Resist and Revive

 The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to rise to the challenge to be the “bread of life” in our environment as a sign and ministry of Jesus’ Way to fullness of Life.

Bread Shared for Life

In the reading from the Acts of the Apostles, Gamaliel offers examples of unsuccessful contemporary movements.

* [5:34] Gamaliel: in Acts 22:3, Paul identifies himself as a disciple of this Rabbi Gamaliel I who flourished in Jerusalem between A.D. 25 and 50.

* [5:36–37] Gamaliel offers examples of unsuccessful contemporary movements to argue that if God is not the origin of this movement preached by the apostles it will perish by itself. The movement initiated by Theudas actually occurred when C. Cuspius Fadus was governor, A.D. 44–46. Luke’s placing of Judas the Galilean after Theudas and at the time of the census (see note on Lk 2:1–2) is an indication of the vagueness of his knowledge of these events. (Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 5 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 27 asserts “I believe” (Ps 27:13), echoing “I trust” (Ps 27:3).

* [Psalm 27] Tradition has handed down the two sections of the Psalm (Ps 27:1–6; 7–14) as one Psalm, though each part could be understood as complete in itself. Asserting boundless hope that God will bring rescue (Ps 27:1–3), the psalmist longs for the presence of God in the Temple, protection from all enemies (Ps 27:4–6). In part B there is a clear shift in tone (Ps 27:7–12); the climax of the poem comes with “I believe” (Ps 27:13), echoing “I trust” (Ps 27:3). (Psalms, PSALM 27 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Gospel of John presents the Sign of Jesus Multiplication of the Loaves.

* [6:1–15] This story of the multiplication of the loaves is the fourth sign (cf. note on Jn 5:1–47). It is the only miracle story found in all four gospels (occurring twice in Mark and Matthew). See notes on Mt 14:13–21; 15:32–39. John differs on the roles of Philip and Andrew, the proximity of Passover (Jn 6:4), and the allusion to Elisha (see Jn 6:9). The story here symbolizes the food that is really available through Jesus. It connotes a new exodus and has eucharistic overtones.

* [6:1] [Of Tiberias]: the awkward apposition represents a later name of the Sea of Galilee. It was probably originally a marginal gloss.

* [6:5] Jesus takes the initiative (in the synoptics, the disciples do), possibly pictured as (cf. Jn 6:14) the new Moses (cf. Nm 11:13).

* [6:6] Probably the evangelist’s comment; in this gospel Jesus is never portrayed as ignorant of anything.

* [6:7] Days’ wages: literally, “denarii”; a Roman denarius is a day’s wage in Mt 20:2.

* [6:9] Barley loaves: the food of the poor. There seems an allusion to the story of Elisha multiplying the barley bread in 2 Kgs 4:42–44.

* [6:10] Grass: implies springtime, and therefore Passover. Five thousand: so Mk 6:39, 44 and parallels.

* [6:13] Baskets: the word describes the typically Palestinian wicker basket, as in Mk 6:43 and parallels.

* [6:14] The Prophet: probably the prophet like Moses (see note on Jn 1:21). The one who is to come into the world: probably Elijah; cf. Mal 3:1, 23. (John, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB, n.d.)

Candice Tucci, OSF, comments that so many people find themselves in harm’s way for many reasons. Life is precious. We rely on HOPE, seek peace, and the end to violence. The Resurrection of Jesus reminds us of our provident God, who wishes only life, and that life may be continued on earth and afterwards in the loving embrace of God.

As the apostles were flogged, there was pain. While there were many hungry people, and still are, we are fed by Jesus, the Bread of Life. Consider the many people who work to feed the hungry in Ukraine or Gaza. Good people provide in our neighborhoods, providing food pantries and kitchens, as well as tending to the food deserts of our country--world. God never leaves us. God is always Emmanuel; God is with us as we live in Jesus. The Cross tells us He is with us in our sufferings. The Resurrection reveals to us that there is Hope and Love in Christ, who is Life Everlasting. (Tucci, n.d.)

