  What is the way the leads to the best possible afterlife. If I want to avoid eternal punishment, if I want to live in a way in which I can rejoin my ancestors, what is the way to the best possible outcome of my existence?

And as Christians, we believe we have the answer to all of these questions: Jesus is The Way. What is the best way to live. Look at Him, follow Him, listen to Him, learn from Him. What is the best way to endure your trials: Jesus Christ. What is the way to live forever and be happy in eternity? Jesus Christ.

His prayer life, his obedience to the father, his teachings, his example, his outpouring of his life, his sacraments, his Church, his Most Sacred Heart, his embrace of the sinner, his mercy, He has the words of everlasting life. “No one comes to the Father, except through Him.”

Now, many people don’t believe this simple truth. They think they can be happy without him. Why do people choose not to follow Jesus? His Way is not always easy, it’s certainly not popular. It’s a blow to one’s ego to admit you need God. Americans especially, we like to pretend we are so self-reliant, that we can build a life on our own. We don’t need anyone telling us how to live, “I’ll decide my own way” thank you very much.

But we know that not every path leads to happiness, not every avenue leads to human flourishing. Just look at our world. Look at what happens when God is replaced with drugs, with promiscuity, with the pursuit of internet celebrity, with wealth and power at the expense of the happiness and well-being of others. A life centered on the false gods of the world will always result in exhaustion and unhappiness—restless, lonely, confused, addicted, enslaved.

Sin always makes grand promises it cannot keep. It says, “Choose yourself, indulge yourself, define yourself apart from God, and you will be happy.” But it never works. A life built apart from God eventually collapses because the human heart was not made for lesser gods. It was made for the living God.

Which is why Christians proudly profess that we should not settle for anything less than the best way to live: Jesus Christ.

And notice: Jesus does not merely say, “I will show you the way,” though he does. He says, “I am the Way.” The Christian life is not simply about following a list of rules or adopting a philosophy. It is about communion with a person. To walk the right path is to walk with him. To remain on the right road is to remain close to him. We lose our way when we drift from Him. We wander in darkness when we separate from Him.

Are you following the Way? In your priorities? In your use of your time? In your moral decisions? In your speech? In the way that you treat people? In the way you handle suffering, frustration, and disappointment?

How do you know if you are? Do you seek him? Do you include Him? Do you start every endeavor and end every endeavor pleading his help and thanking Him for his help? Do you draw near to Him? Are you still open to learning from Him? Are you growing in his grace? Are you rooting out the attitudes and behaviors that are inconsistent with His life? Are you being refreshed by Him near the restful waters of prayer every day? Are you seeking to decrease that He may increase? Are you committed to leading others to Him, so that they may too, walk in his ways?

Today the Lord places before us once again this beautiful, comforting, but demanding truth: “I am the Way.” If you want to know how to live, look to him. If you want to know how to love, look to him. If you want to know how to suffer, look to him. If you want to know how to be saved, look to him.

And so let us ask for the grace not merely to admire the way from a distance, but to walk it. Lord Jesus Christ, you are the Way. Lead us. Keep us close to you. Do not let us wander. Bring us through the confusion of this life into the joy of the Father’s house for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

April 29 2026 - St. Catherine of Siena (school mass) - The Courage to Encourage

 

Today, the Church celebrates a very courageous saint—St. Catherine from the Italian town of Siena.

St. Catherine was a member of a religious order called the Order of Preachers—the order founded by St. Dominic—also called the Dominicans.

St. Catherine possessed many gifts and virtues. She had a powerful intellect, she was a prolific writer, and for her great contributions to Church teaching has been named a Doctor of the Church. Catherin wasn’t just an intellectual though, she engaged in many great works of charity—she nursed the sick and visited prisoners in prison.

She also had many mystical, miraculous aspects of her life: she received the holy stigmata—the very wounds of Jesus’ crucifixion--on her hands, feet, and heart. She also had what is called the mystical gift of tears, she would weep in union with Jesus for the souls of sinners. For many years, she ate nothing, except, once a day she would receive the Lord’s body and blood—the eucharist.

Though she died in the year 1380—almost 650 years ago—her body has not deteriorated, but remains incorrupt. I’ve seen it, multiple time. I always go to visit the body of St. Catherine when I am in Rome.

But, I’d like to share with you today about St. Catherine’s courage. In the 1300s the King of France exerted tremendous political pressure upon the Church and convinced the Pope to move his residence from Rome to a city in France called Avignon.

So, instead of living in Rome, the place of Peter’s martyrdom, the Popes from 1309 to 1377 lived in France, during which time there was great turmoil in Europe—factions and violent hostility.

