Pastor’s Blog

Sunday is the Third Sunday of Easter. We are now in the Easter Season, which will continue until Pentecost—May 24 this year. Sunday’s readings are inspiring and uplifting. We shall focus on the Gospel and relate the other readings to this great Gospel message. This is my favorite Easter story.

In the Gospel, we meet two dejected, sad, mournful, and disillusioned disciples leaving Jerusalem. They are discussing all that happened to Jesus as they walk. In the midst of their discussion, Jesus approaches but is not recognized by the sad disciples. He inquires about the topic of their discussion. The two, surprised that he does not know about all that happened to Jesus, fill him in. Jesus then addresses some questions to the disciples. Ascertaining their answers, he begins to teach them, explaining the scriptures regarding the Messiah.

Lessons from the Road

They reach an inn and invite Jesus to stay. He does, and while they are eating, he takes bread, blesses it, and gives it to them. With this gesture, they recognize the stranger, whereupon Jesus vanishes.

There are many lessons we can take from this story. First, the disciples perhaps had a narrow understanding of the term Messiah. Jesus explains the redemptive role of the Messiah. He uses the sacred text, known to the two men, to reveal his identity. Is this not similar to the first part of the liturgy in the Catholic Church? We read the Word. We seek to understand the text so that we may find meaning in our own lives here and now.

Jesus draws near as they are discussing. When we study sacred scripture from the Acts of the Apostles, Peter is explaining the sacred text to his own people. It is most important that we understand the scripture. Understanding the text helps our faith to grow.

Recognizing Christ in the Breaking of the Bread

Second, as the three are walking, they come to an inn and seat themselves at a table. Jesus takes bread, blesses it, and gives it to them. In this action, they recognize Jesus. (The term “breaking of the bread” is an ancient term referring to the Eucharist.) Upon recognizing Jesus, with burning hearts they get up and return to Jerusalem to share the good news of having encountered Jesus on the road to Emmaus.

Is this not similar to our experience of Mass? After hearing the Word, we celebrate the Eucharist. It is during the celebration of the Eucharist that Jesus becomes visibly and really present under the appearances of bread and wine. We Catholics believe that Jesus is really present, not symbolically present. In the Eucharist, we celebrate, receive, and adore Christ present. In the Eucharist, we encounter the Risen Christ.

So when the two recognize Jesus in the breaking of the bread, it emphasizes the real presence of Christ. We meet the Risen Christ in the Sacraments, in the Word, in the gathering of the people, and most especially in the Eucharist

Prayers from Emmaus

Third, the Emmaus Gospel gives us two prayers. The first is said by the disciples, who think their traveling companion is going on further. They say, “Stay with us.” We can say the same prayer when evening approaches, when some darkness is surrounding us, when we are confused, when we are sad. This prayer inspired the Italian hymn “Resta Con Noi.”

Second, the Gospel teaches us to be open to the lessons of scripture. The disciples confess that their hearts were burning within them. When we are moved by the sacred text, we know it. This happens when the text seems to speak directly to you.

Lastly, when the disciples recognize Jesus in the breaking of the bread, Jesus vanishes from their sight. While they may not see him, he has vanished into them. They are on fire with the Good News of the Resurrection. This is a big change. When we met them, they were running away. Jesus found them, healed them, and changed them for the better. He can do the same for you if we allow him.

Now they are running to Jerusalem to share the Good News. When was the last time your faith made you excited enough to share it? In the end, one never knows who one will meet on our life journey. Some we meet can fill our lives with joy and hope. Some we meet can teach us how to attain that joy and hope. Perhaps one day we will meet the one who is joy and hope.

Msgr. Guy A. Massie
April 19, 2026
Sunday Readings

Divine Mercy Sunday: Healing Through Christ’s Wounds

The Sunday after Easter has been designated by St. John Paul II as Divine Mercy Sunday. In today’s Gospel, Thomas is healed by touching the wounds of Christ. Christ redeems us through his passion.

It is in facing our wounded nature—both as a community and as individuals—that we can find healing. Seeing our wounded nature can be painful. Healing that nature can be difficult, yet Christ is our hope and strength. Even the worst of sins can be forgiven and healed.

The Heart of Mercy

Mercy is a word that comes from Latin: misericordia. This word means to suffer pain in one’s heart for another. In asking God for mercy, we are asking God to have suffering in his heart for us.

Likewise, we are asked by God to have pain in our hearts for the pain of others. Mercy is active—it does what it can to relieve the suffering of others through prayer and actions (the corporal and spiritual works of mercy).

Mercy for the Broken

There are people who feel that their lives are so mixed up, or that they have sinned most grievously, that forgiveness or reconciliation for them is impossible. Today the readings remind us that this is not true. Mercy is available. Lives can change for the better.

We as individuals, and we as the Body of Christ, are always in need of mercy. No one is so perfect as not to need mercy—either from God or from each other.