 

Theologian Elizabeth Johnson says it this way from her book, The Cross and Creation:

“…the living God, gracious and merciful, always was, is and will be accompanying the world with saving grace, including humans in their sinfulness, and humans and all creatures in their unique beauty, evolutionary struggle, and inevitable dying…”.

…“The cross of Jesus is a revelation of the depth of God’s love, entering into the suffering of the world… not to satisfy a debt, but to accompany and redeem.”

God provides all the time. We need to do our part. Challenge the “Sanhedrin” and never stop being, doing, teaching, witnessing, and proclaiming the Christ, Jesus, no matter what the cost. (Tucci, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “God enables us, by Leo the Great,” 400-461 A.D.

"In rendering service to the grace of God, we are not only made subject to our King through obedience but are even joined to him through the will. If we are of one mind with him (willing what he wills, disapproving of what he disapproves), he himself will bring us victory in all our battles. He who has given the 'will' will bestow also the ability. In this way can we 'cooperate' with his works, speaking that prophetic utterance in the exultation of faith: 'The Lord is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defender of my life. Of whom shall I be afraid?'" (excerpt from Sermon 26,4,2) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on John 6:1-15 comments that when we consider the magnitude of the needs that we see in the world, the Church, our neighborhoods, and our families. “What good” can we do about them? Our resources aren’t enough to meet all the needs, and we might feel overwhelmed. But remember, Jesus already knows what he is going to do in each of these situations.

 He is inviting you to participate in his work, not do it all yourself. Like Andrew, you can give what you have and watch Jesus use it. How?

Start small; do what you can do. Like Andrew, offer Jesus a concrete, practical step that you can take to work toward healing, reconciliation, or relief. Remember, Jesus knows what he’s doing, and he is perfectly capable of multiplying whatever you offer him.

“Jesus, I lay all these tragedies at your feet. Show me today how I can cooperate with you.” (Meditation on John 6:1-15, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments that in the passage Acts, from yesterday, the Sanhedrin was furious. Rabbi Gamaliel gives examples of people who had their movements fall apart and notes that if it is from God they cannot act against it, if not it will fall apart. Gamaliel, was a wise teacher of Paul at this time. The multiplication, in John’s Gospel, occurs once. Matthew and Mark proclaim the multiplication twice for Jews and Gentiles. In John, the three Passovers are mentioned, and this identifies Jesus' ministry of three years. (Two years and a weekend are recognized in Jewish tradition of the part as representing the whole as three years) In John’s Gospel, the followers really don’t get it that Jesus has a knowledge beyond their understanding. There are 5 loaves and 2 wishes resonating with the perfect number, 7. Jesus takes the perfect and makes it better. Jesus and makes up for our lack. The resonance of green grass to Psalm 23 in verdant passage and beside restful waters and the instruction to “Gather up the fragments “ is repeated in early liturgical tests. The breaking of the bread as a prefiguring of the Eucharist. This is a prefiguring word in Greek for “Eucharist”. Friar Jude comments that they want to make him a king but this “sign” points to a greater reality of Jesus to heal the greatest hunger of our hearts.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces Brian McLaren who reflects on how contemplation and community enable him to live according to the values of the kingdom of God. The journey to sovereignty of mind requires an inward migration, where we in a sense become refugees from our external nation, culture, economy, and civilization, even though we still live within its borders. We withdraw inwardly… Alexis Wright speaks of this inward migration. Jesus described the innermost room of your consciousness (Matthew 6:6), where you go to think differently, to sort out your desires and hopes authentically. When you learn how to do that inward migration, that spiritual migration, you find yourself looking for others who have also gone there, who have discovered freedom and sovereignty of mind.

[Jesus said,] “Wherever two or three of you gather in my name, there I am,” and [we] might understand him to say, “Listen, I understand that you are outnumbered. I understand that so many people around you have been sucked into the story of ugliness. I understand that you are learning to live by a different story where beauty abounds. You don’t need me physically present to tell the beautiful story. You can tell it yourselves. Even just two or three of you can gather together, embodying my way of being in the world. You can be cells of resistance, outposts of transformation, seedbeds of beauty.”