Each day, holy St. Catherine would make a pilgrimage to St. Peter basilica to pray for the Pope’s return to Rome, she wrote to the Pope and pleaded for his return. For 20 years, she prayed and wrote, until in the summer of 1376, she went to Avignon herself, and convinced Pope Gregory XI to return Rome despite the pressure of the French Cardinals who elected him.

“I beg of you, on behalf of Christ crucified, that you be not a timorous child but manly” she said…to the Pope. “Be a man”. Stand up and do what is right for the good of the Church.

It takes a lot of Courage to say something like that to the Pope, but she did so out of love for the Church, love for peace, love for souls. Catherine was not in competition with the Pope, she wanted Him to become the best man he could be. We must have the Courage to Encourage others.

Girls, ladies, please be like St. Catherine, encouraging the men in your life to be the best men they can be. And all of us, need to be like St. Catherine, who encourage each other to do what is right, even when we face earthly pressure. May each of us cultivate courage born of true holiness, in love of Jesus Christ, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

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Filled with Paschal joy, let us turn earnestly to God, to graciously hear our prayers and supplications.

 

For the shepherds of our souls, the pope, bishops, and clergy, that they may govern wisely the flock entrusted to them by the Good Shepherd, leading the Church in the increase in faith, hope, and love.

 

For the whole world, that it may truly know the peace of the Risen Christ.

 

That our parish may bear witness with great confidence to the Resurrection of Christ, and that the newly initiated hold fast to the faith they have received.

 

For our brothers and sisters who suffer, that their sorrow may be turned to gladness through the Christian faith.

 

That all of our beloved dead and all the souls in purgatory may come to the glory of the Resurrection.

 

O God, you know that our life in this present age is subject to suffering and need, hear the desires of those who cry to you and receive the prayers of those who believe in you. Through Christ our lord.

4th Sunday of Easter 2026 - "I am the Gate"

 

Since the reform of the liturgical calendar we have often refered to the 4^th Sunday of Easter as Good Shepherd Sunday. For. two out of three years of the Lectionary cycle on the 4^th Sunday of Easter we read Gospel passage for Our Lord claiming “I am the Good Shepherd”.

Like a shepherd, the Lord watches over, feeds, and cares for his flock. The good shepherds of Scripture patiently care for their flocks, leading them to safe pastures, pulling them out of thorn bushes when they foolishly stray into trouble. Jesus is the Good Shepherd—the best shepherd.

But we didn’t hear this Gospel passage this year, did we? For, every third year, on Good Shepherd Sunday, we hear a slightly different message, a slightly different image. “I am the gate for the sheep,” He says.

Perhaps not as intimate of an image as a loving tender shepherd, but certainly an important one. What is the purpose of a gate? For one, the gate is an entry point. “I am the gate, whoever enters through me will be saved.” Our Lord is the gate to salvation. He is the open door through which we enter into salvation and the good pasture of the Church and the life of God.

Back in 2011, in the seventh and final full year of his pontificate, Pope Benedict XVI ushered in a special “Year of Faith” with a document called “Porta Fidei” the door of faith, the gate of faith. The gate of faith, the holy Father writes, “is always open for us, ushering us into the life of communion with God and offering entry into his Church. It is possible to cross that threshold when the word of God is proclaimed and the heart allows itself to be shaped by transforming grace. To enter through that door is to set out on a journey that lasts a lifetime. It begins with baptism (cf. Rom 6:4), through which we can address God as Father, and it ends with the passage through death to eternal life, fruit of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, whose will it was, by the gift of the Holy Spirit, to draw those who believe in him into his own glory (cf. Jn 17:22).”

The gate of faith is a powerful image reminding us of our ultimate goal. Yes, the Lord loves us and cares for us in this life, but the purpose of faith, the goal of faith, the destination of our faith, is heaven. And it is through Christ, the Gate, the way, the truth, the life, that leads to heaven, "one one comes to the Father except through" Him. 

There is another purpose for gates alluded to by the Lord in the Gospel today. Gates keep-out robbers and thieves. Gates guard us, they protect us from those who wish us ill.

In the spiritual life, there are certainly those who wish us ill. The world, the devil, and the flesh, lead us away from Communion with God—away from the peace and joy of the Spirit. When Jesus Christ is the gate of your life, he protects you from all that would rob us of the peace and joy and life of God.

The truth of Jesus Christ enables us to discern right from wrong—fallacy from veracity—when we come across it in the media, in propaganda, or from false shepherds. The truth of Jesus Christ protects us from the lies and heresies promulgated by the devil which bring ruin to souls and division in the Church. When Christ the Truth is our gate, all ideas and opinions must pass through Him—and if they don’t pass the Truth-Test, they can be rejected. This includes temptation—temptation is the lie that we’ll be happy if we sin. But when Christ is our Gate—the empty promise of sin which brings us ruin can be identified and rejected.

