Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Year A – Sunday, June 14, 2026

 Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Year A – Sunday, June 14, 2026

Dt 7:6-11; 1 Jn 4:7-16; Mt 11:25-30

 

 

A. A Brief Exegetical Analysis of Matthew 11:25-30

 

1.         Historical and Literary Contexts

Matthew told his readers how Jesus sent his disciples on a mission with instructions in chapter 10, but after that, he did not recount their return and the success of their mission as Mark and Luke did. Instead, in the section from 11:2–12:50, from which our text is taken, he focuses on how the people negatively responded to Jesus’ mission. Immediately before our pericope, Jesus reproached the people of the towns of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum because they did not repent, despite all the mighty deeds Jesus had accomplished in their midst (11:20-24). In the story that immediately follows our passage, he recounts the controversy that arose between Jesus and the Pharisees regarding Jesus’ disciples picking grain on the Sabbath (12:1-8). 

 

2.         Form, Structure, and Movement

This Gospel text is structured into two movements. The first movement (vv. 25-27) is Jesus’ prayer to God, and the second (vv. 28-30) is a narrative in which Jesus invites all who are willing to accept God’s Word to come to him.

 

3.         Detailed Analysis

Vv. 25-27. In his prayer, Jesus begins by praising God, mentioning one reason for his praise: “For although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned, you have revealed them to the childlike.” (V. 25, NABRE). The wise and learned represent the arrogant, particularly the Pharisees and Scribes, who are unwilling to believe in Jesus. The childlike refers to the humble Jews open to accepting Jesus’ preaching. “These things” stand for Jesus’ teachings and mighty deeds. Jesus then indicates that belief in him depends on God’s revelation. The Father reveals “these things” not to the arrogant “wise and learned” but to the humble “childlike” who are willing to receive them. He concludes his prayer by mentioning his intimate relationship with the Father and expressing his desire to reveal the Father to anyone who is willing.

Vv. 28-30. The Scribes and Pharisees complicated the interpretation of the Mosaic laws and forced ordinary Jews to obey them strictly, while they themselves did not. These laws and their interpretations, which Jesus identified as “yoke,” became a burden for the ordinary people. Jesus then invites these ordinary Jews who labor and are burdened by the “yoke” that the Scribes and Pharisees impose on them to come to him. He promises to give them rest. They will find rest when they agree to take the “yoke” of obedience to his Word that he suggests to them. To take Jesus’ yoke implies learning from him. Jesus describes himself as meek and humble of heart; his yoke, meaning his teaching, is easy, and his burden (obeying his teaching) is light.

 

4.         Synthesis

In this passage, Matthew recounts Jesus’ reaction to the people of Israel who refused to believe in him in two parts. First, Jesus prayed to his Father God, praising him because God revealed Jesus’ teachings and mighty deeds not to the arrogant, like the Pharisees and Scribes, who were unwilling to accept him, but to the humble Israelites open to believing in him. Jesus and the Father know each other perfectly. Jesus wishes to reveal the Father to anyone willing. Second, Jesus turned to the ordinary Israelites whom the Scribes and Pharisees burdened with their complicated interpretations of the law. In place of this yoke of the law, Jesus suggested they take his easy yoke and light burden, which includes obeying his Word and learning from him because he is meek and humble of heart.

 

B. Pastoral Implications

 

1.      Liturgical Context

The Bishops of the United States have decided to move the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, originally scheduled for last Friday, June 12th, to Sunday, June 14th. This change is because they have consecrated the country to the Sacred Heart of Jesus as part of the 250th anniversary celebration of our nation's independence. The Scripture readings for this liturgy focus on God's love (First reading), Jesus (Gospel), and the love we should show one another (Second reading).

 

2.      What the Church Teaches Us Today 

This world burdens us with all the suffering we endure, and the devil burdens us with sinful lives. To find rest physically and spiritually, Jesus invites us to come to him, take his “yoke” upon us, and learn from him. The “yoke” represents his teaching. He reassures us that his “yoke” is easy to carry, his burden light, and he himself is meek and humble of heart (Mt 11:28-30). Jesus’ invitation is primarily to come to him at the Eucharistic celebration, where we learn from him through Scripture readings and receive his Body and Blood in Holy Communion. The expression “to take Jesus’s yoke” means to follow God’s commandments and the Church’s teachings. This is a call for conversion to new life with Christ. Jesus reassures us that his yoke is easy and his burden light (Mt 11:29-30), meaning that obeying God’s Word and the Church’s teachings is easier than obeying the devil.

