The Easter Season is dominated by the mystery of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. He ascends into heaven and we no longer see him physically, but in signs. His Spirit causes his church to spread.

A cursory reading of the Acts of the Apostles may give the impression that the church spreads like wild fire. “The word of God continued to spread and grow.” (Acts 12,24) Leaving the church at Antioch, fearless missionaries like Paul and Barnabas, blessed by the Holy Spirit, set out for other towns and places and brought the gospel to the gentiles. 

It seems like a lively church, confident, joyful, united, focused on saving the world, with no doubts or questions. “O God, let all the nations praise you,” our psalm for today says. Yet, a careful reading the Acts reveals confusion, division, uncertainty in this church. In Antioch in Pisidia Paul remarks “It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships
to enter the kingdom of God.”( Acts 14) The church then was more like our own church today than we suspect. The church grows only through the mystery of the passion and resurrection of Jesus.

The recent election of Pope Leo XIV seems to me to be a surprising promise of resurrection.

We pray:

“May God have pity on us and bless us;
may he let his face shine upon us.
So may your way be known upon earth;
among all nations, your salvation.”

The face of the Risen Christ is always a surprise.

“Merciful God, Word come into a dark world, 

remember us and bless us.

 Jesus Christ, son of Mary, turn your face towards us and enlighten us. 

 You came into the world as light, so that we might not remain in our darkness. 

Now turn your face and shine on us,

so that we may make your way known upon earth, among all nations.”

We’re reading about the missionary journeys of Paul from the Acts of the Apostles and the Last Supper discourse of Jesus with his disciples from the Gospel of John these final weeks of the Easter Season, readings so different in tone. The Acts of the Apostles follows Paul on his fast-paced, adventurous mission to bring the gospel to the ends of the earth. John’s Gospel takes us to the hushed Supper Room where Jesus speaks his final words to his disciples. 

We need to listen to the Voice from the Supper Room.Maybe we’re not getting thrown into prison or confronted by shouting crowds like Paul, but our daily journey and our duties in life can try us just the same, some days more than others.  

Jesus describes himself as Bread, Shepherd, Vine, and Friend in the Easter readings from John’s Gospel.  He wasn’t speaking only to his followers then, he’s speaking to us now. He also said “the Father and I are one.”

The world too receives daily bread, a shepherd’s care and the friendship of God. The Spirit has been sent to teach all truth. The voice speaks to more than believers.

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be, world with end. Amen.

The Second Vatican Council said the liturgy is the most important place for teaching and catechesis in the church. The seasons of lent and easter are the most important times for teaching and catechesis. In the liturgy Jesus, the Bread of life, feeds us with his wisdom.

The easter season is a time for mystagogic catechesis, when we recognize the presence of the Risen Christ in the sacraments, in the church and in the signs of the times. The Second Vatican Council extended the celebration of the easter season.  In the past, the mystagogic catechesis took place for one week after Easter and was focused on the newly baptized. Now in the church’s liturgy mystagogic catechesis takes place, not for just one week, but for 50 days until the feast of Pentecost. It’s not just for the newly baptized, but for the whole Christian community. 

However well we may remember the questions and answers of our catechism or what we learned in theology courses, we’re lifelong learners.  We’ re also forgetful listeners.  We’re living in a changing world which we desperately need to understand, not just through the lens of politics, but  in the light of faith. For those reasons, we follow our liturgy year by year, season by season.

We have to continually study the mystery of the church. That’s true these day with the election of our new pope. The media coverage of this event  has been massive, whether its television,  YouTube, the New York Times. Six thousand journalists covered the pope’s election. It was a big story, but lens of politics, usually the dominant lens of the media, couldn’t  cover it all. 

It seems to me the readings in our liturgy these days offer a better coverage than anything the media might offer.

 Our gospel today speaks of sheep recognizing the voice of the shepherd. Doesn’t it seem these days that the world itself was listening for the voice of a shepherd? Our readings from the Acts of the Apostles these days describe a church breaking out from the confines of Jerusalem to speak to the world a message of life.  Doesn’t that seem to be a picture of our church these days?  In Acts, Peter appears so humble, a poor man yet ready to accept the task of bringing a wisdom, ancient and new, to a world so powerful yet so broken. Is that Pope Leo following in his footsteps?

We need to keep listening for the wisdom that is our daily bread in our liturgy The Good Shepherd still speaks.

This week’s readings from the Acts of the Apostles describe the growth of the church in the Gentile world. Peter journeys to Joppa, the seaport  Jonah embarked from on his mission to Nineveh. On his way he raises up a paralyzed man at Lydda and in Joppa  he raise a young girl, Tabitha, from the dead–signs similar to those Jesus worked.(Saturday, 3rd Week of Easter) 

Doubters, however, question Peter for baptizing the Roman soldier Cornelius and eating at table with him. (Monday) “God has given life-giving repentance to the Gentiles too,” Peter responds, initiating a new phase in the church’s growth. His response is based, not on human judgment, but because he has seen signs from the Spirit.

