Strength Rooted In Love

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Fifth Sunday of Easter

Today's Readings:
[ Acts 7:55-60; Ps 31:1-5, 15-16; 1 Pet 2:2-10; Jn 14:1-14 ]

In today’s readings, we are drawn into a deeper trust that holds even in the face of suffering and uncertainty. In Acts, Stephen gazes into heaven as stones fall around him. His final words echo those of Christ: a surrender of spirit and a plea for mercy. This is not resignation, it is radical trust. It is the kind of trust that flows from knowing, as the psalmist proclaims, “Into your hand I commit my spirit”.

In the Gospel reading, Jesus invites us into that same trust: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me”. For those shaped by Franciscan spirituality, this is the heart of minority and simplicity—letting go of control, surrendering anxiety, and placing everything into the loving hands of God. Francis of Assisi lived this profoundly, embracing uncertainty not as a burden, but as an opportunity to rely more fully on divine providence.

Peter’s first letter reminds us who we are: “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation”. Yet this identity is not about status... it is about relationship. Like “living stones,” we are built into something greater, grounded in Christ, the cornerstone. The Franciscan vision sees all creation as connected in this sacred building project. Our lives, however small or hidden, matter deeply in God’s design.

What unites these readings is a call to trust that does not depend on circumstances. Whether in Stephen’s martyrdom, the psalmist’s plea, or Jesus’ comforting words, we are invited to rest in God’s faithful presence. Even when the path is unclear, even when the world feels heavy, we are not abandoned.

Today’s we are invited to ask, "Where is my heart troubled? Can I place that into God’s hands—fully, honestly, without reservation?" In that surrender, you may discover not weakness, but a quiet, enduring strength rooted in love.

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