As we accept Jesus and live under his control, we should recognize that prayer is the spiritual nourishment that keeps us connected to Christ. In the first part of our Gospel, we see Jesus praising his Father in prayer (v. 25a). The best time for a Church community to praise our Lord is at Mass. That is why we should not miss Sunday Masses.

 In his prayer, Jesus emphasizes his close relationship with God and his role as the one who reveals God the Father to us. “No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.” (V. 27). Jesus continues to reveal God through the Eucharist, the Scriptures, and acts of mercy. The more we attend Mass regularly, listen to and read the Word of God, participate in Bible Study, and practice works of mercy, the better we come to understand who God is. To do this, our Gospel encourages us to act as the “little ones,” but not as the “wise” and “learned” (v. 25b). In biblical language, the “little ones’ refer to those who are humble and simple of heart, willing to listen to and accept the Word of God. The “wise” and “learned” refer to those who are self-sufficient and unwilling to listen to God’s Word.

In our first reading, Moses tells the Israelites that God has chosen them to be his people, not because they deserve it, but because of God's love for them. With the same love, Jesus in the Gospel invites the oppressed Israelites and all of us today who are laboring and burdened to come to him and find rest under his care. We are called to demonstrate the same love to one another, just as the sacred author of our second reading encourages us. May the liturgy of this Most Sacred Heart of Jesus inspire us to do so. Amen.

Rev. Leon Ngandu, SVD

Pastor of Holy Family Catholic Church in Jackson, MS &

SVD USS Biblical Apostolate Coordinator

11th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A – June 14, 2026

 11^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A – June 14, 2026

Exodus 19:2-6a; Romains 5:6-11; Matthew 9:36 – 10:8

 

Theme: We are Sent to Teach People to Keep God’s New Covenant

 

A.   A Brief Exegetical Analysis of Mt 9:36–10:8

 

1. Historical and Literary Contexts

Based on the Five Books that make up Matthew’s Gospel, as suggested by Benjamin W. Bacon, our Gospel passage comes from the Second Book, called “The Mission of Jesus and his Disciples in Galilee” (8:1–11:1). This second book includes a narrative section (8:1–9:38) and a discourse section (10:1–11:1). Therefore, the first part of our Gospel story (9:36-38) concludes the narrative segment (8:1–9:38), and the second part of our Gospel (10:1-8) begins the discourse segment (10:1–11:1). The story about the healing of a mute person (9:32-35) immediately precedes our text, while the account of Jesus announcing the coming persecutions (10:16-25) follows it.

 

2. Form, Structure, and Movement

Our Gospel passage is a narrative with images. It can be divided into three movements based on Jesus’ reactions to the troubled and abandoned crowds approaching him. The first movement highlights Jesus’ compassion for the crowds and his request that his disciples pray to God (9:36-38). The second movement involves his decision to send his disciples out on a mission (10:1-4). The third movement presents the commissioning instructions to the twelve disciples he sent (10:5-8).

 

3. Detailed Analysis

9:36-38. The success of Jesus’ teaching and healing ministry led many people to continue following him. Matthew emphasizes Jesus’ compassion for these crowds, depicting them as the “troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd” (9:36b). Using the imagery of harvest and laborers, he first helps his disciples recognize the need for a mission before asking them to pray to God, the Master of the mission, to send people on a mission.

10:1-4. Previously, Jesus indicated that the mission belongs to God, and it is God who sends missionaries (see 9:38), but here he is the one who sends his disciples on a mission. This confirms that Jesus and God the Father are one. The number “Twelve” for the disciples recalls the twelve tribes of Israel, suggesting that Jesus has the authority to call all Israel into the kingdom and to work for it. In v. 2, Matthew refers to the Twelve as “apostles” rather than “disciples,” as he usually does. This is because the word “apostle” means “the one who is sent,” which fits in this context where he is sending them out on a mission.

10:5-8. Jesus gives the Twelve Apostles instructions for their mission. (1) They should go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel only (vv. 5b-6). This does not mean that Jesus is against extending the Gospel to the Gentiles and Samaritans. Rather, Matthew emphasizes the beginning of the mission in Israel and later extends it worldwide (see Mt 28:19-20). The context of vv. 5b-6 is that when Matthew wrote this passage, the Jews did not accept their fellows who became Christians to worship with them in their synagogues. The Jewish Christians were “troubled” and “abandoned” (see 9:36). So, Matthew intended to let these Jewish Christians know that Jesus cared for them. (2) Their mission should consist of words (proclaiming the Gospel) (v. 7) and deeds (performing miracles) (v. 8). (3) Since their call for mission is God’s gift, they should minister to the people without cost. These three instructions characterized Jesus’ own mission. He was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel (see Mt 15:24); his mission was of words and deeds (see, for instance, Mt 9:35); and it was free of charge.