A Call to Share Mercy

Today, on Divine Mercy Sunday, forgive someone with whom you are angry. Mercy is given to us to be shared among us. Think about what really is important.

Msgr. Guy A. Massie
April 12, 2026

The Cornerstone of Our Faith

Easter’s joyful message is the key and cornerstone of our faith. It is because of this great, glorious event that Christians of every denomination gather for worship on the first day of the week, Sunday, and not the seventh day, Saturday.

It is on Sunday that Christ rose. It is on this first day of the week that God created light from darkness. It is on the first day of the week, Sunday, that the Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles at Pentecost. Sunday is our weekly Holy Day, and the Risen Christ is the reason for our existence. Jesus risen is the joy and hope of all who long for the good, seek truth, live love, and mercy.

Easter Reveals the Incarnation

Easter defines more clearly the great mystery of the incarnation. The incarnation means God becoming human in the person of Jesus. The Resurrection tells us clearly who Jesus is. He is God and man. Easter is a great reason for our hope.

In the Gospel, we see that Jesus addresses such topics as the truth; he speaks of compassion, peace, joy, mercy, judgment, redemption, and eternity. Jesus speaks about the fatherland of God, the supremacy of love (that is, willing the good for the other) over religious law. We see in the behavior of Jesus his deep and personal relationships with people. We also recognize that Jesus faces great opposition from many in the religious establishments of his time. In the Gospel, we are invited to live life now and in eternity. We learn through Jesus that with God there is no death, for God is life and life in the fullest.

Opposition and Faithfulness

The message of Jesus gave many hope, yet we see that Jesus was greatly opposed. He was opposed by many of the religious authorities of his time. Jesus was seen as a threat to the Romans who were occupying the land of Israel at the time of Jesus. Ultimately, Jesus is crushed. He dies a terrible death at the hands of the Romans; he is rejected by many of the religious authorities of his time.

Throughout his life and even his sufferings, Jesus remains faithful to his message, to his Father, and he does not give in to the temptations of hatred or retaliation. Jesus not only preached but practiced the message he preached. His faithfulness stands in sharp contrast to the unfaithfulness of Adam and Eve.

Story or parable that it may be, the Genesis story seeks to address the problems of evil and questions of sin. While humanity in the characters of Adam (everyman) and Eve (every woman) may have been unfaithful, Jesus is faithful to God. Thus, he redeems all humanity.

Victory of Love Over Darkness

Jesus is also the symbol of every person who seeks to do the good and live in harmony with God, as spoken of in the first psalm, and are persecuted for their efforts. Jesus represents all those who seek the good and whom the world does not understand. Jesus represents all those who seek peace, reconciliation, justice, kindness, compassion, and mercy, and who seem defeated, cast out, and who are marginalized in our society.

Easter is a victory celebration that love does win out over hatred, that truth ultimately is victorious over lies, that mercy and compassion make life worth living, that peace in the end wins out over war and personal distress, that giving and living for others gives true meaning, and in the end LIFE TRIUMPHS OVER DEATH. Even if the good is sometimes eclipsed by darkness and evil, even if we see the good sometimes defeated, the Resurrection of Christ tells us that the good will win out. For every cross we face and suffer will be a resurrection as sure as day follows night and spring follows winter.

IT IS THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS THAT GIVES US HOPE AND ENERGY TO LIVE A LIFE OF FAITH, HOPE, AND LOVE.

HAPPY EASTER!
Msgr. Guy A. Massie
April 5, 2026
Easter Readings

Holy Week is the most important week in the life of Christ and in the life of the Church. During Holy Week, we celebrate the great Redemption which Christ has achieved for us through his faithfulness to the Will of God. Every Catholic, every person who has a relationship with Christ, must take this week seriously and join in these great liturgies of the Church.

Remember, the liturgies invite each of us to not only be present to the great events but to sacramentally enter into the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Christ. Please join us for these great Holy Week liturgies.

Palm Sunday: March 29

Procession beginning at 2nd Place and Court St at 10:00 AM, then to the Church for the 10:15 AM Mass

Holy Week with Palm Sunday—also known as Passion Sunday—begins because the Passion is proclaimed at all the Masses. Palms are a sign of victory. The walking with palms reminds us that we are celebrating the victory of Christ over sin and death.

Palms may be seen as an ancient “ticker tape”—a way to greet a hero. The palm as a sign of victory is illustrated in our parish church. If you look closely at the statue of Saints Lucy and Stephen, you will see they hold a palm, indicating that they were martyrs who were victorious in giving their lives for the faith.

If you look at the sign outside the church bearing the name of the church, you will see at the crest at the top of the sign palms of victory. We bring palms to the cemetery and place them on the graves of loved ones, professing our faith that Christ is risen. For us, life and not death has the final word.

The Proclamation of the Passion

The Proclamation of the Passion of the Lord is the highest of the liturgies of the Word. Many people complain that the reading is too long. It is only once a year that we have such readings. It is good to allow the Passion to wash over you while remembering the great suffering that brought about our salvation.

