Recognized as His Companion

 

Readings 041126  

You don’t have to have studied theology
to come close to Jesus.
You just have to want Him.
You just have to stay near Him.
Faith begins with God’s grace stirring the heart,
long before we understand anything fully.

I think of two brothers.

One has come closer and closer to the Church—
not because he mastered books,
not because he won debates,
but because he lives with people of faith.
His wife believes.
His children believe.
And their steady witness opened his heart.
That’s how grace often works—
through the quiet, daily faith of others.

The other brother…
doesn’t think he needs any of this.
When we talk, he wants to prove how much he knows.
And I’m not saying he doesn’t know Scripture.
But faith is more than knowledge—
it’s trust, surrender,
a willingness to let God be God.

His wife does not believe,
He has no child that believes,
and he rarely listens
unless someone says what he wants to hear.

The apostles struggled with that too.
They wanted proof.
They wanted certainty.
They wanted everything on their terms.

But then something changed.
Acts tells us the leaders were amazed
when they saw the boldness of Peter and John—
ordinary, uneducated men—
and they recognized them
as companions of Jesus.

That’s the heart of it.
Not education.
Not arguments.
But being recognized
as someone who has been with Jesus.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, 

Draw my heart close to Yours.
Teach me that faith begins with grace, not knowledge.
Let me stay near You in the ordinary moments.
Strengthen the witness of those who quietly believe.
Soften the hearts that resist Your voice.
Make me recognizable as one who walks with You.
And keep me faithful to Your love today.

Amen

Come, Have Breakfast

Readings 041026  

“Come, have breakfast.”
That’s how the Risen Jesus speaks.
Not with thunder.
Not with arguments.
But with presence.
With a meal.
With Himself.

And the disciples—
still unsure,
still carrying the weight of their failures—
sit before Him in silence.
None of them asks,
“Who are you?”
because something deeper has awakened.
They know it is the Lord.

And that is how faith usually unfolds.
Not through debate.
Not through perfect explanations.
But through encounter.
Through a moment that touches the heart
before it convinces the mind.

We meet the Church the same way—
not as an idea,
but as something living,
breathing with Christ’s own life.

And in the Holy Meal,
in the Blessed Sacrament,
we meet Him again.
Not a symbol.
Not a memory.
A Presence.
The One who saves.

For there is no salvation through anyone else,
and no other name under heaven
given to the human race
by which we are to be saved.

So today He speaks again,
quietly, gently,
“Come… have breakfast.”
Come to the table
where the Savior waits.

Prayer

Lord Jesus,
You come to us with quiet mercy.
You feed us with Your living presence.
Open our hearts to recognize You.
Let Your Church breathe with Your life.
Save us in Your holy name alone.
Draw us again to Your table of grace.

Amen

I’m Right Here - Elementary School Mass

 

Readings 040926 

Who loves you? Jesus loves you.

I’m going to begin with a little story.

When I was a kid, sometimes big storms rolled in at night.
Thunder shook the windows.
Lightning lit up my room.
And even though I tried to be brave,
I pulled the covers over my head
because I was scared.

But then my mom or dad would come in.
They’d whisper,
“I’m right here. Don’t be afraid.”
They didn’t stop the storm,
but they stayed beside me
until my heart felt calm again.

Why?
Because they loved me.

Sometimes the world feels like that storm.
We hear things on the news.
We see things we don’t understand.
Kids feel that.
Grown‑ups feel that too.

In today’s Gospel,
Jesus’ friends were feeling the same way.
They were gathered in a room,
talking about the cross,
the empty tomb,
the strange stories they’d heard.
Nothing made sense.
Their world felt upside down.

And right in the middle of their fear,
Jesus appeared.
He didn’t knock.
He didn’t wait outside.
He came straight to them and said,
“Peace be with you.”

They were still scared,
so He showed them His hands and His feet.
He even ate a piece of fish
just to help them feel safe.

It was His way of saying,
“I’m real. I’m right here. You don’t have to be afraid.”

And children—
Jesus says the same thing to you.

When the world feels big,
when something scares you,
when you don’t understand—
Jesus comes close
and whispers to your heart,
“Peace be with you. I’m right here. Don’t be afraid”

So remember this truth:
You don’t have to understand everything.
You don’t have to pretend you’re not scared.
You just have to remember
that Jesus is with you.
Always.
Everywhere.
Forever.

Why?
Because He loves you.

And now—
tell your street,
tell your family,
tell the whole city of Monroe:

Who loves you?
Jesus loves you.

Prayer

Jesus, stay close when I feel afraid.
Speak Your peace into my heart.
Hold me when the world feels big.
Shine Your light in my storms.
Help me remember You are near.
Fill me with Your gentle courage.
Jesus, I trust Your love for me.

Amen.