 

4. Synthesis

Jesus feels pity for the crowds who follow him because they are troubled and abandoned like sheep without a shepherd. While it is God who is the Master of the mission (harvest) and the one who sends the “missionaries” (laborers) to work in his mission, Jesus, acting as God, sends his disciples out on a mission with instructions: They should minister to the people of Israel only, and their mission should be in words (proclamation of the Gospel) and deeds (miracles) without cost. 

 

B.    Pastoral Implications

 

1. Liturgical Context

The first reading discusses the covenant between God and the people of Israel. God fulfilled his part of this “sacred agreement” by making the Israelites his “chosen people” and his “holy nation.” He then gives a mission to Moses to remind them to do their part, which is keeping God’s covenant and observing his commandments entirely to benefit from this privilege of being the “chosen people” and “holy nation.” Today, we are in a new covenant with God through Jesus. In this “Sacred Agreement,” God did his part by “justifying” (reconciling) us to himself through the blood of his only Son, Jesus, on the cross, as Saint Paul reminds us in our second reading. To claim this justification and salvation, we are called to fulfill our part of the responsibility in our covenant with God. For this purpose, our Holy Mother Church sends each of us on a mission, just as Jesus sent his disciples in our Gospel, to constantly remind our brothers and sisters, as well as ourselves, to keep our covenant with God by obeying God’s commandments.

 

2. What the Church Teaches Us Today

In our Gospel, Matthew tells us that upon seeing the crowds coming to him, Jesus feels compassion for them because they were “troubled” and “abandoned,” like sheep without a shepherd.” (Mt 9:36). Then, he requests his disciples to pray to God, who is the Master of the mission (harvest), to send the missionaries (laborers) out on a mission because the mission is abundant, but the missionaries are few (9:37). Jesus has discovered that the people of his time and today are in desperate need of spiritual leadership. This should be our concern, too. There are few ordained and lay ministers in our diocese, parishes, and societies today compared to the population or the sheep of God that must be taken care of. Jesus asks you and me to pray to God, the mission Master, to send ordained and lay ministers to work in our parishes, families, and societies. Our youth need engaged catechists to teach them faith formation. Our young adults need good leadership in their ministry. All adults in our parish need ongoing faith formation to stay updated on the teachings of the Church and their calling. Let us continue to pray to God to send ministers who can care for our spiritual needs.

Since there is an urgency to care for people, Jesus sends out his disciples and gives them authority over unclean spirits to cure every illness and disease (Mt 10:1). The name “disciples” means “followers,” and “apostle” means “sent out.” In our baptism, we became Jesus's “followers” and his “sent out” to continue his ministry wherever we live.

Jesus gives his apostles some instructions regarding the mission. First, they should not go to the Gentiles’ territory or the Samaritans’ towns but focus on the “lost sheep of the house of Israel” only (10:5-6). This does not mean that Jesus is against extending the Gospel to the Gentiles and Samaritans. Rather, Matthew emphasizes the beginning of the mission in Israel and later extends it worldwide (see Mt 28:19-20). Likewise, the Church teaches us that our mission starts in our families and extends to our Church communities and societies. This mission consists of ministering to our people for their spiritual and physical needs. Our first reading tells us about one spiritual need we should focus on in our mission: to remind our people and ourselves to keep our covenant with God by obeying God’s commandments. 

Our first reading account is the beginning of the third part of the book of Exodus. The newly released Exiles arrived at Mount Sinai three months after leaving Egypt. They set up camp at the holy mountain of God. God revealed his covenant to them. He called Moses apart from them and instructed him on what to tell his fellow Israelites to foster their relationship with him. Like the Israelites, we, too, are on our spiritual journey from this world to heaven. Every Sunday, we set up camp at the foot of our “Mount Sinai,” which is our Church where we encounter God in the celebration of the Eucharist, during which God speaks to us through the “Moses” of our time, our parish priests.

God first reminded them of the marvelous things he did for them, such as the liberation from the slavery of Egypt. “You have seen how I treated the Egyptians and how I bore you up on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.” (Exodus 19:4, NABRE). At Mass, we are reminded of how God blesses us every day, especially how he freed us from the slavery of sin. This reminder aims to create an attitude of gratitude in us. Therefore, every Sunday Mass should be an opportunity to praise God and thank him for all his blessings during the week, particularly for liberating us from the slavery of sins.

