April 29, 2026 Memorial of Saint Catherine of Siena, Virgin and Doctor of the Church Gospel: John 12:44–50
Today is Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Easter. The Church celebrates the Memorial of Saint Catherine of Siena. According to her biography, she was a 14th-century Italian Dominican tertiary, a philosopher and theologian of the Scholastic tradition. She played a pivotal role in persuading Pope Gregory XI to return the Papal Court from Avignon, France, to Rome, and she fostered peace among the warring city-states of Italy. In 1939, Pope Pius XII named her, alongside Saint Francis of Assisi, as a principal patroness of Italy. On October 3, 1970, Pope Paul VI declared her a Doctor of the Church. On October 1, 1999, Pope John Paul II, at the Second Special Assembly for Europe of the Synod of Bishops, proclaimed Saints Catherine of Siena, Birgitta of Sweden, and Teresa Benedicta of the Cross as co-patronesses of Europe.
Today’s passage from the Gospel of John continues to reveal to us the divinity of Jesus Christ. We often rely on our own understanding and reason to decide what to believe or accept, using our own judgments as the measure of all things. Sometimes, we base our knowledge of God solely on the preaching of ecclesiastical superiors, imitating their behaviour until we become like them. Yet, among those we imitate, there are often those who “hear the word of God but do not keep it” (cf. John 12:47). They presume they can escape the judgment of God’s word while continuing to live freely in this passing world. However, when their earthly life ends, the just God will judge them according to their deeds, because they disregarded the infinite mercy Christ revealed to them during their lives and chose instead to remain in darkness.
Today, Jesus tells us: “I came into the world as light, so that everyone who believes in me might not remain in darkness” (cf. John 12:46). We were called to receive the light of Christ in the Night of the Resurrection through Baptism. In our daily lives, our thoughts, words, and actions must be as open and upright as those of children of light. Like Christ, we must faithfully proclaim the living Christ to the world, helping more of our brothers and sisters living in darkness to step out of the shadows and into the light of life given to us by the risen Lord Jesus Christ.
O God, who set Saint Catherine of Siena on fire with divine love in her contemplation of the Lord’s Passion and her service of your Church, grant, through her intercession, that your people, participating in the mystery of Christ, may ever exult in the revelation of his glory. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.
April 28, 2026 Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Easter / Saint Louis de Montfort / Saint Peter Chanel Gospel: John 10:22–30
Today is Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Easter. The Church celebrates an Optional Memorial in honour of Saint Louis de Montfort and Saint Peter Chanel. The passage from the Gospel of John reveals to us the relationship between Jesus and the Father.
The Gospel text mentions a specific location—the Portico of Solomon. In the time of Jesus, the rabbis would gather there to answer questions posed by the Jews who came to them for explanations of Scripture. Since Solomon was the wise king of Israel, the rabbis would expound the Scriptures there to display their own wisdom.
Saint Paul tells us: “Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God”(cf. 1 Cor 1:24). By coming to the Portico of Solomon, He proclaimed His identity. Those who approached Him sought to find grounds in His words to accuse Him. Their hesitation stemmed from their refusal to accept the new world Jesus announced; they continued to interpret His words according to the logic of this passing age. To them, His words were radically ahead of their time, far beyond their capacity to grasp. They demanded that Jesus state His identity plainly for two reasons: first, to extract direct evidence from His own mouth to charge Him with blasphemy; second, because they did not believe He was the Messiah foretold by the prophets. They were still awaiting a political liberator.
Today, within our own Church, some of our brothers and sisters act like the Jews of Jesus’ time. They often create discord among the faithful because their hearts are out of tune with the Heart of Christ. They do not persevere in contemplation or constant prayer to align their hearts with His, nor do they strive to conform their actions to His. Yet we must not reject them. Rather, we should pray for them and strive earnestly to keep our own hearts in harmony with the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Grant, we pray, almighty God, that, celebrating the mysteries of the Lord’s Resurrection, we may merit to receive the joy of our redemption. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever
April 27, 2026 Monday of the Fourth Week of Easter Gospel: John 10:11-18
Today is Monday of the Fourth Week of Easter. The Mass Gospel continues the theme of Christ the Good Shepherd. We often see those who rush about for a livelihood. To survive in this world, they toil daily to receive a just wage from those who, like themselves, are created in God’s image. Sometimes, when they have worked hard but did not receive fair pay, they become discouraged and refuse to serve their employers. This is because they work for the sake of money, rather than obeying their conscience and striving to serve their employers faithfully.
Today, Christians also need to listen. Christians must listen to the laws and regulations established by legitimate civil authorities, yet even more so, they must constantly follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit and heed the instruction of God’s Word. For the God rich in mercy wills that through His beloved Son, our Lord Christ, He reveals to us all the truth about the Kingdom of Heaven, leading us to eternal life. As Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep, and my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.” (John 10:14-15) We have never seen the Father with our own eyes; only through the Only Begotten Son, who rests in the Father’s bosom—being God—has He fully revealed the truth of the Kingdom to us. That Only Begotten Son, through the sacrifice He offered on the Cross for all the sins we committed, presented Himself as the sacrificial victim to the Father. Through the sacrifice of the Cross, the infinitely merciful Heavenly Father grants us remission for all the debts of our sins and reconciles us with Himself and with the world He created.
Today, the world we live in is filled with all kinds of voices. The enemy of the human soul—the devil—often disguises his voice as God’s voice to lure us away from Christ’s sheepfold and lead us astray. Therefore, we need God’s care and must constantly offer our earnest prayers to Him. Only through praying perseveringly to God can we cultivate trust in Him and align our hearts with His Heart. Only in this way do we carry out the holy will of God.
O God, perfect light of the blessed, by whose gift we celebrate the paschal mysteries on earth, bring us, we pray, to rejoice in the full measure of your grace for ages unending. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever
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