That is the best future I can imagine for organized religion in these dangerous times. Instead of helping nostalgic people inhabit bubbles of the past, religious communities can help people go forward on this inward migration toward sovereignty of mind, where in defiance of a rising level of ugliness, people cultivate beauty… seeing it, creating it, savoring it. Savoring beauty within will lead to beautiful outward action. (Rohr, n.d.)

We seek the guidance of the Spirit as we work to resist the negativity and division of contemporary culture and invite all we encounter to sit in the green grass of Psalm 23 and accept the food we need from the Good Shepherd.

References

Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 5 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved April 17, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/acts/5? 

John, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved April 17, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/6?1 

Meditation on John 6:1-15. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved April 17, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/04/17/1545322/ 

Psalms, PSALM 27 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved April 17, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/27? 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). An Inward Migration. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved April 17, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/an-inward-migration/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). The Miraculous Sign of Jesus. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved April 17, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

Tucci, C. (n.d.). Daily Reflection. Creighton Online Ministries: Home. Retrieved April 17, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-april-17-2026 

War Against Peace and Love

 The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today remind us that the restriction of the truth of Jesus' Way continues to be practiced by political forces in their fear of loss of control.

Path for Peace and Love

In the Reading from the Acts of the Apostles, the Twelve immediately resumed public teaching

* [5:17–42] A second action against the community is taken by the Sanhedrin in the arrest and trial of the Twelve; cf. Acts 4:1–3. The motive is the jealousy of the religious authorities over the popularity of the apostles (Acts 5:17) who are now charged with the defiance of the Sanhedrin’s previous order to them to abandon their prophetic role (Acts 5:28; cf. Acts 4:18). In this crisis the apostles are favored by a miraculous release from prison (Acts 5:18–24). (For similar incidents involving Peter and Paul, see Acts 12:6–11; 16:25–29.) The real significance of such an event, however, would be manifest only to people of faith, not to unbelievers; since the Sanhedrin already judged the Twelve to be inauthentic prophets, it could disregard reports of their miracles. When the Twelve immediately resumed public teaching, the Sanhedrin determined to invoke upon them the penalty of death (Acts 5:33) prescribed in Dt 13:6–10. Gamaliel’s advice against this course finally prevailed, but it did not save the Twelve from the punishment of scourging (Acts 5:40) in a last endeavor to shake their conviction of their prophetic mission.

* [5:30] Hanging him on a tree: that is, crucifying him (cf. also Gal 3:13).

* [5:31] At his right hand: see note on Acts 2:33. (Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 5 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 34 implores God to rescue and give them protection

* [Psalm 34] A thanksgiving in acrostic form, each line beginning with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. In this Psalm one letter is missing and two are in reverse order. The psalmist, fresh from the experience of being rescued (Ps 34:5, 7), can teach the “poor,” those who are defenseless, to trust in God alone (Ps 34:4, 12). God will make them powerful (Ps 34:5–11) and give them protection (Ps 34:12–22). (Psalms, PSALM 34 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of John, Jesus is proclaimed as The One from Heaven.

* [3:31–36] It is uncertain whether these are words by the Baptist, Jesus, or the evangelist. They are reflections on the two preceding scenes.

* [3:34] His gift: of God or to Jesus, perhaps both. This verse echoes Jn 5:8. (John, CHAPTER 3 | USCCB, n.d.)

Angela Maynard declares that If we believe in Jesus, we confirm that he is trustworthy. This is important! Not only do we affirm Jesus and his teachings, but we now have the responsibility to live our faith. We must walk the talk. That can be challenging. There are many barriers in our society that preclude us from living a Christ-centered life.

Take some time today to reflect on the responsibility that comes with the privilege of having a relationship with God. What or who get in the way of my ability to remain centered around Jesus and serving as my creator intended?

We are in the Easter season, a time of renewal. It’s never too late to make some adjustments and live our lives with intention just as Jesus taught us.

