6th Sunday of Easter, Cycle A - May 10, 2026

 6th Sunday of Easter – A 

May 10, 2026                       8:30am 

Our Lady of Grace Parish, Parkton 

 

“I am already here!”

 

A middle-aged man wrote this in a Catholic newsletter.

 

“I used to imagine God as something far away – distant as the stars, listening but never quite near. Then one quiet Saturday morning, I got out of bed and looked out the window.

 

“There was nothing going on but the day beginning. Just a stillness, but a stillness that felt full instead of empty.

 

“I noticed my own breathing – steady, unearned. Then a thought or voice came, gentle and unforced: ‘I am already here!’ 

 

“I didn’t feel like reaching upward anymore. I felt like noticing inward, like discovering I had never been alone in the first place. 

 

“The distance I thought was there dissolved, not with proof, but with presence. And somehow, that quiet closeness felt more certain than anything else.”       

 

“You are in me and I in you” 

 

That man’s experience echoes, maybe confirms what Jesus says in today’s gospel. 

 

Jesus first promises that he will send us another “Advocate” – the Holy Spirit. And the Spirit will remain with us and be in us.

 

And then Jesus says: “I am in my Father and you are in me and I in you.” So, he is telling us that God is close to us.

 

God is not distant and far away. We don’t have to be working and sweating to be close to him.

 

God is right here, close to us, inside us. Saint Augustine in the year 400 said that God is as close to us as we are to ourselves.

 

Saint Teresa of Avila in the 1500’s said: “Find yourself, and you find God. Find God, and you find yourself.”

 

In other words, God is intimately close to us, one with us. We just need to awaken to this presence and accept God’s closeness.

 

If we do that, there are some remarkable effects on our lives. I want to highlight three of them.   

 

1.   No Longer Alone 

 

First, we are no longer alone.

 

Some studies say that up to 50% of adults in our country experience some degree of loneliness. One study says that 20% of us admit to simply feeling lonely. 

 

Well, spiritually, we have Jesus today assuring us “I will not leave you orphans.” I will not leave you alone.

 

So, we can draw on Jesus’ closeness, his presence, especially through our awareness, through our prayer, and through Holy Communion. These are ways to help us realize that we are not alone, that God, Jesus is with us.    

 

2.   Live out of Relationship

 

And then, with this, we can now live out of this closeness or relationship with Jesus.

 

Our moral decisions are no longer just following commands. Our choices about right and wrong or what to do or not to do are not just obedience to abstract commands.

 

Instead of that, now we are responding to someone who is present to us. We are living out of this closeness with Jesus, with God who is within us. 

 

We choose to do what best reflects this closeness. Love of God and trust in God replace mere obedience as our motivation for what we do or don’t do. 

 

3.   Strength in Suffering

 

Finally, with this closeness with God, we now have a source of strength for the sufferings of life.

 

Our suffering can now be shared rather than just be isolating. We now have a source of perseverance from the One who is with us and who endured much suffering in his life.

 

We can draw on Him for hope in our sufferings. He will not leave us alone even in these times.  

 

So, closeness with God doesn’t remove hardship, but it can help us with it. Disappointments, break-ups, physical sickness, depression, anxiety, the loss of a loved one – we are now not alone in dealing with these.

 

What Will You Do Now? 

 

So, please ask yourself today: do you believe that God is as close to you as Jesus says? 

 

And if you do, what changes can this make in your life – 1) with feelings of loneliness, 2) with your moral motivation, and 3) with your sufferings? There is a great message here today and great opportunities for us.   

 

5th Sunday of Easter, Cycle A - May 3, 2026

 5th Sunday of Easter – A 

May 3, 2026             5:00pm 

Our Lady of Grace Parish, Parkton 

 

“Whoever has seen me…”

 

When you picture God, what comes up in your mind? What word or maybe words would you use to describe God?

 

In today’s gospel, the apostle Philip asks Jesus, “What is God like?” He says to Jesus, “Show us the Father [God], and that will be enough for us.” 

 

And Jesus gives an amazing response: “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father” – “...has seen God.” So, if we want to know what God is like, just look at Jesus.

 

This afternoon, I want to share with you what comes up in my mind when I try to picture God. And there is one word that describes this and sums it up for me. 

 

God Is Friend 

 

The word is Friend, spelled with a capital F.

 

God is Friend, my Friend, our Friend. Jesus himself tells us this. 

 

He says: “I no longer call you slaves; I call you my friends.” He is telling us that God is first and foremost our heavenly Friend.

 

I think this is foundational. In my prayer space at home, I have an icon – an inexpensive representation of a sixth century icon or painting. 

 

It portrays two men standing and facing straight ahead, looking at us. The one man, Jesus, has his hand on the shoulder of the other man. 

