Do we know the way?

Friday of the Fourth Week of Easter

Acts 13:26-33

John 14:1-6

K, 1, 2, Graders

Before Mass, have 4 or 5 orange pylons and put them off to the side. Have a mask to cover the student’s eyes at the chair.  

Homily: Chose one student to be blindfolded and one student to give directions to the blindfolded student. The object is to have the student blindfolded to safely walk around the orange construction cones without touching the cones.

Question: What did the person who was blindfolded have to do to be able to not trip over the cones?

Answer: The person blindfolded had to listen to the voice of the one giving directions.

In our Gospel, Jesus says, “Where I am going, you know the way.” However, Thomas speaks up and says, Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?” Thomas wants the mask covering his eyes to be lifted so that he can see the way to Jesus. Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Jesus is telling us is we need to listen to his voice, and he will tell us where to go. Thomas is correct in saying, “We do not know the way.” We say this all the time, but Jesus is there to guide us and hold us.

To hear the voice of Jesus, we need to come to the Eucharist as much as possible. May we always listen to the voice of Jesus in our hearts?

Where are our shoes leading us?

Thursday of the Fourth Week of Easter

Acts 13:13-25

John 13:16-20

Feast Day of St. Catherine of Siena

What kind of footwear do you have on today?

Who is wearing sneakers? Who is wearing dress shoes? Who may be wearing sandals?

Here is my favorite pair of shoes. These shoes are a combination of tennis shoes and hiking shoes, and they are like walking on air!  

We may all have different kinds of footwear on, and the readings do have to do with footwear. However what connects our readings is footwear, and we are all called to do the same thing in our readings today.

In our first reading, St. Paul teaches in the synagogue, and he recalls for the people their story of salvation history, which they are all very familiar with the story. Paul wearing his PF Flyers introduces Jesus Christ as the fulfillment of God’s plan. Paul recalls how John the Baptist heralding the Good News of Jesus Christ’s coming. Paul concludes by saying, he is not worthy to untie the sandals of Jesus.  

Our Gospel takes us back to the Last Supper when Jesus took a towel and a basin of water and washed the disciple’s feet. Having washed the disciple’s feet, Jesus is trying to show them how to live in the manner he wants them to. Jesus says, “Blessed are those who understand what this means.”

My friends in Christ, we all have shoes on, and they are to lead us to others, humble ourselves, and serve others.

The chores of life!

Fourth Week of Easter Weekday Wednesday

Acts12:24–13:5

John12:44-50

Grades 3, 4, & 5

Put on the screen a list of Household Chores to be done.

What kind of chores are you assigned to do?

Who of us has been assigned this chore to do?

Put up on screen, “To live like Jesus Christ and spread his message of love and mercy!”

In our first reading, we hear of Barnabas and Saul returning from a trip to Jerusalem. As they return to Antioch, the community prays over Barnabas and Saul as they are now being sent on the first missionary trip all the way to Cyprus and Perga.

Barnabas and Paul have been assigned to spread the good news of Jesus Christ, and it is not a chore, something to complain about, but something they want to do with their whole heart.

My friends in Christ may complain a bit about doing our chores, but we should never complain about being invited to share the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Household Chores!

Sweep the floors

Help make your lunch

Do yard work of any kind?

Clean your bedroom (With minimal supervision)

Put away the groceries

Load/Empty the dishwasher  

Vacuum

Help with preparing dinner  

Make your snack/breakfast

Wash the table after dinner

Cleaning the dishes

Put away your laundry

Take the family dog for a walk

Empty indoor trash

Take garbage bins to street for pickup

To live like Jesus Christ and spread his message of love and mercy!

Our Good Shepherd!

Fourth Sunday of Easter

Acts 4: 8-12

I John 3:1-2

John 10: 11-18

After the ten o’clock Mass, I am leaving to drive to the Detroit area to visit my 95-year-old dad. He is doing pretty well, he can get around, but I have not visited with him for over a year and a half. To make the visit even better, all my four siblings are already there, and they are holding dinner tomorrow until I arrive. All of us are now vaccinated, and we are all looking forward to spending time with him. One of the things that have helped us as a family stay connected is having a Zoom call on Tuesday at 7:30 pm. Tuesday nights have become a “sacred time” for me as we stay connected. Here is a snapshot of the personalities of my family. My oldest brother tells the best stories, my youngest brother is the best with one-liners, he is so funny. My other brother is always late, and we tease him each week that when he tunes in at 7:45 pm, we applaud him for being early. Of course, that leaves my only sister, and she is the oldest, so we boys have to love her because she is the only girl. As I said, dad is holding his own, but as he stares at the screen, we all wait for whatever he may say next, which often may bring us to the next topic or repeat a topic we have already discussed. As hard as we try, we never get to a point where we know everything about each other, but we try. Our readings today give us a different picture as we are told that God knows everything about us. Pause for a moment and think, God knows everything about us. God every sin, every secret, and every gift, and God still loves us. What do we do with this knowledge, and how does it affect our lives.