Second, God made a promise to the people of Israel: “Now, if you obey me completely and keep my covenant, you will be my treasured possession among all peoples, though all the earth is mine. You will be to me a kingdom of priests, a holy nation.” (Exodus 19:5-6, NABRE). A covenant is a sacred agreement between God and the people of Israel. In that agreement, God promised to bless them and lead them to the promised land; in return, they promised God that they would observe all his commandments. Here in this reading, God calls them to fulfill their part of the agreement as he has already fulfilled his. We, too, are in a “new covenant” with God through Jesus. God has already done his part of the responsibility by justifying and saving us through the death of his only Son, Jesus Christ, as Saint Paul reminds us in our second reading. We now need to claim our “justification” (reconciliation) and salvation by fulfilling our part of the responsibility in our “sacred agreement” with God. Remember, in baptism, we promised to reject Satan and all his works; we vowed to keep our baptismal candle lit and our white garment unstained until the return of our Lord. In one word, we promised to obey God all our lives. To gain this salvation that the “justification” (reconciliation) brought us, we are called to continue rejecting the works of Satan, doing our best to keep the light of our baptismal lamp bright so that all people may see Jesus through us, and avoid allowing sin to stain our souls. Whenever we fail to do so, meaning we sin, we should immediately cleanse our souls in the sacrament of confession. In our new covenant with God, he has already fulfilled his part of the responsibility; let us fulfill ours.

May the liturgy of this Mass help us become aware of our mission to continually remind our brothers, sisters, and ourselves to fully obey God and uphold our new covenant with him through Jesus. Amen.

Rev. Leon Ngandu, SVD

Pastor of Holy Family Catholic Church in Jackson, MS &

SVD USS Biblical Apostolate Coordinator 

 

The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi) – June 7, 2026

 

The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi) – June 7, 2026

Deuteronomy 8:2-3, 14b-16a; 1 Corinthians 10:16-17; John 6:51-58

 

Theme:  The Eucharist as the Spiritual Food and Real Presence of Christ

 

 A. A Brief Exegetical Analysis of John 6:51-58

 

1. Historical and Literary Contexts

This Gospel passage is part of Jesus’ Bread of Life Discourse (6:22-71). Many followers left him because they did not believe in him when he declared that he was the heavenly living bread that gives eternal life. The background is found in the previous stories of Jesus miraculously feeding five thousand men (6:1-15) and walking on the water (6:16-21). The story of Jesus teaching in the temple area during the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles (7:1-31) immediately follows the Bread of Life Discourse section.

 

2. Form, Structure, and Movement

Our Gospel text is a narrative rich in imagery. It opens in v. 51 and concludes in 58b with the same words: “Whoever eats this bread will live forever.” Within the body of the text, the Jews quarrel in v. 52, and Jesus elaborates on how his flesh and blood provide eternal life in vv. 53-57.

 

3. Detailed Analysis and Synthesis

V. 51. Jesus states that his flesh is the heavenly living bread that provides eternal life to the world. He refers to how he will offer himself as a Paschal Sacrificial Lamb who will take away the world's sins.

Vv. 52-57. The Jews, arguing among themselves, find it impossible that Jesus can give them his flesh to eat. In his response, Jesus further explains what eating his flesh and drinking his blood brings to the lives of believers. It offers eternal life now, resurrection on the last day, communion with Jesus as they remain in him and he in them, and life because of Jesus, just as he has life because of the living Father.

V. 58. Jesus compares his heavenly bread to the food that the Jews’ ancestors ate in the desert during their journey from Egypt to the promised land. That food (manna) did not grant them eternal life, as they died; however, whoever consumes the heavenly food provided by Jesus will live forever.

 

4. Synthesis

Jesus declares that he gives his flesh for the life of the world; whoever eats his flesh will live forever. The Jews find it impossible to believe that Jesus can offer them his flesh to eat. In response, Jesus elaborates further on the results of eating his flesh and drinking his blood: believers will have eternal life, Jesus will raise them on the last day, they will remain in him and he in them, and they will have life because of him as he has life because of the living Father. Jesus asserts that the living food he provides is different from the manna that the Jews’ ancestors ate in the desert. They ate manna and died, but those who consume his heavenly food will live forever. 

B.     Pastoral Implications

 

1.      Liturgical Context

Today’s Scripture readings teach us that the Eucharist (the Body and Blood of Christ) is (1) the Spiritual Food that sustains us in our earthly journey toward the heavenly kingdom, (2) the Real Presence of Jesus, our companion on this journey, and (3) the Holy Communion that unites us with our Lord and with our brothers and sisters.

