Author: SHSS

Consecrated in the Truth: What Easter Calls Us to Believe and Live

Truth as a Central Theme in the Gospel

I would like to focus on the Gospel. Jesus prays that his apostles, and through them all of us, be consecrated in the truth. Truth is a major theme in the Gospel of John. Jesus describes himself as the Way, the Truth, and the Life. So we must ask: what is truth, or better still, who is truth?

Jesus brings us truth about God, about God’s attitude toward us, and about the purpose of life itself. Jesus is the truth. Those who seek the truth are, in the deepest sense, seeking God — seeking Jesus.

Truth in a Distracted Society

It seems to me that in our society, the desire to know the truth has taken a back seat to conspiracy theories, fear tactics, and rumors. Truth has been reduced to a personal preference. We hear phrases like “your truth” and “my truth,” as though truth were simply a matter of feeling or mood.

Our society seems more ready to embrace falsehoods than to search for a truth that exists outside ourselves — a truth confirmed by real events and real actions. If that is where we find ourselves, then we must ask: how do we receive and hold fast to the truth that the Church teaches?

The Truths of Easter

What is the truth of the Easter Season and its celebrations? What truths are we consecrated in? To what truth are we called to bear witness?

If these are truths, they must be lived. Jesus prays that we be consecrated in the truth. To consecrate is to set something apart for a sacred purpose. With that in mind, consider the truths we are called to bear witness to — with our lives, and if necessary, even with our deaths:

The truth that God is.
The truth that God became incarnate among us, fully human in all things but sin.
The truth that we are created in the image of God.
The truth that God has invited humanity to share in his own divine life.
The truth that God so loved the world that he entered it in Jesus, redeeming our unfaithfulness through his perfect faithfulness.
The truth that we must imitate Christ by willing the good of others.
The truth that Jesus is risen and is still with us.
The truth that life will triumph over death, light will triumph over darkness, and truth will triumph over falsehood.
And the truth that what we do to one another, we do to God.

The Foundation of It All
Upon what are all these truths grounded? On this: that Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. That God is light, and in him there is no darkness. That grace and truth came to us through Jesus Christ.

We are called to live Jesus.

Msgr. Guy A. Massie
May 17, 2026

The Commands of Jesus and the Promise of the Holy Spirit

On the Sixth Sunday of Easter, we continue our Gospel reading from the discourses at the Last Supper, according to St. John. Today, Jesus gives us two main points: first, his commands; and second, the promise of the Holy Spirit.

The Commands of Jesus

What are the commands of Jesus, and what is the motive for obeying them? There are many commands of Jesus. Among them are: love one another as I have loved you; do this in memory of me, referring to the Eucharist; be merciful as your Father is merciful; and forgive your enemies. There are many others.

The reason we believers are commanded to obey these commandments is because we love Jesus. We are not to obey simply out of legalistic reasons, but rather because we love Jesus. This presupposes that each of us has a deep relationship with Christ in the depths of our hearts.

Jesus invites us to forgive, not because the one being forgiven deserves forgiveness, but because we love Jesus. We are being asked to come to the celebration of the Eucharist not to fulfill a law, but because we love Jesus.

There are people who say, “I do not go to Mass; I pray at home. I do my own thing.” The Eucharist calls the Church together. We are called by Christ to gather in his name. We are Catholic; we never stand alone. We always stand as a member of this body.

While praying at home is good, and while doing your own thing may be wonderful, it is not what Jesus commanded. It is what makes you happy. If we love Jesus, we do not need emotion or feelings of fervor. We need to obey these commands because we love Jesus.

We grow in the love of Jesus as we learn more about Jesus in the sacred text and in the teaching of the Church. It is in experiencing God as Holy Spirit that we are drawn to Jesus.

The Promise of the Holy Spirit

The second point of today’s Gospel is the promise of the Holy Spirit. The Easter Season began on the Second Sunday of Easter and continues until Pentecost. Pentecost is fifty days after Easter. It was on this day that the Holy Spirit was poured out on the community of the Church gathered in the upper room.

While the goal of the Easter Season is to celebrate Easter, it is also a preparation for the great feast of Pentecost, which this year is on May 24.

Msgr. Guy A. Massie
May 10, 2026
Sunday Readings

Do You Know Jesus, or Do You Know About Jesus?

