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Service & Unity in the Early Church
Homily based on Acts 6 John 14: 1-12
In our first reading today from the Acts of the Apostles, we hear that something was wrong. But before we get to the problem, let us first understand what the Acts of the Apostles is.
It is St. Luke’s second volume. In his Gospel, he tells the story of Jesus; in the Acts of the Apostles, he continues that story—describing beautifully and powerfully the formation of the Church, built on the foundation of the Apostles under the guidance and inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
So with all that going for it, what could possibly go wrong?
Well, as we hear in today’s reading, something did go wrong. The Greek-speaking widows—Jewish women who believed in Jesus Christ—were being overlooked in the daily distribution, while the Hebrew- or Aramaic-speaking widows were being cared for.
This problem was brought to the attention of the Twelve Apostles. And they addressed it.
But what is important is not just that they fixed the problem—it is how they fixed it, and what that says about us as a Church.
When the issue arose, the people brought it to the Apostles. Why? Because they were the leaders of the Church—placed there by Jesus Himself. Already we can see a structure forming, a kind of hierarchy, and a respect for authority within the Church.
The Apostles responded by praying and then laying hands on seven men, consecrating them as the first deacons. This is where the ministry of the diaconate finds its origin—what we read in Acts chapter 6.
The word deacon comes from the Greek word meaning service or ministry. These men were entrusted with caring for the corporal needs of the community—especially those who were being neglected—while the Apostles devoted themselves to prayer and the preaching of the Gospel.
Here we see the growth of the Church:
the development of ministries,
a division of labor,
and different people serving in different ways.
And we also see the catholicity of the Church.
“Catholic” means universal.
From the very beginning, the Church was for everyone. It did not matter whether you were Jewish or Greek, what language you spoke—Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, or Latin. The Church would care for all.
Everyone is invited to come to know the Lord—who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
So in the Acts of the Apostles, we learn a great deal about ourselves and about the Church. But that is not the only place we learn who we are as Catholics.
Every Sunday, when we profess the Nicene Creed, we proclaim that we believe in the four marks of the Church: that the Church is one, holy, catholic, and apostolic.
Each of these is essential.
One — The Church is one because it is the single Church founded by Jesus Christ, entrusted to St. Peter and the Apostles to govern and to spread throughout the world.
Holy — The Church is holy because it has been given the gift of the Holy Spirit, especially at Pentecost. When we cooperate with that grace, we ourselves grow in holiness.
Catholic — The Church is universal. It exists throughout the world, present across nations and cultures, calling all people into communion with Christ.
Apostolic — The Church is built upon the Apostles, who handed on the teachings of Jesus. Through them, and their successors, that same faith reaches us today.
Just think about how important those Twelve Apostles were—because through them, we have received the fullness of the faith and the spiritual blessings we experience today.
So perhaps today we might renew our interest by spending a little time reading the Acts of the Apostles. There we come to understand more clearly who we are as Catholics.
“Oh—that’s why we are the way we are.”
The Acts of the Apostles can be very revealing.And so, with humility, gratitude, and praise, let us give thanks for the gift of the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church—through which we come to know, love, and serve the Lord our God in Jesus Christ, who is our Way, our Truth, and our Life.
Amen.
https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading
Jesus, the Bread of Life — and the Gift of Faith
Homily by Father Bob Gillelan — April 21, 2026
When we hear Jesus speaking to the people in today’s Gospel, He reminds them of something very important:
it was not Moses who gave their ancestors bread in the desert—it was God.
In doing this, Jesus is revealing something deeper:
God is greater than Moses.
And then Jesus goes even further—He begins what we know as the Bread of Life discourse, referring to Himself as the Bread of Life.
This is a turning point.
Jesus is not simply another prophet like Moses.
He is greater than Moses. But the people do not understand.
At the same time, in our first reading from the Acts of the Apostles, we hear about St. Stephen, who is boldly preaching about the Resurrection of Jesus. For this, he is accused of blasphemy—
blasphemy against Moses, the Temple, and even God. And as we heard today, they stone him to death.
