Fifth Sunday of Easter

Don't we just always want life to be perfect? We already have so many blessings, and yet we always seem to want each day to be perfect. We get angry or upset when something doesn't go our way or when there is some roadblock to our plans. St. Paul reminds us that life in Christ will not always be easy. He said, "It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships to enter the kingdom of God." Difficulties are also part of the Christian life. Thank God that He knows how to help us. He became one of us. Jesus also gave us the sacraments to help us as well. This weekend our first group of second graders will receive Jesus for the first time in Holy Communion. We pray for them and for their families that they will always turn to Jesus to help them in times of difficulties.

Fourth Sunday of Easter

The Gospel today says that the sheep know the shepherd's voice. But can sheep be fooled by someone just imitating the real shepherd? How many eloquent and clever preachers have turned out to be charlatans intent on fleecing the flock for their own gain? But the real voice of our Shepherd Jesus cannot be duplicated. It is a voice we recognize because it speaks not just to our ears but to our heart as well.

Third Sunday of Easter

Scripture scholars have long wondered about the possible meaning of the count of 153 fish in the catch described in today's Gospel. One proposed that there are 153 varieties of fish found in the Sea of Galilee, and therefore the number symbolizes all generation of people.

Yet the most important number in today's Gospel is the number three. This was the third time that the resurrected Jesus appeared to the disciples. Jesus asked Peter if he loved him three times. And we are left pondering our triune God: three persons in one, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Second Sunday of Easter

The story from Acts of the Apostles this weekend reminds us of the great mercy of God. It describes the growth of the early community and good works of the apostles. In particular, the care of the sick is highlighted as well as the cures that were performed. We shouldn't lose sight of the fact that the mercy of God was made manifest through the action of human beings. Like the apostles in their day, we too are called to be men and women who help reveal God's mercy in the world. Our outreach to the sick, our concern for the poor, our care for the lonely, are all expressions of divine mercy.