5th Sunday of Easter 2026
Acts 6:1-7 1 Peter 2:4-9 John14:1-12
Our Gospel reading this Sunday continues with a similar theme to last Sunday; Jesus identifying Himself in such a way that the disciples can understand Him. In last Sunday’s Gospel Jesus said that he is the “Gate of the Sheepfold”, that is, He is the Way into the sheepfold or into the Kingdom of God. Today we read: “Yes, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.”
This Gospel reading is often used at funeral liturgies of Christians. Followers of Jesus Christ believe that in Jesus they find the manner of living that pleases God, they know that He is the one to teach us the Truth about God and the World and about the glorified Life He has shared with all who listen to him and are faithful to His word.
When St Thomas and St Philip question Jesus and ask him for clarification as to what all this means and to tell them about God, the Father, Jesus could not be more clear – “To have seen me and to know me is to see the Father and know God”. These words of consolation and encouragement are set in the context of the farewell conversation at the Last Supper. And surely they must have been encouraging for the apostles. ‘I have spoken on behalf of the Father, I have done my work on behalf of the Father – you have seen and heard. Believe!’ But then, the startling and empowering declaration of Jesus must have stunned the Apostles: “I tell you most solemnly, whoever believes in me will perform the same works as I do myself, they will perform even greater works, because I am going to the Father”. In former times it was only Moses who was holy enough to approach Mount Sinai to offer sacrifice.
In Saint Peter’s letter today we are called “A royal priesthood, a Holy Nation, God’s own people”. In other words, we are called to do the things that Jesus did; to offer sacrifice, to be the building of living stones, a holy Temple joined to the foundation stone, who is Christ. One of the principal emphases of Vatican II was that the Eucharistic sacrifice is offered by the whole people, not by the priest alone. So, all of us form the royal priesthood and though the priest does have a special function in presiding at the Eucharist, it is the people as a whole who offer sacrifice just as much as the priest.
Again, in our reading from the Acts of the Apostles today we learn that while the early Church was increasing in number and influence, the Apostles continued to identify themselves to the political authorities and to the disciples who were forming the Church:“We must not neglect the word of God” so as to do social services! The role of the ‘chosen race, the royal priesthood, the holy nation’ was to devote themselves “to prayer and to the service of the word.” This role remains today!
Saint Francis of Assisi, interpreting this role of the disciples of Jesus, wrote a rule of life for his followers. He summed it up as ‘observing the gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ.’He used the word ‘observing’ which expresses the need to pay attention to the word of God as well as the need to obey the word of God. Saint Francis knew that the truth we require would be found only the word of God.
We are called to the same service and are assured of the steadfastness of the Rock on which we are built.