In our second reading, we are told why God knows us so well. We are told, “God loves us so much that we are called children of God.” We are God’s children, and when we come to know that we are in an intimate relationship with God, we can become fully alive!

In our Gospel, we are told even more why God knows us so well. The first thing Jesus says, “I know my sheep, and my sheep know me.” What that means for us is, the sheep know that their total welfare depends solely on the Good Shepherd leading them to fertile pastures and protecting them from danger.

The second thing to know about Jesus knowing us so well is Jesus says, not once, not twice, but five times, “I am the Good Shepherd, and I lay down my life for my sheep.” When we are lost, not sure of what to do, we don’t know where to turn, Jesus is there to lay down his life for us. How can we go wrong?

My friends, we celebrate a God who knows everything about us and stills loves us! Do we realize this gift, and what will we do this week to know God as he knows us?    Introduction: Of all the images we have o

Are we spiritually unable to see?

Third Week Easter Weekday Friday

Acts 9: 1-20

John 6: 52-59

K, 1, 2^nd grade

I need a volunteer this morning to have an eye exam. (After choosing a student to come forward, ask them this question.)

Please tell me how many fingers I have up? You did very well! Please close your eyes, and now tell me how many fingers I have up?

Why could you not tell me what it is?

You could not tell me what it is because you had your eyes closed. It was like being blind.

Q. Who is blind in our first reading today?

A. Paul

Q. When did he become blind?

A. When the light struck him

In our first reading, we heard about Saul, who lost his physical sight when he saw a bright light. But Saul lost his spiritual when he began to persecute Christians. Saul would regain his physical sight when he regained his spiritual eyesight.

In our Gospel, he wants all of us not to lose our physical or spiritual sight, so he tells us all week, I am the Bread of Life. Whoever eats of my flesh and drinks of my blood will have eternal life.

(Turn now to the second graders)

In a week from tomorrow, your second graders will be receiving your First Communion, and you will know what Jesus is talking about.

My friends in Christ, may we not be blind to the gift of the Eucharist before us.

Are we feeling smart today?

Third Week of Easter Thursday

Acts 8: 26-40

John 6: 44-51

Who feels they are smarter today than on the first day of school?

Who would be willing to tell all of us something you learned since the beginning of school?

In our readings, many new things are being taught that we need to know and remember.

All week long, our Gospel has been from the sixth chapter of John, known as the Bread of Life Discourse. In this chapter, the Gospel writer John gives what for us as Catholics are our core beliefs of the Eucharist. John explains the mystery that simple bread and wine do become the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. Every day we hear whoever drinks Hid Blood and eats of His Body will never hunger or thirst again, and they will know eternal life. It is the most challenging week to preach because it is the same message each day.

If you continue to follow the Gospel to Saturday, some of his disciples say, “Jesus, your teachings are too hard for us to understand, we are leaving,” and some do leave him.

So what is the lesson that the ones who left did not get, and those who stayed did get? The ones who left only understood Jesus for what he did, and they did not understand Jesus for who he is. The ones that stayed understood Jesus for what he did, and they trusted him to help them know who he is.

My friends in Christ, the lesson for us to know today is that we believe even more that Jesus Christ is truly present to us in breaking the bread. May our lives be forever changed!

I have come so nothing is lost!

Third Week of Easter Wednesday

Acts 8:1-8

John 6:35-40

3, 4, & 5 grade

What was the most valuable thing you have ever lost?

What do we do with something very valuable, and we do not want it to be lost.

I do not like it when I have lost something; it drives me crazy. I will search everywhere until I can find what was lost!

We are told in our Gospel, Jesus was sent into the world by God the Father, so when we are lost, because of worry or lack of faith, Jesus will come and find us.

I take great comfort from those words. However, the Good News does not stop there. Jesus says, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.” When we celebrate the Eucharist, he reminds us that it is a great way to be found by Christ because he is right here with us.

My friends in Christ, may we know that here at Holy Spirit, we have a wonderful gift in our Catholic School because everything we do is to know the will of God. May we know Jesus is looking for us right now!

Lord, what have you done for me lately?