St. Stephen becomes the first martyr of the Church—the proto-martyr—giving his life for the truth of Jesus Christ.
We begin to see a pattern.
The Jewish people had such a deep reverence for Moses—the great lawgiver, the great leader—that for many, Moses became an obstacle to recognizing Jesus as the Messiah.
Even today, many still do not accept that Jesus is divine.
But this doesn’t only apply to the past.
Even today, many Christians believe in Jesus, but struggle with His teachings—
especially when it comes to difficult issues like:
- the dignity of human life
- marriage and family
- human sexuality
- the sacraments
Some accept Jesus—but not fully.
Some accept parts of His teaching—but not all.
So what do we make of this?
We are reminded that faith is a gift.
Faith is not something we arrive at on our own.
It is a theological virtue given by God—a grace that opens our minds, our hearts, and our wills to accept the truth of who Jesus is.
So today, we are invited to do two things:
First, give thanks for the gift of faith that we have received.
Second, remember those who came before us—
those like St. Stephen, who gave their lives for that faith.
There is a famous saying from Tertullian:
“The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.”
Because of their witness, the faith has been handed on to us.
May we, like St. Stephen,
have the courage to profess our faith boldly,
to live it faithfully,
and to remain rooted in the truth of Jesus Christ—
the Bread of Life, given for the world.
Hearts Burning at Mass. April 19, 2026
https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading
(Lightly edited for clarity from recorded audio.)
In today’s Gospel, I think we can see a foreshadowing —a foreshadowing of the Liturgy of the Word, and a foreshadowing of the Liturgy of the Eucharist. In essence, a foreshadowing of the Mass. ecause when Jesus appears to the disciples, He opens the Scriptures to them. And their hearts bur vithin them. That is the foreshadowing of the Liturgy of the Woro
And then, at the end of the day, they have a meal with Him, and they break bread. And as they break bread with Him, they come to recognize Him in the breaking of the bread as Lord and Savior, the Risen Jesus Christ. And that corresponds to the Liturgy of the Eucharist.
And the response to all of this is clear: their hearts burn within them, and then there is joy.
A Question We All Ask
Which leads us to ask a very reasonable question. When we celebrate the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, why doesn’t my heart always burn within me? Why is it that I don’t always feel close to Jesus in the celebration of the Mass, if this is the source and summit of what we believe? Why don’t I have the same response as the disciples?
What Gets in the Way
Well, the saints and spiritual writers of the Church have some answers. Have you ever been to Mass and allowed your intellect to be distracted? The intellect is easily distracted. Have you ever allowed your imagination to daydream? How about your will? Is your will in the right place, or have you ever thought, “I really don’t want to be here-l’d rather be somewhere else.”
Temptation and Sin
Even the saints experienced temptations during Mass. Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, St. Francis de Sales, Padre Pio-all experienced this. Why not? It is the perfect place for distraction. And then there is sin.
Serious sin darkens the intellect, impairs judgment, and weakens the will, and we can lose the grace the Lord wants to give us.
Our Humanity
And sometimes, it is simply our humanity. How do we feel? Are we tired? Are we distracted? Are we burdened? All of this affects how we encounter the Lord at Mass.
Our Agendas
And then there is one more thing: the agendas we bring with us. We come with a list-people we promised to pray for, things we want Jesus to fix, and situations we want Him to change according to our will. The problem is that our agenda can overtake the Lord’s agenda.
The Lord’s Agenda
And His agenda is much simpler. He wants to come near to us, to explain the Scriptures so our hearts burn within us, to reveal Himself in the breaking of the bread, and to draw us into communion with Him.
A Spiritual Suggestion
So here is a suggestion-try to leave your agenda outside the church. Notice the statues of our Blessed Mother surrounding the church. In each one, she stands with arms open, inviting us to give her everything we carry—our worries, our distractions, our agendas. She receives them and brings them to her Son, so that when we enter, our minds can be clear and our hearts more open to a deeper communion with Christ.