When we do fall into temptation, there wasn’t a problem with the gate, it’s us who ignore all of the warning signs, and complicitly welcome those robbers and thieves into our souls.

The Christian life entails strengthening our relationship with Christ the Gate—developing a Christian filter for our choices and words.

Is Christ the gate of your speech? The words you use, the conversation you engage in, the texts you send, the internet posts you make?

We commit sins of speech when we fail to make Christ the Gate of our speech. The Catechism lists a number of sins of speech and communication, which are often sins against the 8^th commandment. The sin of bearing false witness and perjury. The sin of rash judgment, which assumes the moral fault of a neighbor without sufficient foundation; The sin of calumny involves spreading lies. The sin of detraction is when we disclose another's faults and failing to persons who did not know them and have no business knowing them, without objectively valid reasons. In other words, damaging a person’s good name without sufficient reason, even if told in confidence.

Due to social media, we see detraction and calumny, lies and unverified facts flowing like never before. Cyber-bullying, too, is rampant in many social groups, and has terrible effects on mental health for our young people. Many Catholics have fallen into the lax discipline over speech that plagues our modern world. Carelessness, cruelty, rash judgment, impatient grumbling and complaining.

The Christian life entails, putting on the mind of Christ, putting on the heart of Christ, and putting on the mouth of Christ, saying only what builds others up, leads them to truth, what is for the sake of the Gospel. Is it true, is it kind, is it necessary? “Is it true, is it kind, is it necessary”? Every word, every thought, every internet post, every text message, needs to pass through that filter. It sounds like a lot of work, but as you develop this filter, this virtue, it becomes easier and easier.

One of my favorite parts of the Mass, is right before the proclamation of the Gospel, we sign ourselves, don’t we, on our foreheads, our mouths, and on our breast, a simple, yet profound gesture. I was always taught to offer a little prayer at that point, to say something like, May the Lord be always in my thoughts, on my lips, and in my heart. We pray, at the point in the mass, that the gates of our minds might be opened to received and contemplate and understand the Gospel message, that our lips might be open to later go out and proclaim the Gospel message, and that our hearts might be open to love and live the Gospel message. 

So, may the Lord preside over our thoughts, words, and deeds this day. May nothing which is impure pass through our eyes or ears or through our lips or into our heart. May he guard us from the corruption of this generation and lead us to eternal life, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

3rd Week of Easter 2026 - Friday - Eucharist and Supernatural Life

Last week, remember, we read through the Lord’s conversation with Nicodemus in which Jesus speaks of supernatural and spiritual rebirth. Through baptism, we are born again through water and the spirit. What is spiritually dead in us is brought to new life, and not only that, but God’s supernatural grace raises—elevates—our human nature. The intellect is elevated by grace to know God not merely by natural reason, but by faith. The will is elevated enabling us to love God with charity, which is far beyond merely natural love or moral goodwill. 

Through baptismal grace we share in God’s own life and are now capable of acting in a way ordered to the ultimate supernatural end: union with the Trinity. Human nature, left to itself, cannot attain the beatific vision. No amount of natural intelligence, moral discipline, or sheer human effort can reach it. But through baptism, our earthly life can culminate in heavenly life.

But, in the Gospel today, Jesus explains that for the supernatural life to be sustained in us, we must eat supernatural food. “Unless you eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink his Blood, you do not have life within you.” The Eucharist sustains the supernatural life begun at baptism. 

When the body is deprived of food it languishes and dies; and it is the same with the soul. The Eucharist does not merely symbolize supernatural life; it actually communicates it, because it is not ordinary bread but the living Christ himself. “I am the bread of life”, says the Lord. 

The Eucharist nurtures the deepening of supernatural life. Every time we receive the Eucharist, we are offered a greater share and participation in the life of God, for the Eucharist strengthens the theological virtues. It nourishes faith, because in Holy Communion we entrust ourselves to Christ’s word and presence even when hidden under sacramental signs. It nourishes hope, because the Eucharist is a pledge of future glory, a foretaste of heaven. It nourishes charity, because the life of God is one of love—self-sacrificial love, and in the Eucharist, we become what we receive, says St. Augustine—the very Christ who gave himself as a ransom for many.

Like medicine that strengthens the body weakened by illness, the Eucharist strengthens the soul against spiritual disease—enabling us to withstand the assaults, temptations, and lies of the enemy.

 St. Cyprian, writing in the early third century, says Christians imprisoned and tortured for the name of Christ received from the hand of the Bishop the sacrament of the Body and Blood of the Lord, so they would not yield to a Roman prosecutor and deny their faith. Before going on trial, they pleaded, “Give me Communion, so I’ll be able to resist.” From the very beginning of the Church, this was the reason Holy Communion was brought to the Christians in prison, that they could be strengthened in their persecution and temptations.