 

And the inscription at the bottom of this icon says: “I call you my friends.” So, God is our Friend, supporting and taking care of us.

 

God has our back. God is here for us, wanting only what is good for us. 

 

Think of a friend of yours and multiply your good experience with your friend by 1000 times. That still won’t fully measure up to how God is Friend to us.

 

No Longer a Judge

 

In our tradition and in my own life, our image of God has not always been this way.

 

The dominant image of God used to be Judge. The distant heavenly figure whose role was to count our sins and send us to heaven or hell or purgatory! 

 

That was it and, for some, this still is the image of God. I no longer see God as judge in that way. 

 

I do think there will be a judgment, but this will be more like our experience when we are in the presence of someone who is really good. I have had a couple of people in my life like that – their names are Rosalie and Bill. 

 

When I was in their presence, I would become very aware of myself. Their goodness would make me aware of the kind of person I wanted to become. 

 

I would become aware of my strengths and my weaknesses and my need to grow. I think God as judge or judgment is something like this. 

 

Instead of being a cold judge ready to pass a sentence, God in his complete goodness will just gaze at us as a loving Friend. And in that experience, the judgment will happen, but it will be our action as much as God’s action. 

 

 

When someday I meet my Friend face to face, he will be there to open up my heart to him fully. The punishment or better, the pain will be in my letting go of any remaining self-centeredness and antipathy toward others.

 

It will be in my asking for the forgiveness and healing that I may need. That will be our purgatory while our heavenly Friend has his hand on our shoulder, just waiting to welcome us into full friendship with him in our heavenly home.

 

Notice Our Feelings

 

Notice how different our feelings are with knowing God as our Friend and not as our Judge.

 

We are not feeling alone and unloved, not afraid, not stuck in guilt or even shame, not feeling anxious that we will never be good enough. 

 

Instead, with God as Friend, we can feel beloved and cared for, valued and peaceful, confident and hopeful, forgiven and even worthy.

 

What a difference God as Friend makes!  

 

So How Do You See God? 

 

So, today or at least during the week ahead, ask yourself: How do you picture God? 

 

How would you describe God in a word or several words? And if you don’t picture God as Friend, can you begin to move into that?

 

Try to answer this question for yourself. The question is well worth answering.

3rd Sunday of Easter, Cycle A - April 19, 2026

 3rd Sunday of Easter – A 

April 19, 2026          8:30am

Our Lady of Grace Parish, Parkton 

 

Emmaus and Eucharist

 

Today’s gospel is one of my favorite passages in the Scripture.

 

I see a number of moments in this Emmaus story that parallel the moments or parts of the Mass. Let’s look at them and see what you think. 

 

1. Loss

 

The first moment is what we can call loss.

 

The two disciples walking to Emmaus are talking about what has happened to Jesus. They have suffered a great loss and feel very disappointed.

 

I believe that, in a way, we identify with their loss. The loss I am thinking of is that at times, we lose some of our sense of closeness with God because of something we have done. 

 

And so, usually right at the beginning of Mass, we express this sense of loss when we say, “Lord, have mercy, Christ, have mercy, Lord have mercy.” We are asking God’s forgiveness and healing of this loss of closeness.

 

2. Presence

 

That admission of loss opens us to the second moment in the Mass, and this is presence – the presence of God in the Word.

 

Usually, we think of God or Jesus being present in the Sacrament of the Eucharist. But the Emmaus story tells us that Jesus is first present to the two disciples in the Word. 

 

It says that he breaks open the Scriptures for them. The same thing happens here at Mass. 

 

God enlightens, inspires, comforts, challenges, and motivates us in the readings. So, just as Jesus is present in opening up the Word on the way to Emmaus, he is also present here at Mass in the Word.

 

3. Invitation

 

Then, touched by this presence of Jesus, we come to the third moment of the Mass, and this is invitation.

 

The disciples on the road to Emmaus invite Jesus to stay with them. We also do that here at Mass.

 

I suggest we do this when we offer the Profession of Faith and then bring the bread and wine to the altar. In the Profession of Faith, we affirm Jesus’ presence in the Word that we have just heard.

 

And in the presentation of the bread and wine, we are saying that we want him to stay and that we even want more of his presence. These are our ways of inviting Jesus to stay with us. 

 

4. Communion

 

That takes us to the fourth moment in the Mass, and this is Communion.

 

The two disciples in the Emmaus story invite Jesus to stay but then he reverses things and in effect he becomes their host. He immediately does what he did at the Last Supper and gives himself to them in the bread and wine.

 

So, here at Mass, as soon as we invite Jesus to stay with us, he becomes our host and offers us the sacrament – the gift of Holy Communion. In fact, maybe this is why Jesus left the earth and returned to the Father.