The readings from Acts from Wednesday to Saturday describe Barnabas and Saul’s opening campaign into the Gentile world. Let’s not ignore, though, the reading from Tuesday which recalls the unknown survivors of the persecution of Stephen who, driven into the Gentile world, “speak to the Greeks, proclaiming the Lord Jesus to them. The hand of the Lord was with them and a great number turned to the Lord.” Clearly, others besides those we know brought the gospel to the Gentiles.

We are all involved in bringing the gospel to the world,not just a chosen few,

In the  Gospel readings from John (Monday-Wednesday) Jesus continues to speak of himself as the Good Shepherd. As Risen Lord, he goes before us, guiding his flock to final pasture. We hear his voice, not the voice of a stranger. His voice is the same as the Father’s voice.

On Thursday, the readings from John bring us back to the supper room. (John 13 ff) For the remaining days of the Easter season, we will listen to Jesus’ words of encouragement and love for his own who are in this world.

The feast of St. Matthias, successor to Judas, celebrated on May 14. Our Lady of Fatima is celebrated on May 13. St. Gemma is celebrated May 16.

Morning and Evening Prayer for the 4th week here.

For this week’s homily please play the video below.

Many recent news stories on the papal conclave seem to suppose that a pope has absolute power in ruling the church. Some think Pope Leo XIV can take the church wherever he wants it to go.

 A look at today’s reading from the Acts of the Apostles may help us question that view.. Luke sees Peter as leader and spokesman for the Christian community in Jerusalem. He underscores his importance with his description of the miracles Peter performs in Jerusalem and Joppa. They’re like those Jesus performed. He tells a paralyzed man named Aeneas to get up from his bed and he got up at once. He tells a woman named Tabitha who died to rise up and she rose from the dead. (Acts 9: 31-42)

Afterwards, however, Peter is commanded in a vision to baptize a Roman centurion named Cornelius, but he balks at the command. . It’s altogether against what he believes a Jew should do. . 

It’s not for Peter to judge, however. God plan is unfolding, which Peter may not always understand.. Peter is subject to God’s plan. He must follow his Lord. 

A pope does not have absolute power ruling the church. It’s the Church of Jesus Christ and the pope, like Peter, must listen for his voice. 

Our times finds it difficult to believe in God’s presence and guidance in our world. The future is what we decide it will be, whether it’s the future of the world or the future of the church. We think the world is in human hands.

Peter is a good example to consider when we think of the pope. Our readings today describe the miracles he performed, yet the scriptures always remind us of his humanity.  Peter is human. As he himself said: “I am a sinful man.” He doesn’t know everything. Yet, God reveals his plans to him and he must read the signs of the times. 

That’s why we pray today that Pope Leo be a humble holy man.

When Peter visits followers of Jesus in Joppa I’m sure he had no idea he would be called to journey up the coast to Caesarea Maritime to meet Cornelius, the Roman centurion and baptize him and his household. Significantly, Joppa was the seaport where Jonah began his mission to Nineveh. Like Jonah, Peter was reluctant to undertake the mission he’s given. Jonah and Peter are very much alike.

Only after God’s strong prodding in a vision does Peter accept the invitation from Cornelius to come and speak about Jesus. When he finally goes to Caesarea Maritime Peter experiences nothing less than a Gentile Pentecost .

That’s what we’re seeing in our readings at Mass this week. A Gentile Pentecost.

Not all saw it that way, however. Some in Jerusalem question the apostle for entering a Roman city, baptizing a Roman soldier and his friends and eating at their table. “God has given life-giving repentance to the Gentiles too,” Peter responds. The Spirit has come once more.  

It was not his doing, but the work of the Spirit, Peter adds. “As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them as it had upon us at the beginning… God gave them the same gift he gave to us when we came to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, so who was I to be able to hinder God?”

The apostle makes no claim his eloquence, wisdom or planning did it. He wasn’t expecting what happened and he doesn’t know where it will lead. It’s the work of God. It didn’t happen in Jerusalem, where the Spirit appeared at first, but in a Roman city Jews considered an enemy’s stronghold.

Is it the same today? The church is on a journey led by the Holy Spiirt. It’s a path that not easily discerned, from our perspective. It’s according to God’s plan, not ours.

I think Pope Francis was following this story of Peter when he called recently for a Synod of Synodality. He’s calling the church to recognize the Spirit but, as we see in the story of Peter, it’s not easy to see the Spirit’s activity beyond the world we know. 

“Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.”