 

2.      What the Church Teaches Us Today

(1) The Eucharist is the Spiritual Food that sustains us in our earthly journey toward heaven. In our Gospel, Jesus compares the heavenly food he gives us to the Manna that God provided to the Jews’ ancestors in the desert during their exodus from Egypt to the promised land. Our first reading speaks of this same Exodus experience. Moses reminds his fellow Jews how God provided them manna (Dt 8:3) and water (Dt 8:15b) and guided them through their journey in the wilderness. He describes this deserted area as “the vast and terrible wilderness with its saraph serpents and scorpions, its parched and waterless ground” (Dt 8:15). The forty-year sojourn of the people of Israel in the desert from Egypt to the promised land symbolizes our spiritual journey from this world to heaven. The description of the desert of Exodus corresponds to our world today. Our earthly journey toward heaven occurs in this world, characterized by all kinds of dangers that weaken us spiritually and prevent us from reaching our destination, heaven. Thus, the way God provided his people with food and drink in the desert to give them strength so they could continue their journey to their destination is the same way Jesus gives himself to us in the Eucharist as food that sustains us in our earthly journey and grants us eternal life now and at our destination, heaven.

(2) The Eucharist is the Real Presence of our Lord Jesus Christ. The words “flesh” and “blood,” repeated many times in our Gospel passage, stand for the person of Jesus. “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.” (Jn 6:56). Mass is a celebration of the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. In the mystery of transubstantiation, we believe that the bread and wine consecrated by the priest become not “like” but the real Body and Blood of Christ. At Holy Communion, we receive Jesus. The Eucharist in the Tabernacle and the adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is the Real Presence of Jesus.

(3) The Eucharist is the Holy Communion that unites us with our Lord and with our brothers and sisters. Jesus declares that when we receive him in Holy Communion, we remain in him, and he remains in us (Jn 6:56, NABRE). In our second reading, Saint Paul teaches us that being one with Christ means being one with our brothers and sisters. He reminds the Corinthian believers and all of us that in the celebration of the Eucharist, the bread and wine we share in Holy Communion are truly a participation in the body and blood of Christ (1 Cor 10:16). He adds, “Because the loaf of bread is one, we, though many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf” (1 Cor 10:17). Therefore, when we attend Mass, we participate in the mysterious communion with Jesus and our fellow brothers and sisters. The Eucharist is the Body and Blood of Christ that unites us with Jesus and one another. 

May the liturgy of this Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ strengthen our belief in the Eucharist as the Spiritual Food for our earthly journey toward heaven, the Real Presence of Christ, and the Holy Communion that unites us with Jesus and our brothers and sisters. Amen.

Rev. Leon Ngandu, SVD

Pastor of Holy Family Catholic Church in Jackson, MS &

SVD USS Biblical Apostolate Coordinator

 

The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, Year A – May 31, 2026

 

The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, Year A – May 31, 2026

Ex 34:4b-6, 8-9; 2 Cor 13:11-13; Jn 3:16-18

 

Theme: Love is the Essence of the Holy Trinity

A. A Brief Exegetical Analysis of John 3:16-18

 

1. Historical and Literary Contexts

This Gospel passage is part of Jesus’ address to a larger audience (3:13-21) based on his previous conversation with Nicodemus in Jn 3:1-12. Nicodemus met Jesus at night and told him that he and the Jewish community he represented believed in him. Jesus changed the topic and instructed him on the new birth from above as a condition for entering the kingdom of God (3:1-12). Jesus’ question to Nicodemus in v. 12 serves as a bridge, ending their conversation (3:1-12) and opening Jesus’ discourse to a large audience (3:13-21), to which our Gospel story belongs. Here, Jesus speaks of himself as the gift God gave to the world for the salvation of those who will believe in him.

 

2. Form, Structure, and Movement

Our Gospel text comprises a narrative structured in three movements: v. 16: God’s gift to the world; v. 17: God’s intention for his gift; and v. 18: Salvation and condemnation.

 

3. Detailed Analysis and Synthesis

God gave Jesus as a gift out of his love (16a) in two significant moments: in the mysteries of the Incarnation (Jesus became man and lived in the world) and the Cross (when Jesus died for humankind). The objective of God’s gift of his Son is to offer eternal life to those who believe in his Son (v. 16b). Jesus’ purpose is not to condemn but to save (v. 17). However, his presence in the world provokes judgment. The free choice to believe in Jesus is the choice for salvation, and the free choice to turn away from him is the choice for eternal condemnation (v. 18). 

 

4. Synthesis

It was out of love that God gave his Son Jesus to the world as a gift. This happened through two significant moments: the mystery of the Incarnation and the mystery of the Cross. The purpose of Jesus's coming into the world and dying on the Cross is not to condemn but to save those who believe in him. However, people condemn themselves when they freely choose to turn away from Jesus.  