 

Through Communion he can be even closer to us, so close that there is nothing between us. We have this intimate communion with him in the Eucharist.

 

5. Mission

 

Finally, Communion leads to the fifth and last moment of the Mass, and this is mission.

 

The two disciples at Emmaus immediately go and tell the others about their experience with the risen Jesus. We are also to do the same thing.

 

This is why we conclude Mass with words like, “Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.” So, the final moment in Eucharistic life is mission.

 

We are to bring the presence of Christ to the everyday spaces of life. We are to proclaim the light and hope of Easter by the way we live. 

 

Conclusion

 

So, I think this Emmaus story is quite rich!

 

It is a great teaching about the Mass!  From 1) loss to 2) presence to 3) invitation to 4) communion to 5) mission – this is what the Mass is all about.

Second Sunday of Easter, Cycle A - April 12, 2026

 Second Sunday of Easter – A 

April 12, 2026          5:00pm

Our Lady of Grace Parish, Parkton        

 

“Peace be with you” 

 

Three times in today’s gospel Jesus says, “Peace be with you.” 

 

From this and other passages, it is clear that peace is important to the risen Christ. He wants us to be at peace within ourselves and with one another. 

 

Right now, there is no peace in a number of areas of our world. Our own country is involved in a war with Iran.

 

Pope Leo – A Vigil for Peace

 

Pope Leo has called for today to be a vigil for peace.

 

Especially over the last month, he has spoken about the morality of warfare – what is required for a war to be moral and what is not moral in warfare. 

 

On Easter Sunday, Pope Leo  said: “I am asking all people of goodwill to always search for peace and not for violence, to reject war, especially a war which many people have said is unjust...

 

“Today, there has also been the threat against the entire people of Iran. And this is truly unacceptable.

 

“There are certainly issues of international law here, but even more, it is a moral question concerning the good of the people as a whole. We have a situation in the Middle East…which is only provoking more hatred throughout the world.

 

“I would invite all citizens of all the countries to contact the authorities…to ask them, to tell them to work for peace and reject war and violence.” And with that, Pope Leo calls for today to be a vigil for peace.       

 

The Just War Teaching

 

He was speaking with the tradition of our Catholic Just War Teaching.  

 

This teaching finds its origin in the writings of Saint Augustine and Saint Thomas Aquinas. The teaching emphasizes that the Church sees evils and injustices arising from warfare. 

 

It teaches that all governments and citizens are obliged to work to avoid war. If war cannot be avoided, then there are certain moral principles to guide us in this Just War Doctrine. 

 

But we need to be clear that the Church is teaching about defensive wars – a country resorting to military action for its legitimate defense. The Church teaches that an aggressive act of warfare always seems to be immoral and not justified. 

 

I am going to highlight briefly just three of the six conditions that are needed for a war to be morally just. I hope this will be helpful in forming our own conscience and judgments.  

 

The Just War Teaching 

 

Number 1. Before resorting to war, all other means to deal with the aggression or threat must have been tried.

 

This means that diplomacy and negotiation must have first been sincerely and fully tried. And they must be found to be ineffective or to have failed before engaging in warfare.

 

Number 2. The use of arms must not produce evils that are graver than the evil to be avoided.

 

The idea is that engaging in war will inevitably bring about the loss of life and human suffering and this is especially true with the power of today’s weaponry. To be moral and just, warfare must nor bring about evils that are greater than the evil to be avoided.  

 

And Number 3. For a war to be just, non-combatants or civilians must not be targeted. 

 

There must be respect for the lives of private citizens. Any act of war that is directed at cities or other areas where many people live is immoral and merits condemnation. 

 

Conclusion

 

As I said, they are three of the principles of our Church’s Just war Doctrine – conditions required for war to be morally just. 

 

I hope that this helps us in forming our own conscience about this moral issue. We pray for peace – for a peaceful solution of the war between our country and Iran and of other wars going on right now. 

 

Today Jesus’ says, “Peace be with you,” and then, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” He sends us as messengers and makers of peace. 

Easter Sunday, Cycle A - April 5, 2026

 Easter Sunday – A 

April 5, 2026

Our Lady of Grace Parish, Parkton 

 

Chocolat

 

This past Thursday, three days ago, I received in the mail a box of homemade Easter eggs from my sister-in-law Lynn.

 

Lynn makes these every year. They are buttercreams coated with dark chocolate and they are delicious.

 

Well, these Easter eggs led me to remember a movie named Chocolat. Chocolat, as may be obvious, is, the French word for chocolate and I suggest that this movie is a great Easter story.

 

The story takes place in a small French village in 1959. Life in this little village is very traditional, very structured, and very rigid.

 

But then, into the village comes a young woman named Vianne and her little daughter. Vianne opens a chocolaterie – a chocolate shop.

