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5^th Sunday of Easter, Year A: Homily by Fr. Isaac Chima

Theme: You Are a Chosen Race — Let Your Hearts Not Be Troubled

Readings: Acts 6: 1-7; 1 Pt 2: 4-9; Jn. 14: 1-12

The readings of the fifth Sunday of Easter are rich with lessons for both our spiritual and physical nourishment. They tell us not to let our hearts be troubled because we are a chosen race, a holy nation, and God’s own people. They also warn us of what can happen when we fail to care for the physical needs of members of our Christian community.

In the second reading, St Peter beautifully defined the identity of Christians as ‘a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation and God’s own people chosen to declare his wonderful deeds.’ These qualities highlight our participation in the life and priesthood of Christ through the sacraments we have received. They also demand that Christians live a distinct kind of life in society — a life that enables them to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Christ. As St Paul teaches, we must not model our lives according to the standards of this world.

The first reading shows us two major threats to the unity of the Church and harmony among Christians: discrimination and insensitivity to the material needs of the faithful. In this reading, the Greek-speaking Christians complained that their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution of food by the Hebrew-speaking Christians.

The swift and wise way the apostles handled this problem offers important lessons for our Christian communities today.

First, our communities must be places of love, equality, fairness, and harmony. We must reject every sentiment, attitude, or behaviour that divides us.

Second, the reading teaches us that if we fail to attend to the social and material needs of our members, we risk hindering the work of God. We must not ignore the genuine concerns of our brothers and sisters. We must be close to every member of our community, know their daily struggles, and help them find solutions. The person who sits beside you every Sunday may be carrying burdens that God wants to ease through you. Hence, make effort to look beyond the smiling face. Both the spiritual and material needs of our members matter.

Third, while caring for material needs, we must not allow the spiritual dimension of our mission to suffer. Sometimes, in our efforts to organize social activities or respond to material concerns, we unintentionally neglect prayer, worship, and spiritual growth. St Peter reminds us today that we must maintain a healthy balance between the spiritual and the material — and that the spiritual must always receive our primary attention.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus seems to speak directly to each of us. He said, “Let not your hearts be troubled; believe in God, believe also in me.” Dear friends, we live in a world where political tensions, social instability, family struggles, and personal challenges have left many people broken, discouraged, and overwhelmed. The disciples felt the same way when they realized Jesus was leaving them and that they would face the harsh realities of their society without His physical presence.

I do not know the particular difficulties you are facing. It may be a crisis in your marriage, instability in your relationships, worries about your children, health challenges, problems at work, or economic hardship. Whatever your situation, the Church wants these words of Jesus to echo in your heart: “Let not your heart be troubled.”

Why? Because Jesus is the way — the One who guides you through your worries without letting you fall; He is the way out of your troubles and the way that will also lead you to the Father. He is the truth — the One who gives you the courage to face every situation with hope. He is the life — the One whose life in you cannot be destroyed by the difficulties of this world.

Let not your hearts be troubled, because God has chosen you to be signs and bearers of His victory in the world. And the one whom God has chosen cannot be defeated by trials and difficulties.

Jesus challenges us to believe in Him and in the power of His works. Peter, in the second reading, urges us to come to Jesus, the living stone rejected by men but chosen and precious in God’s sight. Let us open our hearts to Him in today’s Mass and entrust our lives to His care.

Peace be with you, and may you have a blessed Sunday.

Fr. Isaac Chinemerem Chima