It’s been a difficult few months to be sure. Our newsfeeds are flooded with stories of war from the Holy Land, rising tensions with Iran, and violence in Lebanon. Religious bigotry and attacks on Catholics- on our churches and homes – have only added to the pain. Seeing a crucifix desecrated in the Holy Land didn’t just spark outrage; it poured gasoline of fires already burning in many hearts… I’ll admit, myself included.
Thank you for taking the time to read this homily for FIFTH SUNDAY OF EASTER -MAY 3, 2026 – Your support means a great deal to me, and I’m deeply grateful for the many who share these messages with their friends, families and social media followers. If you’ve found meaning in these words, I’d be grateful if you’d share them with others who might benefit.
And for those who prefer listening, you can find the audio version on SoundCloud HERE or subscribe to the podcast on iTunes HERE. Your comments, messages, and the way you’ve embraced these homilies continue to inspire me. Sincerely in Christ -Father Jim
Now, all around us, voices are preaching about “end times.” Arm-chair theologians – some of them sincere, but most of them – most of them not – are dusting off old maps of the Middle East and speculating about building a Third Temple in Jerusalem. Christian Zionists, and certain end-time sects, talk as if the rituals of the Old Testament – like animal sacrifices – are about to come back, as if the Bible’s final chapters is about to play out live on cable news. They try to crack God’s plan like it’s a puzzle or code for them to decipher.
None of this is new or original – the devil can never be either of those things, new or original. It’s the same script, just with fresher headlines. And it sells because it stirs up fear. It makes people wonder: is the next battle, the next headline, the one that finally triggers the countdown? The media plays along, because the more anxious we feel, the more we click, the more we watch. It’s unsettling. It’s gross.
Providentially, today’s scriptures come at the perfect time. The words of Jesus “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me.” are like a quiet, steady hand placed over a racing heart. Unlike how they’ve been misused, no these words aren’t wishful thinking of some talking head blathering on television as a conclusion to a pep talk or political sermon. They’re not the vague hope offered by a self-help guru. They come from Jesus’ lips – the night before His passion and death are to take place. He knows betrayal, violence, the Cross await Him. He know the disciples will fall apart. He even knows the Temple in Jerusalem, the one His disciples admired so much, would be reduced to rubble within a single generation. And still He says Do not let your hearts be troubled…
Why do so many hearts get troubled? Maybe it’s because we look in the wrong places, listen to the wrong voices. Because some are obsessed with rebuilding the temple as if something essential is missing. But Jesus is clear. He is the Way, the truth and the Life. In Him, the entire story of the Temple has already reached its fulfillment. Listen again to St. Peter’s words from today’s second reading: You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of His own…” We are not waiting for stones to be cut in Jerusalem. We are the living stones. The new Temple isn’t a building waiting to go up – it is the Church, built on Christ the cornerstone.
And the only sacrifice that matters? The only sacrifice acceptable to the Father? It is the one offered once for all on Calvary – the sacrifice Jesus made of Himself. That sacrifice is not repeated, but it is made real and present – right here on this altar – every time we celebrate the Eucharist. No goats or bulls – No future rebuilding project. Just the Lamb of God, given for us, today.
People can spend their entire lives looking forward to what God has already fulfilled… waiting for a Messiah who has already come. Anticipating a new Temple – while standing inside it. Searching for a sacrifice – while it’s right in front of them.
So when Jesus says I am the way, and the truth and the life – He is not giving us a code to crack. He is giving us a way to live. That’s meant to shift everything for us. Because the temptation, especially in uncertain times, is to become spectators. To analyze, predict, debate. But Jesus doesn’t say “Figure it out.” He says “Whoever believes in me will do the works that I do.”
That’s why the example of the first Christians, in today’s first reading from Acts is so important. They focused on something practical and holy at the same time: making sure the widows were fed. The apostles didn’t drop everything to speculate about the end times. They appointed the first deacons so that the Word of God could continue to be preached, while the practical works of mercy continued. In other words, the Temple was being built, not with marble, but with love. With service and daily quiet acts of laying down their lives for each other. That’s the way Jesus is speaking of. Not the way of speculation. Not the way of fear. Not the way of “I’m on the right team, so I’m good…” The Way is the way of the Cross – radical – costly – self giving love.
We’ve seen what that looks like… in dramatically amazing ways in the last century. In a place where the world seemed closest to its end – the horrors of Auschwitz, a man was chosen to die. He cried out begging “My wife… my children..” Without hesitation, another innocent prisoner stepped forward. A Franciscan priest named Fr. Maximilian Kobe said “I will take his place.” He didn’t analyze the moment. He didn’t wonder if this was the end times. He simply became Christ for that man. For two weeks, Kolbe comforted, prayed, and led his fellow condemned prisoners. He was the last one left alive, still praying, until the guards ended his life. That’s not someone trying to figure out the end. That’s someone who already knows the way—someone so conformed to Christ that, when the moment came, he didn’t need to think. He became the Gospel.
That’s the challenge for us. The world is full of people theorizing about the end. But Jesus isn’t looking for theorists. He’s looking for disciples. People who don’t just talk about the Gospel – but live it. People who don’t just speculate about the future – but lay down their lives in the present. Not just in dramatic once-in-a-lifetime moments, as important as those are, but in the daily hidden choices: when we chose forgiveness over resentment; when we sacrifice comfort for prayer; when we reach out to the lonely, the grieving…
Our preparation for the “end times” is not about decoding the news. It is about becoming more like the One who promised, “Where I am, you also may be.” The hope is not “maybe if the Temple gets rebuilt.” The promise is certain “I go to prepare a place for you… and I will come back and take you to myself.”
We have been waiting two thousand years – not with clenched fists or fearful calculations – but with open hands and trusting hearts. In the meantime we know we have work to do. So let the rage-bait headlines scream. Let the speculation continue. We must guard our hearts so they will not be troubled. Remembering that we know the way…the truth… and the life. We know that the temple has been raised – three days after it was destroyed. His name is Jesus and we are His body. Come to this altar today and receive the only sacrifice that matters. Then go out and be the temple the world so desperately needs – steadfast, merciful and unafraid.
Do Not let your hearts be troubled. Christ has overcome the world. And He has prepared a place for you.