 

She makes and sells anything made with chocolate – chocolates filled with nuts and jellies and crèmes, hot chocolate, chocolate cake, everything. You can gain a couple pounds just watching the movie!

 

The mayor of this French town is very opposed to the chocolate shop and tries to keep the villagers from patronizing it. He sees it as a place of sinful indulgence.

 

And, of course, because Vianne opened the chocolate shop during Lent, the mayor judges it to be the work of the devil. Well, despite all of the mayor’s efforts to make it fail, the shop succeeds.

 

Vianne’s shop becomes a place of acceptance, love, and care.  Little by little the entire village is changed and on Easter Sunday, even the young parish priest throws away his traditional homily and just speaks from the heart about what the risen Christ means to him.

 

He tells the villagers and us, the audience, not to measure goodness by what we can condemn and reject and exclude. Instead, he calls us to measure goodness by what we can create and love and embrace.

 

A Resurrection Story

 

As I said, I see Chocolat as an Easter story, a resurrection story.

 

It tells how people of this French village come to fuller life or simply come to life after being virtually dead.  On the surface, this happens because of chocolate, but in truth, the transformation happens because of the qualities that Vianne has introduced.

 

Chocolat and Easter give us messages like:

v the value of uniting rather than dividing people – key word – uniting people.

v the importance of accepting differences rather than rejecting those who are different – key word – accepting differences.

v the excitement of creating opportunities rather staying stuck in the status quo – key word – creating opportunities.

v The merit of highlighting light rather than ruminating on darkness – key word – highlighting light. 

 

Actions like these – uniting people, accepting differences, creating opportunities, and highlighting light – actions like these   are life-giving. They bring us a satisfaction that is invaluable. 

 

They give us a fullness that we can find in no other way. And, of course, the grounding of all of this is Jesus, the risen Christ – as the young priest in Chocolat came to realize.

 

Jesus’ life on earth and then his death and resurrection – these teach the truth of the Easter mystery that dying leads to rising. Dying, letting go of lesser ways and following the lead of Jesus, the risen Christ – this gives us life. 

 

Embrace Easter 

 

So, today I invite you to really embrace the message of Easter. 

 

Embrace it, as happened in that little Franch town. If we do that, we will discover that the way of the risen Christ – uniting people, accepting differences, creating opportunities, and highlighting light – this way gives us such a fullness of life that resurrection just feels right and makes sense.  

 

That’s the message of Easter that I bring to all of us this morning. That’s how I see our faith in the risen Christ. 

 

So, Happy Easter and please enjoy your chocolates!

Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion, Cycle A - March 29, 2026

Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion – A  

March 29, 2026       5pm   

            Our Lady of Grace Parish, Parkton 

 

The Passion According to Matthew

 

We just heard the account of Jesus’ Passion according to Matthew. I want to comment briefly on two details in this passage. 

 

God’s Forgiveness/Love

 

First, Matthew is the only gospel writer who informs us about Judas taking his own life.

 

Why does he mention this? Judas comes to realize that he has betrayed a good and holy man and he feels remorseful.

 

But tragically, he does not realize that Jesus is so good that he still loves him and will forgive him. Judas is unable to see this.

 

So, by recalling this, Matthew wants us to be clear that nothing we do is too bad to be forgiven by God. God’s love is full and complete. 

 

So, maybe there is something we have never told anyone and won’t even mention in confession. It can be something that we just feel ashamed of.

 

Whatever it is, the lesson here is that there is nothing about us that is beyond God’s forgiveness. It’s important for us to remember this for our own sake. 

 

It’s important for us to share this with anyone who feels so sinful or guilty that they think they cannot be forgiven. And it’s important for us as a Church to see our ministry not as judging and condemning, but as healing and restoring to wholeness. 

 

God’s Presence/Closeness

 

The other detail I want to highlight is the tearing of the curtain in the temple.

 

Today’s passage says that at the moment Jesus dies, “the veil of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom.” This veil or curtain separated what was called the Holies of Holies – the inner area of the temple where God is seen as present – it separated this from the rest of the temple.

 

In that way, the veil separated God and us. The tearing of this curtain from top to bottom signifies that this is God’s action, the divine action or initiative.

 

It means that this separation from God no longer exists. Jesus’ death and eventual resurrection reconciles and makes humanity close with God.

 

The result is that we can now approach God as the One who is as close to us as we are to ourselves. In our prayer, we can speak to God in our own words and bring our true self to God. 

 

We no longer need to feel alienated and distant from God. Instead, we can feel loved by God and at peace with God – all of this flowing from the tearing of the veil in the temple.

 

May we now live with this assurance and comfort. God’s presence and closeness, along with God’s love and forgiveness no matter what, are important takeaway messages in today’s account of the Passion of Jesus.