B. Pastoral Implications

 

1. Liturgical Context

After being commissioned on Ascension Sunday and filled with the Holy Spirit on Pentecost Sunday, we return to our ordinary lives to live out what we have learned from our experience with the Risen Lord. We resume this Ordinary Time, which has been interrupted by the Lenten and Easter seasons, with the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, the central mystery of the Christian faith. In the Holy Trinity, we Catholics believe in one God, not three, as we profess in our Creed. Our Mother Church teaches that there is One God in Three Persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. The mystery of the Holy Trinity cannot be comprehended by human reason. Today's scripture readings invite us to meditate on the name and attributes of God to help us understand this doctrine. In the first reading, God identifies himself as "the LORD” and reveals the characteristics of his name: mercy, grace, forgiveness, kindness, and fidelity. All these characteristics can be summed up in one word: Love, the essence of the Trinity. Out of his love for us, God gave his only Son to save us, says our Gospel. The second reading calls us to embody the attributes of God (mercy, grace, kindness, forgiveness, and fidelity) in our families and communities.

 

2. What the Church Teaches Us Today

Our Gospel tells us that, out of his love, God gave us his only Son, Jesus, as a gift. This precious offering occurred during two significant occasions: in the mysteries of the Incarnation, when Jesus took on our human flesh and came to live among us, and on the Cross, when he died for us. The purpose of God’s gift is that we might be saved rather than condemned. Eternal salvation or condemnation depends on our free choice to believe in Jesus or not. In this context, believing in Jesus means acknowledging that he is the only begotten Son of God and consubstantial with the Father, who was incarnate of the Virgin Mary by the Holy Spirit. Therefore, faith in the Holy Trinity is necessary for anyone seeking salvation.   

For many people, the doctrine of the Holy Trinity is difficult to teach and understand. Thus, the easiest way to comprehend and teach this mystery is to live the harmonious life that characterizes the relationship of the Triune God. Our first reading speaks of the characteristics of God’s nature that we should imitate. God reveals himself to Moses and us as “The LORD, the LORD, a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger and rich in kindness and fidelity.” (Exodus 34:6). God’s very nature consists of mercy, grace, forgiveness, kindness, and especially covenant fidelity. Therefore, we can understand and teach the mystery of the Holy Trinity to others when we show mercy to them, give them a second chance, are kind, and remain faithful in our covenant with God through Jesus.

In our second reading, Saint Paul also invites the Corinthian believers and all of us to live the harmonious life of the Holy Trinity when he exhorts us to mend our ways, encourage one another, agree with one another, and live in peace (2 Cor 13:11). When we do that, then “the God of love and peace will be with [us]” (2 Cor 13:11b). Paul closes his exhortation with a Trinitarian blessing upon the Corinthian believers and us: “The Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of you” (2 Cor 13:13).

May the Trinitarian blessing we receive at each Mass, especially this one, bring us the grace to live the harmonious life of the Holy Trinity wherever we are. Amen.  

Rev. Leon Ngandu, SVD

Pastor of Holy Family Catholic Church in Jackson, MS &

SVD USS Biblical Apostolate Coordinator   

 

 

 

Pentecost Sunday: Mass of the Day, Year A – May 24, 2026

 

Pentecost Sunday: Mass of the Day, Year A – May 24, 2026

Acts 2:1-11; 1 Corinthians 12:3b-7; 12-13; John 20:19-23

 

Theme: New Life in a New Creation and Oneness in the Spirit with God and One Another

A. A Brief Exegetical Analysis of John 20:19-23

 

1. Historical and Literary Contexts

Our Gospel passage is taken from the section on Jesus’ Resurrection (chap. 20). It presents Jesus’ appearance to his disciples as a testament to his Resurrection, marking the end of his earthly life and the beginning of the Church age. The stories of the Empty Tomb (20:1-10) and Jesus’ appearance to Mary of Magdala (20:11-18) precede our passage, while the accounts of Jesus’ second appearance to his disciples (20:24-29) and the first conclusion of the Book (20:30-31) follow it.

 

2. Form, Structure, and Movement

This Gospel narrative can be divided into two parts. The first part (vv. 19-20) describes Jesus’s appearance to his disciples, while the second part (vv. 21-23) details Jesus sending his disciples on a mission.  