To know Jesus is different from simply knowing about the Lord. To know about Jesus is more than an academic exercise. To know the Lord is a matter of constant conversion and turning to the Lord in the very depths of our hearts.

To know the Lord is to confess in our innermost being that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. We come to know Jesus through our understanding of the Gospel passages, through the sacred texts of the New Testament, through those who have known Him throughout history—namely the saints—and through the teachings of our faith community, the Church.

As I have said time and again, the saints are not just statues who lived long ago. The saints, through their lives and writings, gave witness to Christ, and they have much to tell us about faith. Looking at the faith of parents and grandparents, and learning from them how important Jesus is to them, is another way to come to know Jesus.

Jesus Is the Way

For the disciple, Jesus is the Way to the Father. Jesus is the way of how to live here and now. Jesus is the way through darkness, confusion, and fear.

In the first reading for Sunday’s liturgy, the early Christian community is struggling with newcomers, prejudice, and change. How is Jesus the Way through their communal problem? Do we not have similar issues? In prayer, how do we discern which way to go with our fear and our unknowing?

Jesus Is the Truth

For the person of faith, Jesus is the Truth. Christ is the truth that can set us free from fear. Christ is the Truth about who God is. In this truth, we are reminded that we are made for God, and anyone or anything else will not satisfy us.

Christ is the mind of God. In Christ, we are called to face the truth, as difficult as this may be, and be freed by it. The woman at the well (Jn 4) faced the truth about herself and was freed. Can we say that Jesus is the Truth we long to hear?

Jesus Is the Life

In John 10, we read, “I came that they may have life, and life in abundance.” Jesus is the Life. In God, there does not exist death; all are alive for God.

If Jesus is our life, then eternal life has already started, and in our growth in the Spirit, we nourish the eternal life in us which began at our baptism. This leads us to say with St. Paul, “For me, life is Christ.”

Living in Christ

To live in Christ is to live in freedom, to lessen our fear, and to increase our love and mercy for one another.

Msgr. Guy A. Massie
May 3, 2026
Sunday Readings

What Voice Are You Listening To This Good Shepherd Sunday?

A Blessed Good Shepherd Sunday Greeting

I wish you a blessed and happy Fourth Sunday of Easter. Today is also known as Good Shepherd Sunday.

The Heart of a True Shepherd

Shepherds are people who care for their sheep. They live with the sheep. They protect the sheep. They comfort the sheep. They correct the sheep. They are watchful and vigilant. They are always on guard over their sheep. The foundation for their dedication to the sheep is their love for their flock. It was from the sheep that the shepherd obtained the wool for his clothing and milk for his nourishment. The shepherd served the sheep.

Jesus: The Good Shepherd

Jesus self-identifies as the Good Shepherd. He applies all the requirements of the shepherd to himself. Jesus gathers his flock, calls his sheep by name, and even lays down his life for his sheep. We are his flock. Jesus corrects, is watchful, and protects his sheep.

Called to Shepherd in Christ’s Place

Jesus accomplishes his shepherding by calling shepherds to act in his place. These shepherds are our bishops, pastors, priests, religious, and dedicated lay people who serve us. Those who act in the place of the Good Shepherd must know the Good Shepherd, learn from the Good Shepherd, be dedicated to the spiritual and temporal welfare of the congregation, correct firmly but kindly, and always serve the flock. At times the shepherd may even have to lay down his life for his flock or congregation.

Christ Calls Us By Name

In Sunday’s Gospel, we are told that Christ calls us by name. We are invited to hear the voice of the Shepherd in our hearts. Jesus knows us by name. He knows us individually and as a member of the community.

Discerning the Shepherd’s Voice

How do we know that voice? In a world of many voices found on the internet, Facebook, television, newspapers, and all social media, how do we discern the voice of the Good Shepherd? With the advice and expectations placed on us by friends and family, how do we recognize the voice of the Good Shepherd in our lives? Who helps us to hear the voice of Christ in our hearts and souls?

Where to Find Christ’s Voice

We are invited to hear the voice of the Lord through contemplating the Gospel and other sacred texts. The voice of the Lord is spoken in the Tradition of the Church, especially in the writings of the Fathers. The voice of God is found in being involved in our local parish community. It is found in the cry of the poor and the joy of the young. The voice of God is discerned for us by good and spiritually minded priests, sisters and bishops, parents and teachers, and it is found in the depths of our innermost being.

Msgr. Guy A. Massie
April 24, 2026