Thursday of the Fifth Week of Easter May 7, 2026 Gospel: John 15:9-11
Today is Thursday of the Fifth Week of Easter, the passage from the Holy Gospel according to Saint John continues to present the Farewell Discourse of Jesus: His words to the disciples before His Passion. In this passage, Jesus mentions love repeatedly.
What is love? Saint Paul the Apostle teaches us: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not inflated with pride. It is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury. It does not rejoice in wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” (cf. 1 Cor 13:4-7). Paul offers a profound summary of the love proclaimed by Jesus. Yet, we often feel that this love remains distant, abstract, or even imperceptible to us. The reason we fail to perceive this love is that we do not live according to the teachings of Jesus Christ; instead, we continue to follow the mindset of this world. The wisdom of this age teaches not love, but hatred; it teaches people to seek revenge against one another.
Today, Jesus instructs us: “If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love.” (John 15:10). This means only by truly laying down the hatred in our hearts; by entrusting our resentments and every inner affliction to God, can we abide in His love. Although this is an exceedingly painful process, we must still hold fast to God, trusting that He will never forsake us.
O God, restorer and lover of innocence, direct the hearts of your servants towards yourself, that those you have set free from the darkness of unbelief may never stray from the light of your truth. 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
May 6, 2026 Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Easter Gospel: John 15:1-8
Today is Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Easter. The passage from the Gospel of Saint John continues to present Jesus’ farewell discourse to His disciples before His Passion. In this passage, we hear the parable of the True Vine.
We often see grapevines growing and bearing abundant fruit in due season. When the vines bear rich clusters, the vinedresser gathers them to make wine and other beverages.
The Lord, rich in mercy, created us in His own image and likeness, and entrusted all of creation to our care. Even after our first parents, Adam and Eve, disobeyed His command and were driven from Paradise, He continued to send prophets, judges, priests, and kings to instruct His beloved Israel. He even sent His only Son to reveal His compassion among us. Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Word of God, does not speak on His own authority, but on the Father’s who sent Him. He does nothing on His own, but the Father, dwelling in Him, continues His work. All that He does is so that we may bear fruit—fruit worthy of the many graces He bestows upon us.
How can we bear such fruit? By remaining always in Christ. To live in Christ means to be buried and die with Him in Baptism, crucifying our sinful old self with Him on the Cross, so that we may begin a new life with the risen Lord Jesus Christ in the world of God.
How do we begin this new life with the risen Lord? By abiding in Him. How do we abide? By frequently receiving the Eucharist. When we come regularly to church for Mass, the Holy Word of God fills us—not only our senses and faculties, but also our very being. By receiving His Holy Body and Blood, He makes His dwelling within us. Once He dwells within us, He fills us with His divine life and grace. If we do His will and follow His teachings, then we truly live with Him in the new life of God’s kingdom.
O God, restorer and lover of innocence, direct the hearts of your servants towards yourself, that those you have set free from the darkness of unbelief may never stray from the light of your truth. 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
May 5, 2026 Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Easter Gospel: John 14:27-31A
Today is Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Easter. The passage from the Gospel of Saint John continues to present Jesus’ farewell discourse to His disciples before His Passion.
When we first arrive in a strange place, despite having prepared thoroughly beforehand, we remain uneasy about everything that unfolds there because we are unfamiliar with local customs, transportation, and lodging. Similarly, when we first begin working, if our superiors assign tasks beyond our ability or responsibility, we become distressed, fearing the loss of our job. Yet, have we considered the root cause of this unease, distress, and fear? The reason is simple: it is the sin we have committed. Sin enslaves us, making our souls feel deprived of God’s love, thus causing anguish and pain.
When discussing sin, we often blame our first parents. We might complain: “Because Adam and Eve desired to be like God, heeding the serpent’s words and transgressing the divine command, they stained all humanity with original sin.” Yet, such complaints sever the peace between us, God, and all creation.
The peace Jesus promises (cf. John 14:27) is a peace achieved through the Sacrament of Reconciliation—a peace that reconciles us with God and all He has made. It comes from always doing the Father’s will, uniting our hearts with Him. This peace is not as the world gives. The world is passing away, but God is eternal; His peace does not fade with time.
Jesus says, “You heard me tell you, ‘I am going away and I will come back to you.’ If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I” (cf. John 14:28). His word is true. Even now, whenever we receive the sacraments in church or join in communal prayer, He is beside us, accompanying us always. Though we often encounter trials in life, Jesus remains at our side. Therefore, let us confidently entrust ourselves to Him in prayer:
O God, who restore us to eternal life in the Resurrection of Christ, grant your people constancy in faith and hope, that we may never doubt the promises of which we have learned from you. 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
全属于祢 
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