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The Gospel of this Fifth Sunday of Easter begins with the words, “Do not let your hearts be troubled”. I encourage you to read a reflection from Pope Francis on the thoughts that trouble us. The full text, taken from a Regina Caeli address, is found on the front page of this week’s bulletin.
On this May 3rd, in our liturgical calendar, we observe the Fourth Sunday of Easter, along with the World Day of Vocations. In the Gospel of St. John, we hear about the shepherd of the sheep leading out the sheep, calling them by name, and going ahead of them.
During the past few weeks I have been asked often by family, friends and concerned parishioners, “How are you doing being alone so much in this time of isolation?” My response is always the same, that as time goes on there grows a deeper awareness that I am not alone: I have a renewed sense of the presence of the Risen Lord in my daily life and value His friendship.
The liturgy of this Third Sunday of Easter brings us many place names: Israel, Judea, Nazareth, Jerusalem, Emmaus. The spread of the Gospel, the spread of the message of Jesus’ Resurrection is linked to particular places, locales, and geographic areas. For many of us, our Christian faith too has been linked to a particular church or locale.
"My Priesthood"
My dear fellow workers in the Lord’s vineyard,
As we celebrate the Lord’s Supper this evening, The Last Supper, I stand here having had the privilege of being ordained a priest for almost 56 years.
Today bears a striking resemblance to the situation of the disciples, as described in the Gospel of John. We too in these days gather behind closed doors, not for fear of people, but for fear of a virus.