Final Reflection
If we have ever wondered about our experience of Mass, let us take the counsel of the saints and turn to our Blessed Mother. Let us entrust our burdens to her. Perhaps we can think of her not only as Mary of the Assumption, but also as Mary, the Gatherer of Agendas.
Let Us Pray
Through her intercession, may our hearts burn within us, and may we come to recognize our Lord in the breaking of the bread. Amen.
Second Sunday of Easter (Divine Mercy Sunday)
Gospel: John 20:19–31
Today is Divine Mercy Sunday, and what we reflect on is the forgiveness that flows from the Heart of Jesus into our lives—the forgiveness of our sins.
We often think of that mercy most clearly in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, in going to confession. And that is right and true. But from a biblical perspective, mercy is an even broader concept.
As the hymn reminds us: “There is a wideness in God’s mercy.” That wideness speaks to God’s loving kindness—His deep, faithful love for us. Mercy, we might say, is the form love takes when it encounters misery.
One of the ways we see this “wideness” of God’s mercy is through the sacraments—especially those closely connected to the Easter season.
Let us begin with Holy Thursday. Why do we celebrate Holy Thursday? Because it is the night of the Last Supper. And at the Last Supper, Jesus instituted two sacraments: the priesthood (Holy Orders) and the Eucharist.
Jesus gave us the priesthood so that the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass would continue throughout time, until He comes again in glory. He desired that His sacrifice on Good Friday would not be forgotten, but remembered—made present. And in the Mass, we receive Holy Communion—His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity—given out of love for us. Already, we begin to see the wideness of His mercy: that He would remain with His Church and lift us out of sin, darkness, and death.
Then we come to today—Divine Mercy Sunday. This is where we reflect more deeply on forgiveness, especially in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. If you have ever been asked why Catholics go to confession to a priest, the answer is found in today’s Gospel from John.
Jesus breathes on the apostles and says, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them.” In that moment, He institutes the sacrament of Reconciliation.
Just as He empowered the apostles to be the first priests, He now empowers them to forgive sins in His name. Jesus wanted His Church to be a forgiven Church.
As we continue through the Easter season, we hear from the Acts of the Apostles—the story of the birth of the Church through the power of the Holy Spirit. At Pentecost, fifty days after the Resurrection, the apostles receive the Holy Spirit. That gift gives them courage to proclaim Christ crucified and risen. This is the foundation of the sacrament of Confirmation—the strengthening presence of the Holy Spirit in the life of the Church.
Now we have several sacraments connected to this season.
And as we were taught:
A sacrament is an outward sign instituted by Christ to give grace. We might also say: an outward sign instituted by Christ, out of love and mercy, to give grace.
And there is one more to consider.
As the apostles go out and preach the Good News, what is the expected response?
Baptism.
In the Acts of the Apostles, we see people hearing the Gospel and becoming baptized believers in Jesus Christ. That mission continues today. In fact, the Church continues to grow—now numbering over 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide.
All of this reminds us of the wideness of God’s mercy.
In Baptism, we are united to Christ.
In the Eucharist, we are nourished in Christ.
In Confirmation, we are strengthened in Christ.
In Reconciliation, we are forgiven when we fall away from Christ.
And through the priesthood, Christ remains present in His Church.
Yes—there is a wideness in God’s mercy.
As we sang today, “His mercy endures forever.”
May we always give thanks to the Lord for His love and mercy.
Happy Divine Mercy Sunday.
Homily on Easter Sunday
https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading John 20: 1-9
P.K. Chesterton, a famous British Christian apologist, once said: “When people stop believing in God, they don’t believe in nothing—they believe in everything.”
What he meant was that if we don’t believe in God, we often end up believing in anything and
everything that comes along.
Archbishop Fulton Sheen had a similar, though slightly different, take. He said that those who do not believe in God often end up believing in themselves—and he did not mean that in a good way. He meant elevating oneself over God.
Mr. Lee Strobel was one such man. He was an atheist and an investigative reporter for the Chicago Tribune. When his wife converted to Christianity, it deeply upset him. Determined to prove her wrong, he set out to disprove Christianity.