 

3. Detailed Analysis

Vv. 19-20. Jesus appears to the ten disciples, minus Thomas, who is absent, and Judas, who had already died. “On the evening of that first day of the week” refers to the evening of the Sabbath (Sunday for Christians), the day of Jesus’ Resurrection. The ten disciples were in a locked room, presumably in Jerusalem, out of fear of the Jews. They believe that at this moment, those who crucified their Master, Jesus, are also planning to crucify them. Amid this confusion and anxiety, Jesus appears and stands in their midst. Jesus’s resurrected body enters the locked room without opening the doors. Jesus’s first word is “Peace be with you,” as he realizes how frightened they are. This peace is different from the ordinary peace the Jews use to greet each other. It echoes Jn 14:27, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you.” (NABRE). Jesus fills the hearts and minds of his disciples with the peace of the resurrection, which revitalizes their hope, courage, confidence, and faith in him. Then, Jesus shows them his hands and sides as evidence that he is alive. Luke speaks of “hands and feet” based on Ps 22:17 (see Lk 24:39-40). The fearful disciples now rejoice because the living Lord is among them.

Vv. 21-23. Jesus commissions his disciples by extending to them the same mission he received from God the Father. In their mission, they will be assisted by the Holy Spirit, which Jesus grants to them by breathing on them. Jesus’ breath recalls the story of creation in the book of Genesis when God created Adam. The sacred author of this Book reports that Adam was not a living being until God breathed the breath of life into his nostrils (see Gn 2:7). Then, through sin, Adam lost this “spiritual life.” Therefore, using his breath to give the Holy Spirit to his disciples suggests that Jesus has re-created them. He empowers them with the authority to forgive or return people’s sins so that those whose sins are forgiven regain the “breath of life” they lost through their sins.   

 

4. Synthesis

Jesus appears to his disciples on the evening of the day he was resurrected, entering the Upper Room without opening the locked doors. Knowing their fears well, he starts by wishing them peace before showing them the marks on his hands and side as proof that he is alive. They rejoice at the sight of him. Then he commissions them with the same mission God gave him. The Holy Spirit, which they receive through Jesus’ breath, will assist them on their mission. Jesus’ breathing on the disciples evokes God’s breathing on Adam in the creation story. Thus, Jesus’ breath re-creates the disciples and empowers them to forgive or retain people’s sins, so that those forgiven may regain the “spiritual life” they lost through sin and be re-created.

 

B.     Pastoral Implications

1. Liturgical Context

Today, we commemorate the Solemnity of Pentecost, which marks the end of the Easter season. In last Sunday’s liturgy, the Ascension of the Lord, we learned that Jesus’ Ascension did not signify a farewell, the conclusion of everything, or the moment we needed to claim our reward, as the disciples mistakenly believed. Instead, the Ascension of our Lord signifies a time to work. Our mission is to help our fellow humans become his disciples. Before he was lifted up to heaven, Jesus enjoined us not to depart from our “Jerusalem” but to wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit, who would strengthen us to carry out his mission (Acts 1:4). That is why today, we are gathered here in this Church, our local “Jerusalem,” to celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit. The message that the Scripture readings of this Pentecost Sunday teach us is that in Pentecost, we begin breathing the breath of the Resurrection as we start a new life in a new creation. Sin causes us to lose this new life in a new creation. To restore it, we are encouraged to use the sacrament of Confession our Risen Lord has instituted in today’s Gospel. New life in a new creation means we are called to avoid division among us and live in oneness with God and our brothers and sisters (First and Second Readings).

 

2. What the Church Teaches Us Today 

 The first part of our Gospel (vv. 19-20) teaches us three lessons. (1) Jesus’ disciples locked themselves in the Upper Room out of extreme fear, believing that the Jews who crucified their Master, Jesus, were also seeking to execute them. Today, many of us struggle with fears and anxieties about unemployment, health issues, natural disasters, paying bills, raising our children, and other concerns. These fears and anxieties compel us to “lock ourselves in our minds,” meaning we refuse to open ourselves to God’s grace. Amid this confusion, Jesus appears and stands before his disciples and us. Jesus’s resurrected body enters the locked Upper Room and our “locked minds and hearts” without opening the “doors.”

(2) Jesus’ first words to his frightened disciples and to each of us are, “Peace be with you.” Jesus knows how we experience fears and anxieties. That is why he first fills our hearts and minds with peace. This is the peace of the resurrection, which restores our hope, courage, confidence, and faith in him that we lost because of fears and anxieties.

(3) Then, Jesus shows his hands and sides to his disciples and to us as evidence that he is alive. At Mass, we listen to, see, and touch Jesus in the Scriptures and the Eucharist. Our Lord is truly risen; he is alive. There is no reason to be sad or afraid. Let us rejoice as the disciples did when they saw the Lord.