Tuesday Third Weekday Easter

Acts 7:51-8:1

John 6: 30-35

“Lord, what have you done for me lately?” Yes, I know you answered my prayer and healed my friend. I know that you gave someone a job, and I know you brought healing to the person I was praying to you about, but what have you done for me lately? It sounds funny to put it this way, but we pretty much say it to God all the time.

In our first reading, Stephen could have asked, “Lord, what have you done for me lately” as he is stoned to death after chastising the people for putting Jesus to death. I wonder where did Stephen receive the strength to die for Christ? I believe it is from what we hear in our Gospel.  

In our Gospel, the people are ask Jesus, “Lord, what have you done for me lately?” The crazy thing about this is Jesus has just done the miracle of feeding 5000 people.

The people recall how Moses feed the people in the desert with manna. There was a strong Rabbinic belief that when the Messiah came, he would give manna from heaven. The Jewish leaders were demanding what Jesus can do? Jesus corrects them by saying, “Moses did not do this without the help of my heavenly Father.”

Jesus continues by saying, “The bread that comes down from heaven now is bread for the world.” The people ask Jesus to give them some of this bread, and he says, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.”

“Lord, what have you done for me lately?” God reminds us that he is giving us supernatural food to heal us and to make us strong. May we come to know even more the real presences of Christ in the Eucharist.

We are witnesses to all these things!

Third Sunday of Easter

Acts 3: 13-15, 17-19

I John 2:1-5

Luke 24: 35- 48

When I began to prepare for today, my first reaction to our Gospel was, “It is the same story from last weekend, only without the Thomas story!” In my frustration, I sat back and thought, maybe now we are to insert ourselves into the story because we have much to learn from the resurrection.

In reading Luke’s version of that Easter day, I thought the apostle’s lives are off the tracks. They are huddled together in the room, still frightened and scared. How might our lives be off the tracks today because we are terrified or afraid, or filled with grief, or have a broken heart? All of these things and more can have our lives feeling like we are off the tracks.

I love to what lengths Jesus goes to help the apostles put their lives back on track. Jesus comes into their broken and frightening world and says, “Peace be with you!” Jesus is reaching down deep into their souls to bring them his peace. He then wants to give them physical evidence as he lets them touch him, and he asks for something to eat. And finally, he provides them emotional evidence by recalling all the scriptures that had to with him. The resurrection of Jesus is hard to comprehend and can derail anyone, so Jesus gives them spiritual, physical, and mental evidence to put their lives back on track.

When we put ourselves into the story, we are given a formula for putting our lives back on track. When we come to the Eucharist, we get what the apostles were given. We all came here seeking peace from something that has taken us off the tracks. We knelt and prayed for ourselves or someone else. We begin every Mass with the Penitential Rite, where we ask God to eliminate anything that may be stealing his peace from us. We are given the Word of God to provide us with our weekly instruction to help us put our lives back on track. We are then given the very Body and Blood of Christ to put our lives back on track.

My friends in Christ, do you see when our lives have fallen off the tracks, we are to come here, to receive the Eucharist, and our lives are put back on the tracks. The Gospel ends by saying, “You are now witnesses to all these things.” As we go through our week, may our lives be on track, and may we be the witnesses that God wants us to be from what we are told and have seen.

What are we going to do???

Easter Weekday Friday

Acts 5:34-42

John 6:1-15

K, 1, & 2 graders

What are you going to do today?

What do you hope to do this weekend?

In our readings today, a few people ask, “What are we going to do today?”

In our Gospel, Jesus has been preaching and teaching a large crowd of people numbering over 5000. By the end of the day, the people are tired and hungry, and they are a long way from their homes.

Jesus turns to Philip and asks, “What are we going to do to feed this many people?” Philip answers, “I do not know! If we had 200 days’ wages, it would not be enough.”

Now a small, young boy steps forward with five barley loaves and two fish, and he says, “I have these loaves of bread and these fish. You may have them to feed the hungry people.” There are two things to make mention here that are important. The first is that it is a young boy that has come forward and offered everything he has to help. The second is that bread made from barley was considered bread for the poor because it was plentiful, and it grew quicker than wheat.

Now Andrew steps forward and says, “What are we going to do? It is not enough!”

Jesus takes the barley loaves and the fish from the boy and says, “Boys, step back and watch because it is enough.” Jesus blesses the bread and the fish, and everyone ate until they were full.

My friends in Christ, with all the big and holy people in the story, the hero is the young boy who was willing to give from what he had, and Jesus used that to feed the many people.

How will we use what little we have for the glory of God this day?