Using his investigative skills, he traveled across the United States, interviewing experts in Scripture, history, and archaeology. He wanted to uncover the truth—particularly about the Resurrection.
One common theory is that the Resurrection was a hoax—that Jesus did not rise from the dead, but that His body was stolen by the disciples.
So what did Mr. Strobel discover?
The experts told him that it was highly improbable—almost impossible—that the disciples stole the body.
Consider this: after the Resurrection, the disciples were afraid. They were in hiding. The tomb itself was guarded by Roman soldiers and sealed with a Roman seal. To break that seal and steal the body would have been a capital offense, punishable by death.
So the idea that the disciples stole the body is extremely unlikely.
And even if they had—what would be their motive?
If they had stolen the body, they would have been knowingly promoting a lie. Yet we know that eleven of the twelve apostles died as martyrs, proclaiming the truth of the Resurrection.
People do not die for what they know is a lie.
They died for what they believed to be true.
What about the early accounts of the Resurrection? Were they simply legends?
Historians point out that legends take a long time to develop—often generations. But the accounts of the Resurrection appeared very quickly—within months of Jesus’ crucifixion.
That makes the idea of legend highly unlikely.
For comparison, after the death of Alexander the Great, it took over 400 years for legendary accounts about him to develop. But with Jesus, accounts of the Resurrection spread almost immediately.
Then there is eyewitness testimony.
Scripture tells us that Jesus appeared to many people after His Resurrection—at one point to over 500 people. These encounters happened at different times and in different places, yet the accounts are consistent.
And one final detail: if someone were inventing this story and wanted it to be believed, they would not have chosen women as the first witnesses.
In the first century, women were not considered reliable witnesses in a court of law. And yet, the Gospels clearly state that women were the first to encounter the risen Christ.
All of this evidence profoundly impacted Lee Strobel.
He set out to disprove Christianity—but instead, he came to believe. He was eventually baptized and became a follower of Jesus Christ.
What this shows us is that people come to faith in different ways. Some come through reason and investigation. Others come through simple faith and trust in the mysteries we have been taught.
But what matters most is not how we arrive—what matters is that we arrive.
St. Thomas Aquinas once said , “For those who have faith, no explanation is necessary. For those without faith, no explanation will suffice.”
So no matter how we have come here today, let us pray that we are all believers in Jesus Christ and in His Resurrection.
As St. Paul reminds us: if Christ has not been raised, our faith is in vain. But He has been raised. And the Resurrection proves that everything Jesus said and did is true.
So today, as we celebrate our Lord’s Resurrection, let us rejoice and be glad.
This is the day the Lord has made. He is risen. He is truly risen. Happy Easter. God bless you all.
Father Bob’s Homily – Good Friday
https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading
Today we remember how Jesus humbly and heroically died on the Cross for our salvation.
In the Gospel we hear those iconic words of Jesus as He completes His earthly mission:
“It is finished.”
In Greek, that phrase carries profound meaning. The word is tetelestai.
Tetelestai was used in several contexts:
• In business, it meant: the debt has been paid.
• In a judicial sense: the sentence has been served.
• In a military sense: the battle is over—the victory has been won.
What a beautiful way for Jesus to speak to humanity from the Cross.
Through His death, the debt of our sins has been paid.
Our sentence has been served.
Our slavery to sin and death is ended.
It is finished.
Because Jesus died on the Cross and rose again, the victory has been won. The Kingdom of God has conquered the kingdom of Satan.
And all of this comes through His humble and heroic proclamation:
“It is finished.”
So we might ask: What return can I make to the Lord for all His goodness to me? What can I do in response to what Jesus has done for my salvation?
The answer is clear.
We follow the command of Jesus: to take up our cross.
Perhaps we can say that the age of casual Catholicism is over. Now is the time for heroic Catholicism.
We are called to take up our cross in a world where it can be very difficult—not only to be a Christian, but especially to be a Catholic.
We see this throughout the world:
• In places like Iceland and Canada, there are growing pressures against speaking the truths of our faith.