Msgr. Guy A. Massie
March 29, 2026

Lazarus and New Life

Lazarus and the theme of new life stand at the center of our readings for this Fifth Sunday in Lent. In the Gospel, we meet two sisters, Martha and Mary. They are the sisters of Lazarus, who has died. Mary, Martha, and Lazarus were friends of Jesus.

This Gospel, like the Gospel of the Woman at the Well and the Man Born Blind, is catechetical because it prepares us for the Sacrament of Baptism. The first reading from the Book of the Prophet Ezekiel speaks to us of bringing new life from the grave: “I will put my spirit in you that you may live…” In the second reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans, we read: “If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, then he who raised Christ from the dead will raise your mortal bodies to life through the Spirit dwelling in you.”

Faith and Baptism

Faith is the requirement of Baptism. In the Gospel, Jesus asks Martha if she believes that he is the resurrection and the life. Martha answers, “Yes, I have come to believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, he who was to come into the world.” Notice that, for Martha, faith developed. This growth in her faith came as a result of her friendship with Jesus.

Jesus tells the people to remove the stone from the tomb of Lazarus. With this done, Jesus calls Lazarus back to life. The stone is an important symbol. Before new life can be given, the stone had to be removed. While Lazarus is returned to life, Jesus is creating new life in the spirit.

Removing the Stones

For that new life to be created in us, we need to remove whatever is blocking or interfering with a new life in Christ. The stones inhibiting our relationship with Christ are anything that distracts us, stops us, or prohibits growth in the spirit. These stones may be relationships that need to be reconciled or addressed, past guilt that has caused us to fear approaching God, regrets about behaviors, addictions, and more.

Only grace can help us move the stone blocking us from new life in Christ. Look at the burial bindings that held the body of Lazarus. Jesus says, “Free him and let him go.” There are many of us who seem bound up with issues from which we need to be freed. Once those are removed, we will hear more clearly the voice of Christ calling us to peace, joy, and love in the spirit.

Questions for Reflection

In the end, it comes down to these questions:

Do you believe that Jesus is God among us? Do you trust that Jesus can create new life in you and change your life for the better? Do you want a deeper relationship with Jesus in the sacred text, the Eucharist, the sacraments, and the community of the Church, or are you content with a relationship based on religious obligations that may not reach the depths of our being?

Msgr. Guy A. Massie
March 22, 2026

Sunday is the Fourth Sunday in Lent. In the Gospel, we meet the man born blind. In this text, a man blind from birth comes to see Jesus as the Messiah. The Gospel story tells us about his faith journey.

When the man born blind is first asked who healed him, he says that Jesus healed him. The second time he is asked about Jesus, the man born blind says Jesus is a prophet. Finally, the man born blind comes to believe that Jesus is the Son of Man. Thus, faith and insight into the identity of Jesus came gradually. Faith grew in him through his thinking and reflecting.

The questions posed to him and the answers he offered illustrate the development of faith in the blind man’s heart. Notice the development of this passage. The questioning of the Man Born Blind seems to resemble the questions put to Jesus during his passion. The presentation also seems similar to the questioning of Christians who are being persecuted for their faith.

Beware of the contrast between the leaders of the people and the Man Born Blind. With each question, the blind man comes to a deeper insight into the identity of Jesus. While the leaders seem to be blinded to the identity of Jesus due to their hardness of heart, the blind man comes to faith.

Faith as Illumination

Baptism in the ancient church was called illumination because faith gave us light to see beyond the literal or physical world. Faith enlightened the person. In the Letter to the Hebrews, we are told that faith is the conviction of things unseen.

As we journey on to Easter and the renewal of our baptismal promises, what questions about the faith do you have? Do you struggle with some of the aspects of faith? Has your faith grown over the years? May there be some blind spots in your thinking and perceptions of Jesus? Are there perception problems we may be having in seeing the truth about ourselves or someone we love?

What actually blinded the leaders? Were they really blind? Were they fearful of Jesus? Did they think they would lose their privileged position? Were they afraid of change? The life of the Man Born Blind changed after he was given sight. He could no longer beg. He could no longer claim to be ignorant. He had to take responsibility for his own life.

Responsibility in the Light

We are responsible for what we know. To know and understand is another way of being in the light. Ignorance is another way of being in the dark. Seeing can be a dangerous thing.

If we confess Jesus, how does our life change? What attitudes in us need to change? What behaviors need to change in us if we profess our faith in the Lordship of Christ Jesus? What behaviors are not compatible with faith in the Lord?

Lent calls us to a deeper inner conversion to the mind and heart of Christ Jesus. Professing to believe in Christ carries a great responsibility. What prevents us from seeing? How do we see? Do we see what actually is, or do we see what our minds wish us to see?

God is light. In the Prologue of the Gospel of St. John, we read that Jesus is the light that the darkness cannot overcome. Do we really want to see?

Msgr. Guy A. Massie
March 15, 2026