 

“Hence, to claim one’s rights and ignore one’s duties, or only half fulfill them, is like building a house with one hand and tearing it down with the other.” ---St. John XXIII (Maynard, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “Always bless the Lord!” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"When are you to 'bless the Lord?' When he showers blessings on you? When earthly goods are plentiful? When you have a plethora of grain, oil, wine, gold, silver... - while your mortal body remains healthy, uninjured and free from disease; while everything that is born on your estate is growing well, and nothing is snatched away by untimely death; while every kind of happiness floods your home and you have all you want in profusion? Is it only then that you are to bless the Lord? No, but 'at all times.' So you are to bless him equally when from time to time, or because the Lord God wishes to discipline you, these good things let you down or are taken from you, when there are fewer births or the already-born slip away. These things happen, and their consequence is poverty, need, hardship, disappointment and temptation. But you sang, 'I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall be in my mouth always,' so when the Lord gives you these good things, bless him, and when he takes them away, bless him. He it is who gives, and he it is who takes away, but he does not take himself away from anyone who blesses him. (excerpt from EXPOSITIONS OF THE PSALMS 34.3) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Acts 5:27-33 comments that some believers are only discouraged from sharing their faith, but in other parts of the world, people are imprisoned or even put to death for preaching the good news of the risen Christ.

Pope Benedict XVI once said that even in the face of persecution, “all Christians in their own way can and must be witnesses of the Risen Lord”

Let’s keep all our brothers and sisters around the world in our prayers. Let’s remember that we all have the Holy Spirit to guide us and give us the courage to proclaim the risen Lord. Peter said that God has given his Holy Spirit to “those who obey him,” and today’s Gospel tells us that “he does not ration his gift of the Spirit” (Acts 5:32; John 3:34). So open your heart to the Holy Spirit and become a witness to the resurrection!

“Jesus, I want to be your witness.” (Meditation on Acts 5:27-33, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments that in Acts the members of the Sanhedrin ask why they were not obeyed. The apostles respond that they obey God rather than the chief priest. In Acts, the Holy Spirit guides the growth of the Church and makes them bold. In the Gospel, Jesus gives witness to what the Father has given Him and what God has sent Him to do. Jesus came to save the world. Friar Jude notes that Jesus' mission comes from the Father and He and the Father are One.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces Brian McLaren who at the Fall 2025 ReVision Conference, highlighted the contemplative witness of the philosopher Boethius (d. 524), a contemporary of Benedict of Nursia who is imprisoned by King Theodoric for defending one of the king’s critics.

In prison, Boethius is removed from public life, like Benedict in his cave. And like Benedict, people come to see him. He uses his remaining months in prison to teach, and eventually to write a text, The Consolation of Philosophy, that is still studied today as the last great work of the Roman classical period and the first great work of medieval literature.

Sophia, the feminine figure of wisdom, offers him calm, helps him recenter, and guides him into contemplation you might say. The writing of this book becomes a contemplative practice for him that influences generations of people across the following centuries, through and beyond the decay and complete collapse of the Roman Empire.

Shortly after finishing The Consolation of Philosophy, Boethius is brutally tortured and executed. The government in which Boethius worked and strived to do good turns on him and executes him.

These two men, Benedict and Boethius, were called to two completely different paths to live out their Christian faith. [Read about Benedict here.] One stayed in the center of power and tried to influence it, holding fast to his faith. The other left the centers of power and went to the margins to build an alternative community where they could keep the way of Christ alive and maintain some sort of wisdom in a world that was obsessed not with truth, but with power and wealth, violence and weapons. (Rohr, n.d.)

We implore the Spirit to guide our contemplation of the resonance of the political situation in the texts today to our experience of the restriction of the truth in our political discourse today and the action we need to take to proclaim Jesus Way. 

References

Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 5 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved April 16, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/acts/5?27 

John, CHAPTER 3 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved April 16, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/3?31 

Maynard, A. (n.d.). Daily Reflections. Creighton Online Ministries: Home. Retrieved April 16, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-april-16-2026 

Meditation on Acts 5:27-33. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved April 16, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/04/16/1544749/ 

Psalms, PSALM 34 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved April 16, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/34?2 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved April 16, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/taking-a-stand-in-government/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). He Who Believes in the Son Has Eternal Life. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved April 16, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/