Dear friends,

Last week, as I made my way from the airport to a funeral Mass for a dear friend in Dallas, I had an encounter that has stayed with me in a quiet but powerful way. My Uber driver, named Duncan, handed me a simple wristband. On it were the words: "God is big enough." At the time, I received it politely, but it did not resonate immediately with me as my mind was focused on the funeral Mass I was heading to celebrate.

Dear friends,

As we journey through the Sixth Sunday of Easter, the Church draws us ever closer to the great celebrations of the Ascension and Pentecost. These coming feasts remind us that Christ does not abandon His people but continues to guide and strengthen us through the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Dear friends,

In this weekend's Gospel from the Farewell Discourse, Jesus speaks words of comfort to his disciples as he prepares for his arrest and crucifixion. He invites them to trust in God and to look forward with hope to their reunion in the Father's house. In the ancient world, when travelers needed lodging, one of them would go ahead to prepare a place. Jesus uses this familiar image—but what he promises is far greater than a temporary shelter. He offers an eternal dwelling in the Father's house.

Dear Friends,

Learning from the early Christian Community lets us hear Peter announcing the core kerygma, or the essential truths of our faith.

According to Peter, Jesus was a man commanded by God, with mighty deeds, wonders, and signs. Jesus was delivered up by the set plan and foreknowledge of God. He was crucified and rose again, and God has made him both Lord and Messiah. This is the stark truth of the Resurrection. And the people ask Peter and the other Apostles, "What are we to do, my brothers?" and Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:22-23, 36, 38)

Dear Friends,

The title of this reflection is inspired by the Gospel of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13–35). In that familiar and beautiful story, the disciples encounter a stranger along the way—only to discover, in the end, that it is the Risen Lord himself.

As they journey, weighed down by confusion and disappointment, Jesus himself draws near and walks with them. Yet they do not recognize him. Instead, they recount to this “stranger” all that has happened concerning Jesus of Nazareth—their dashed hopes, their sorrow, their uncertainty. And then something remarkable happens.

Dear Friends,

We live in a world increasingly shaped by a “tit-for-tat” mentality—a world where mercy is rarely celebrated, and strength is often measured by raw power rather than compassion. One need only look at the tragic conflicts unfolding across the globe to see the consequences of this mindset. At the root of so much violence lies humanity’s struggle to forgive and a persistent refusal to show mercy for past wrongs.

Dear Friends,

What a week this has been! Holy Week—the most sacred stretch of time in human history—is always a week marked by gross contradictions and naked betrayals. These painful moments were not carried out by strangers, but by those purported to be the "soul friends" of our Lord; a people He loved, served, and sacrificed everything for.