Happy Easter! The Lord is Risen! He is Risen indeed!
On this Fifth Sunday of Easter, the readings speak directly to a growing community under pressure: uncertainty, division, injustice and uncertainty about the future. To these difficulties, the Lord in the Scriptures does not offer an abstract response, but the faith that offers a path, a presence and a promise.
In the first reading from Acts, we see a very human problem in the early Church: complaints, inequity and tension between groups. The Greek-speaking widows are being overlooked. This is not just a logistical issue; it’s a threat to unity and justice. And yet, the apostles respond with wisdom. They don’t try to do everything themselves; they invite others into leadership. They discern gifts. They create space for service. What’s striking is this: The Church grows not despite the problem but through it. When the community leans into service and shared responsibility, grace multiplies. It’s a reminder that the Church has never been perfect, but it has always been guided by the Holy Spirit. When we face division or frustration, the answer is not withdrawal but deeper participation rooted in love.
And then we come to the Gospel. Jesus speaks words that many of us know by heart but perhaps don’t always fully trust: “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” In this Easter season, the Church places before us the words Jesus spoke on the night before he suffered and died: “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” At first, they seem almost out of place. How can Jesus say this when the cross is so near? That’s a bold thing to say to people who are about to lose him, to people who don’t understand what’s coming. And yet, Jesus doesn’t deny the reality of fear. He redirects it: “You have faith in God; have faith also in me.” Yet, this is precisely why he says it, because Easter tells us that the worst thing is never the last thing.
Jesus continues: “In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places.” He is not speaking in abstractions. He is speaking of a real destiny. The Resurrection is not just something that happened to him; it is something he has opened for us. Heaven is not a vague idea; it is our home. And Christ has gone ahead of us to prepare a place. This changes how we live now. If heaven is our home, then fear loses its grip. Anxiety loosens. Even death itself is transformed, not an end but a passage.
Then Jesus makes one of the most astonishing claims in all of Scripture: “I am the way and the truth and the life.” Notice what he does not say, “I will show you a way” or “I will teach you the truth.” He doesn’t give directions. He gives himself. He says, “I am.”
Easter reveals what that means. The crucified One is the Way. The One who was buried is the Truth. The One who rose from death is the Life. And so, Christianity is not primarily a system or a set of teachings — it is a relationship with the risen Christ.
- To follow him is to walk the way.
- To listen to him is to know the truth.
- To receive him is to share in his life.
And then comes a promise that can almost sound too great to believe: “Whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these.” How can that be? Because the risen Christ is not absent, he is present in his Church. Through the gift of the Holy Spirit, his life continues in us. Every act of love, every work of mercy, every moment of forgiveness — these are not just our works; they are his works, alive in us.
This is the power of Easter. Christ does not simply rise for us; he rises in us.
So today, hear his words again: “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” Whatever weighs on you — fear, grief, uncertainty, sin — none of it is stronger than the Resurrection. Christ has gone before you. He is the way you can walk, the truth you can trust and the life that no death can destroy. And if you stay close to him, one day you will hear those words fulfilled: “Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”
As we are approaching Mother’s Day, blessings to all mothers!
Heavenly Father, we thank you for the gift of mothers, through whom your love is revealed in so many ways. Bless all mothers: those who are joyful and those who are burdened, those expecting new life and those who mourn a loss, those who nurture children now and those who lovingly remember.
Grant them strength, patience and joy in their vocation. May the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of our Lord, be their guide and consolation. Let their sacrifices be honored, their love returned and their hearts filled with peace. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
