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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.
The power of the Resurrection is the main theme of this Sunday’s readings. Jesus Christ rises, despite His passion, despite his death on a cross, despite His being buried in a tomb, despite the stone, in spite of the presence of the guards. The Father raises His Son from the dead, in the Holy Spirit, demonstrating that Christ now has the keys of death and hell.