Sixth Sunday of Easter. Mother’s Day 2026 John 14:15-21 Rev. Neli Miranda “Mothering God, you gave me birth in the bright morning of this world. Creator, source of every breath, you are my rain, my wind, my sun” (Julian of Norwich) We come from a Divine and eternal womb, and we live confidently upon that divine maternal bosom. In today’s Gospel, we find strong yet tender words that make us feel as protected as children: “I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you.” Three years ago, although I was already an adult, I experienced the weight of what it means to be an orphan. Within only eleven months, both my mother and my father passed away, leaving me with a profound sense of orphanhood. It was then that Jesus’ promise, “I will not leave you orphans,” touched me deeply. It led me to reflect on the difficult moments t...
Entradas
Fifth Sunday of Easter 2026 John 14:1-14 Rev. Neli Miranda Today, our Christian spirituality invites us on a journey that leads toward the celebration of the Ascension, which takes place forty days after Jesus’ resurrection. To guide us along this path, the lectionary presents a series of readings that recount the intimate and moving moments Jesus shared with his disciples just before his arrest and crucifixion. For several Sundays, we listen to portions of Jesus’ Farewell Discourse in the Gospel of John, delivered to his first community of disciples during the Last Supper. For the Johannine community, these words held deep significance, and they were preserved so that Jesus’ message might continue to reach disciples throughout the centuries. Today we read from ch...
Fourth Sunday of Easter 2026 Psalm 23 & John 10:1-10 Rev. Neli Miranda Today we celebrate the Fourth Sunday of Easter, traditionally known as Good Shepherd Sunday. In 1964, Pope Paul VI designated this day in response to the declining number of vocations in both seminaries and convents. Established as World Day of Prayer for Vocations, it is now observed not only within the Catholic Church but also across other Christian traditions, including the Anglican Communion. On this Sunday, it is customary to proclaim the Gospel of the Good Shepherd, along with related texts such as Psalm 23. Since biblical times, the image of the shepherd has been closely associated with leadership, especially religious leadership, guiding people in their relationship with God. In Christian tradition, the community leaders are seen as shepherds entrusted with the care of God’s people. Who are God’s people? The world! Shepherding is one of the most ancient human occupations. In th...
Third Sunday of Easter 2026 Luke 24,13-35 Rev. Neli Miranda During the past few Sundays, we have journeyed with the disciples—both women and men—and witnessed their struggle on Easter Day. However, they were all transformed when the Risen Jesus met them. Today’s Gospel presents us with one of the most moving passages in the New Testament, known as the ‘Road to Emmaus.’ The Good News of Jesus’ resurrection is now being heard outside of Jerusalem. Luke tells us of two disciples who, on that very day, are leaving the city. Luke names one of them Cleopas, and it is likely that the other was Mary, his wife. Although they have heard the women’s proclamation, the news has not moved them to stay with the community. After witnessing torture, suffering, and death—and fearing potent...
Second Sunday of Easter 2026 John 20:19-31 Revd. Neli Miranda The final two chapters of John’s Gospel (20–21) reveal how the first community of disciples lived, understood, and responded to Jesus’ resurrection. Mary Magdalene, Peter, the beloved disciple, and Thomas each embody distinct human paths for responding to and embracing the transformation God brings through the resurrection of Jesus. The first thing we notice in John’s account is that no one in the community expected Jesus’ resurrection. No one had fully understood his earlier announcements. It was the love, devotion, and service of Mary Magdalene—and the other women—that brought the great proclamation of life to the community. For where there is love and service, there is life and light. Mary’s devotion...
Easter Sunday 2026 John 20:1-18 Rev. Neli Miranda “I have seen the Lord!” Mary Magdalene proclaims on Easter morning. Her proclamation comes after a journey that begins very early, “while it was still dark.” Through these words, the evangelist John evokes not only the hour of the day but also the darkness of Mary’s desolation. Her beloved Rabbi has been brutally executed, and it seems that all hope has come to an end. She has faithfully followed Jesus to the foot of the cross and to the place where he was laid. Now, at dawn, her journey resumes: she comes to complete the burial rituals, to say a final goodbye, and to begin imagining how life might continue without him. In this way, Mary embodies a deeply human experience—the overwhelming grief that follows the loss of a loved one, when consolation is sought through gestures and rituals that help us make sense of absence. ...
Palm Sunday 2026 Mattew chapter 21 & 27 Rev. Neli Miranda In Jesus’ time, the Passover celebration was central to Jewish life. Every year, devout Jewish pilgrims traveled from different regions across the country to Jerusalem to participate in various religious and social activities commemorating their liberation from Egypt, where their ancestors had been enslaved. Under the occupation of the Roman Empire, this feast of freedom also became a powerful symbol of resistance and hope. During Passover, Jerusalem received many people, offering a fertile opportunity for political activism that encouraged the people to seek a new deliverance. This was a tense time; some previo...