• In Africa, Christians continue to suffer violence and persecution. Just this past Palm Sunday, about 20 people were killed in a Catholic church in Nigeria.
• Even here in the United States, there have been hundreds of attacks against Catholic churches in recent years.
• And every day, we encounter ideologies that challenge and oppose the truth of the Gospel.
Yes—it is hard to be Catholic.
It is hard to be courageous.
It is hard to live with the humility and heroism of Jesus.
But as the world pushes against us, we must stand firm in our faith.
So today, as we venerate the Cross, may our hearts overflow with gratitude for the love God has shown us in Jesus Christ—
who paid the debt for our sins and won for us the gift of salvation through His death on the Cross.
And as we venerate that Cross, may we pray for the grace and courage
to carry our own crosses and to live our faith with humility and heroism!
Holy Thursday Homily
Father Bob Gillelan
Today, Deacon Wentzel told me that there was an article in the National Catholic Register about the uptick in the number of candidates and catechumens coming into the Catholic Church this year in our nation.
So I found the article—and did you know that the Diocese of Harrisburg is number six in the entire nation for bringing in candidates and catechumens into the Church this year?
They’re sitting right up front here—we now call them the elect.
The uptick for our diocese is 77% more than last year.
That’s incredible. And in a way, it doesn’t surprise me.
Because, as you know, I’ve been basing many of my homilies this past year on St. John’s Christmas Gospel—the Prologue—where we hear that Jesus came into the world as the Light of the world.
And I think this increase is because people are being attracted to that Light—
the Light who is Jesus Christ.
That’s what they want.
They want Jesus to be for them their way, their truth, and their life—especially in a world where there is so much darkness: the darkness of sin and error.
So there is this beautiful attraction to Christ, who is Light.
Tonight, as we celebrate the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, we see three manifestations of that Light.
1. The Priesthood
One of the things we celebrate tonight is our Lord’s institution of the priesthood.
At the Last Supper, Jesus instituted the priesthood in His wisdom and love, knowing that the Church would need shepherds to guide the flock—and ministers to continue the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass through time and space.
Those are two of the central aspects of the priesthood—and they are profound, beautiful, and, at times, humbling for us priests.
2. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass
When we speak about the Mass, we speak about the sacrifice of Calvary.
Our Protestant brothers and sisters sometimes struggle with this because they believe that the sacrifice of Calvary happened once and for all in history—and we believe that too.
But through Jesus, that same sacrifice is made present through time and space.
Every time we celebrate the Mass, the sacrifice of Calvary is re-presented on this altar—an altar that symbolizes the Cross—in an unbloody manner.
So each time we celebrate Mass, we are offering Jesus back to the Father.
3. The Holy Eucharist
This brings us to the Eucharist—one of the most powerful and beautiful manifestations of Christ’s Light and Love.
In the Eucharist, Jesus gives us Himself—His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity—so that we may be more closely united to Him and to one another.
The Commandment of Love
And along with this gift, Jesus gives us a commandment.
It may not immediately sound like a manifestation of light—but it is.
The greatest commandment is this:
that we love one another.
When Jesus speaks about love in the Gospels, He is often speaking about service—that we learn to lovingly serve one another, following His example.
A Connection to Good Friday
When we read between the lines, Holy Thursday sheds light on Good Friday.
Good Friday is about sacrifice—the greatest sacrifice—Jesus giving His life on the Cross for our salvation.
But Holy Thursday prepares us to understand that sacrifice:
- The priesthood calls priests to a life of sacrifice.
- The Eucharist is Christ’s sacrifice given to us.
- And loving service requires sacrifice from each of us.
A Call to Rejoice and Pray
So tonight, there is certainly cause for rejoicing.
Let us continue to pray over these next few days for our candidates and catechumens—the elect—who will join us at the table of the Lord through the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist at the Easter Vigil.
May these days be filled with excitement and great peace for them.
And for ourselves, may our hearts be filled with gratitude, so that we may say with the psalmist:
“Lord, I offer to You a sacrifice of thanksgiving.”