Whenever you present yourself to receive the Eucharist, do so with openness to be strengthened in the Christian life, fortified against sin, desiring to grow in the life of the spirit, in faith, hope, and charity, in the gifts and fruits of the Spirit, for the mission of the Church, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls. 

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By offering His Body and Blood for us, Jesus reconciles the world to the Father. Therefore, we present our needs to God with confidence.

That the outpouring of charity in Christ’s Eucharistic Self-Sacrifice will become manifest in all of the Church’s activity in the world, in all marriages, in all of our business relations, family relationships and  daily encounters, in our care for the downtrodden and most vulnerable; among friends, strangers, and enemies.  

For Catholics who have fallen away from the Eucharist, that they may know the grace of sincere repentance and return to the table of the Lord.

That all of God's children may have sufficient bread for their physical life and the Bread of Life for their spiritual life. 

That those who have died may share the eternal life that Jesus promised to those who feed on the Bread from Heaven. 

Gracious Father, hear our prayers. Nourish us continually with your Son’s presence in the Eucharist, and grant us the grace to lead others to this divine source of eternal life. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

3rd Week of Easter 2026 - Wednesday (School Mass) - We belong to God

 

It seems strange that during this joyous easter season, we have these readings from the Acts of the Apostles about how the Church was being persecuted. Last week, we heard of how the apostles were thrown into jail for their Christian faith. Yesterday, the reading recounted the death of the first martyr, the deacon Stephen. Today’s reading picks up right where yesterday’s left off. With the death of Stephen a severe persecution broke out in Jerusalem, and Christians were scattered to the country side.

Why do we focus on imprisonment, persecution, suffering, and martyrdom during this season of joy?

The Church reads from the Acts of the Apostles during Easter because it contains the testimony of how ordinary, frightened disciples became courageous because they knew that their redeemer lived. We see how the first Christians were able to keep going, keep loving, keep preaching, keep serving, even when life became difficult because Jesus Christ was risen from the dead, and they believed that preaching and serving the Gospel was the most important thing they could do for themselves and others.

These stories are so powerful for us because they help us to be courageous and to serve God when it is difficult as well. I can’t promise you that being a follower of Jesus will help you overcome a fear of heights, or spiders, or other phobias. But I can promise you that as you seek to follow Jesus more and more faithfully, you will become a more courageous, generous, loving, peaceful, wise Christian. As you begin to hand your minds and your hearts over to Jesus more and more, he will help you overcome temptation, he will give you strength of spirit, he will help you carry the burdens of your life—including the burdens that other people do not even know about—troubles at home, grief, loneliness, or social pressure.

In the Gospel, Jesus says, I will not lose anyone who comes to me, but I will raise them up on the last day. Here was another powerful reminder to the early church. Following Jesus means that you belong to God. And God does not lose things, like we do.

The early Christians were scattered by persecution, but wherever they went, Jesus was with them. So too with us. Whenever we experience the pressure and hatred of the world for being Christian, God is with us. In whatever true challenges we face, God is with us, helping us to do his will, to walk in his light, to witness to the goodness and truth of Jesus Christ.

Trust in the Lord, now and always, for Jesus Christ is truly risen from the dead, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

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Trusting in the risen Jesus, who conquered death and continues to guide His Church, let us bring our prayers before our heavenly Father.

For the Church throughout the world:  that, like the Apostles, she may boldly and faithfully preach Jesus Christ risen from the dead, and that Jesus, the Bread of Life, may be her strength in every season, let us pray to the Lord.

For Christians throughout the world, especially those who are mocked, threatened, or persecuted for their faith:  that the Lord may protect them and fill them with the same courage he gave to the Apostles, let us pray to the Lord.

That the grace of Easter may deeply transform our lives, strengthen marriages, renew our families, increase vocations and sanctify the clergy, make us attentive to the poor and helpless, bring peace to the world, and bless us in carrying out the mission of the Gospel.  Let us pray to the Lord.

For Corpus Christi Academy:  that our students, teachers, and families may let the power of Jesus’ resurrection shape the way we think, speak, and live each day, let us pray to the Lord.

For those who are sick, suffering, or discouraged:  that the victory of the risen Lord may give them strength, peace, and hope, let us pray to the Lord.

For our beloved dead:  that they may share forever in the glory of Christ’s resurrection, let us pray to the Lord.

Heavenly Father, you raised your Son from the dead and filled the Apostles with courage and joy. Hear these prayers we place before you and help us to live always in the light of Easter. Through Christ our Lord.