Thank you Mothers for sharing your love with your children and with all children.

Jesus said to his disciples and says to us:  "Do not let your hearts  be troubled.  Have faith in God; have faith also in me."  The Scriptures today focus our spiritual compass to immerse ourselves in our sharing in the peace and joy of the Risen Lord.  The Gospels for the first three Sundays of the Easter Season recount the appearances of the Risen Lord to his first disciples.  Last Sunday, the Fourth Sunday of Easter, Jesus describes Himself as the Good Shepherd who is our rock and spiritual guide. This Sunday's and next Sunday's Gospels focus on Jesus' Last Supper Discourse in which Jesus prepares us to witness to His mission and ministry in the life of the Church.

We are to wash the feet of God's poor.  We are to witness to the merciful love of Jesus in the life and ministry of the Church.  We are to share with one and all the Peace and Joy of the Risen Lord.

Under the category that nothing happens by accident.  Today we celebrate Mother's Day.  Moms thank you for the love you share with your children and thank you for the love you share with our entire parish family.  You witness so beautifully to the Easter message and teach us the meaning of love and being loved. You are our true spiritual compass to the Gospels most important values.

This weekend we also celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the appearance of Our Lady to the three precious children in Fatima, Portugal.  In 1917, the world was getting caught in the horror of World War I, and Our Lady's Message to the children of Fatima was a message of peace,  100 years later, we seek the intercession of Our Lady of Fatima as we seek a new era of peace in our day.

In the Gospel, Jesus goes on to say:   "In my Father's house, there are many dwelling places."  We often pray over this Gospel as referring to the many dwelling places in the kingdom of heaven.  Equally there are many dwelling places in the here and the now of our lives in which God can be found.  In fact, in the uniqueness of the spiritual journey of each one of us, God is be found in all of our life experiences.

We seek the spiritual sightedness to recognize the presence of God from day to day, from moment to moment.

Like Thomas in the Gospel, we can get derailed and lose our spiritual path.  Jesus calls Thomas and all of us to recognize the He is the Way and the Truth and the Life.  The true North Star of our lives is Jesus.

As we breathe out all that troubles our hearts on this day, may we breathe in the Holy Spirit and be rooted in the merciful love of Jesus.

Have a blessed day!