To watch Fr. Joe’s homily from the Second Sunday of Easter: CLICK HERE!

Last Sunday we celebrated Easter, the Resurrection of Jesus from the dead.  As people of faith, we believe that at our Baptisms we share in the life, death and most importantly the free gift of life eternal.

Yet our faith needs to be more than a special day here and there like our Baptism Day or First Communion Day or Confirmation Day or our Wedding Day…

The gift of faith needs to be lived by us in this time and place, as others have done in the past and hopefully will do in the future.

In today’s Gospel we hear Jesus appear to this Disciples, people like us who were still trying to understand all that had happened.  People who were wondering if the death of Jesus was the endgame.

Well we know it was not the endgame and Jesus says it pretty clearly to his Disciples of 2000 years ago and to his disciples of every time, including us: “as the Father has sent me, so I send you.”

People sent to share and to bring the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to others day in and day out in word and deeds.

As the caption in this week’s Evangelist read: Living the Gospel, Changing Lives – Thanks to You!

The quote comes from Bishop Scharfenberger, but I could hear Jesus saying to each of us as person, family and Parish, thanks for living the Gospel and changing lives!

Thanks for sharing your faith, thanks for living your faith when at: home, work and school…  In your Parish, your community and our world.

“The Mission of the Church is to teach, to heal, and to sanctify” and the Mission of the Church “depends on the generosity of each of us”.   (Time, Talent and Treasure)

Folks it is Bishop’s Appeal time 2019 and as the Bishop encourages all of us to read through the BA Brochure that you received in the mail this week and are also available in the Gathering Area of the Church.

The Bishop asks us to learn how our financial gift to the 2019 Bishop’s Appeal in the coming month or so help change people’s lives for the better.

This weekend we are not looking to collect: $300,000,000 (like some 3 hour movie; Avengers: Endgame).  But we are being asked to prayerfully consider a gift or pledge to the 2019 Bishop’s Appeal that helps people in our Parish and our Diocese in ways we cannot do ourselves.

I think I heard someone just ask, “How much Father?”  Hopefully you can make a 2019 Bishop’s Appeal gift equal to last year and if you can increase it, please do so.

If you are new to financially supporting the Bishop’s Appeal, maybe the cost of a movie ticket, popcorn and a soda per month for the next year might be an idea to consider, to continue the work of the Gospel of Jesus Christ who, is the Savior of the World!

Every gift to the Bishop’s Appeal, no matter the denomination, makes a difference.

Do what you can in the coming few weeks in support of the Bishop’s Appeal.  And know that it is an important part of supporting those many efforts that make a difference in the lives of our Parishes and the people of our Parish and Diocese.

Thanks for living the Gospel and changing lives!

Scripture Readings:     Acts 5:12-16;    Revelations 1:9-19;    John 20:19-31

Today we hear Jesus remind his Disciples (of yesterday and today) of what they have heard before but had forgotten, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”

Notice what happens when Disciples of Jesus REALLY BELIEVE, “The Apostles worked many signs and wonders among the people.  So much so that great numbers of people, were added to the ranks of believers.  They even carried the sick into the streets – hoping that even the shadow of Peter might fall on them” …they were all cured.

Love that image of the shadow of Peter even curing people!

The question today is not do we have faith… Of course we do.

Rather the question is, “how effective is our faith,” for us the people and families and Church of today?”

A “Thought for the Day” that I receive, shared: “Christianity is beautiful.  But we must make it our own, and find ways to live it that are joy-filled and practical.  Only then does the world around us become intrigued with the Jesus of long ago and far away, and recognize that He really is the same Jesus of here and now.”

The world in which we live, the people we encounter each day, are looking for the Jesus of yesterday in the Disciples of today… you and I.  Who have been sent by Baptism to bring the Good News of the Gospel to family, friends, to others daily.

How are we bringing the GOOD news of the Gospel to people in practical ways every day with joy, with enthusiasm?

How will we continue to grow in sharing in practical ways the gifts of God:  unconditional love, mercy, forgiveness, encouragement and on the list goes…  When our shadow is cast upon another, may it always be one of hope, of help, of healing.

There is no doubt that the Holy Spirit was active in and through the early Church.   There is no doubt that the Holy Spirit wishes the same for us and our time.

Who knows, maybe just walking down the street or into the office or into school, or onto the baseball field, or into our homes… will draw people closer to Christ.  Because our “shadow,” is the shadow of a person of faith who really believes they have been sent to bring the Jesus of yesterday to the people of today in ways that are joy filled and practical.