We also learn three lessons from the second part of our Gospel (vv. 21-23). (1) Jesus commissions his disciples and each of us today. “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” This phrase means that Jesus extended the same mission he received from his Father God to his disciples and each of us. God sent Jesus to establish the kingdom of God on earth. Jesus accomplished his mission. He sent his disciples, and today, he sends us to implement this kingdom of God wherever we live. The disciples did their part. Now, it is our time. The Church calls each of us (clerics and lay members) to implement God’s kingdom by proclaiming the Word of God and living out our Christian faith in our families, Churches, neighborhoods, and societies.

(2) Jesus gives the Holy Spirit to his disciples and us by breathing on us. “Breathing” recalls the story of creation in the book of Genesis. When God created Adam, Adam was not a living being until God breathed the breath of life into his nostrils (see Gn 2:7). Therefore, by using his breath to give the Holy Spirit to his disciples and to us, Jesus recreates us. Although the disciples followed Jesus for three years and were well-trained to carry out the mission of the Church, they needed the Holy Spirit to become a new creation and to inaugurate a new age for the Church. Likewise, although we have experienced the presence of the Resurrected Lord during this Easter season, we also need the Holy Spirit to begin a new life in a new creation. With Adam, we lost the Spirit God blew into us at the first creation, and now, with Jesus’ breathing on us today, we are re-created, and the Spirit of God in us is restored. From now on, we are breathing the breath of Resurrection. Please let us feel it; the Spirit of the Risen Jesus is in us! This is what Pentecost is about. It is the celebration of the New Life in a New Creation that we start with the Holy Spirit. Therefore, let us leave our “locked Upper Room” and go out without fear to begin consolidating the kingdom of God by implementing the Word of God and living out our Christian faith openly everywhere we go.

(3) Jesus institutes the Sacrament of Penance (also called Confession or the sacrament of Reconciliation) and empowers his disciples and their successors, the ordained ministers, to forgive and retain people’s sins. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained. Here, Jesus confers the faculty to forgive and retain people’s sins to his Church through the ordained ministers. We know that sin damages our relationships with God and our brothers and sisters and makes us lose the breath of resurrection with which Jesus has re-created us. To breathe the breath of resurrection again and restore our oneness with God and our fellow humans, our Holy Mother Church encourages us to use this wonderful Sacrament of Penance frequently. We seek three things in the sacrament of confession: forgiveness of our sins, reconciliation with God and our fellow humans whom we have offended, and the healing of the spiritual, emotional, or psychological wounds that sin causes (for the details of these three things, see my homily for the 2nd Sunday of Easter & Divine Mercy Sunday, April 12, 2026).

As the sacrament of Confession restores our oneness with God and our brothers and sisters, we are called to maintain and embody this unity with God and our fellow humans. This is what Luke teaches us in our first reading. In his Pentecost account, he states that the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in tongues as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim. Many people from diverse cultures and languages witnessed that first Christian Pentecost. They were astounded because each could hear the disciples speaking in their native language. The Holy Spirit we receive today is the Spirit not of division but of unity. It empowers us to communicate and understand the Christian language of love, justice, peace, compassion, and forgiveness. God created us to be “one” with him and “one” with each other. However, given the realities of our world today, we can see how we are losing this gift of “oneness.” People are divided, families are separated, and even Church members lack the unity of spirit that we should have, as is evident in the community of Corinth, which our second reading discusses.

In our second reading, Saint Paul addressed a division that arose in his community in Corinth. A charismatic group emerged among the Corinthians, leading the people to speak in tongues (glossolalia). This gave rise to dissension, as those who had the gift of speaking in tongues viewed others without this gift as second-class Christians. Paul was called to resolve the situation. He does not condemn the charismatic movement; rather, he recognizes the Spirit's presence in this glossolalia. However, he emphasizes that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit must unify the community rather than divide it. Using the analogy of the human body, which is one despite having many parts, Saint Paul teaches us that we all possess different talents and gifts of the Holy Spirit. We do not share the same skin color, culture, language, or opinions; we have different jobs and incomes. These differences should strengthen our families, Church community, and societies, rather than tear them apart. We were all baptized into one body in one Spirit. We are one in the Spirit; we are one in the Lord.

As we celebrate our new life in a new creation and our oneness in the Spirit with God and our fellow humans, let us pray for all families and communities still divided, that their unity with God and their brothers and sisters may one day be restored. Amen.

Rev. Leon Ngandu, SVD

Pastor of Holy Family Church in Jackson, MS &

SVD-USS Biblical Apostolate Coordinator