Catholic Digest themes/topics for 5th Sunday of Easter based on the following Acts 6:1-7 1 Peter 2:4-9 John 14:1-12

Homily Themes

Catholic Digest, Homily Themes

Catholic Digest, Homily Themes

May 3, 2026

⭐⭐⭐ The Servant of the Way – Deacon Peter

⬅️ ➡️

5th Sunday of Easter (A)

WHAT'S NEWSUNDAY EXAMENDIACONATE REFLECTIONCATHOLIC PRESSFORMED VIDEOS
LITURGY PLANNER – 5th Sunday of Easter (A)
Easter 5A
SUNDAY INTRO
COMMENTARY – 5th Sunday of Easter (A)
Easter 5A
COMMENTARY
PAPAL HOMILIES – 5th Sunday of Easter (A)
Easter 5A
PAPAL HOMILIES
HOMILY HELPER - 5th Sunday of Easter (A)
Easter 5A
TARGET GROUPS
HOMILIES – 5th Sunday of Easter (A)
Easter 5A
HOMILIES
FR. TONY'S HOMILY – 5th Sunday of Easter (A)
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FR. TONY’S HOMILY
CATHOLIC DIGEST – 5th Sunday of Easter (A)
Easter 5A
EXAMEN
CHILDREN – 5th Sunday of Easter (A)
Easter 5A
CHILDREN

What’s New

PRACTICAL
ACTIONS

Acts 6:1-7 | The Ministry of Service

  • Audit Your “Complaints”: Identify one area in your workplace, parish, or family where you have been “murmuring” (complaining). Instead of venting, propose a solution or volunteer one hour of your time to address the root of the problem.
  • Identify a “Widow”: In the biblical sense, this is anyone neglected by the system. Reach out to one person this week who lives alone or is often overlooked—a phone call, a hand-written note, or a meal can be your “deacon-like” service.
  • Delegate for Prayer: If you are overwhelmed by chores or work to the point that you have no time for Scripture, delegate one task to someone else or say “no” to a non-essential commitment to reclaim 15 minutes for daily prayer.

1 Peter 2:4-9 | The Living Stone

  • Consecrate Your Work: Since you are part of a “royal priesthood,” treat your workspace or home as an altar. Before starting a difficult task, say: “Lord, I offer this work to You as a spiritual sacrifice for the conversion of [Name] or [Intention].”
  • The Cornerstone Check: When making a big decision this week, ask yourself: “Am I doing this because it aligns with Christ (the Cornerstone), or because I’m afraid of being ‘rejected by human beings’?” Choose the path that aligns with the Gospel.
  • Proclaim Excellence: The text says we are called to “proclaim the praises” of God. Share one specific way God has brought you “out of darkness into his marvelous light” with a friend or family member who is currently struggling.

John 14:1-12 | The Way, Truth, and Life

  • Combat “Troubled Hearts”: Whenever you feel a spike of anxiety today, immediately pray the Jesus Prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” Repeat it until your heart settles on His promise of a “dwelling place.”
  • Study the “Way”: If Jesus is the Truth, we must know it. Commit to reading the Catechism or a solid theological book for 10 minutes a day to better understand the “Way” you are following.
  • Perform a “Greater Work”: Jesus promises we will do “greater works.” This often refers to the work of mercy. Perform one act of “impossible” forgiveness this week—forgive someone who hasn’t asked for it, or pray for someone who has treated you poorly.

Sunday Examen

Non-profits have permission to copy and paste infographics into their publications.

create an examination of conscience based on the following readings xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Create a modern flat-design infographic about [Insert Your Topic]. Use a clean white background with a high-contrast color palette of deep charcoal, soft gold accents, and muted teal. Organize the content into a clear visual hierarchy with three distinct sections. Use bold sans-serif typography for headings and simple, elegant vector icons. Ensure plenty of white space for readability and a professional, editorial feel. No cite markings.

Color Scheme: “Soft gold and charcoal accents on a stark white background.”

Art Style: “Flat design vector illustration” or “Swiss Design style” (known for cleanliness and grids).

Layout: “Vertical 9:16 aspect ratio” or “Three-panel grid layout.”

Typography: “Bold Arial-style sans-serif fonts” or “Large high-contrast headings.”

Elements: “Minimalist icons,” “uncluttered composition,” and “balanced white space.”

I. Living in Community

In this passage, the Apostles appoint deacons to ensure the neglected are cared for, balancing the ministry of the Word with practical charity.

  • Neglect of the Vulnerable: In my daily life, do I overlook those who are “widows” or marginalized—the lonely, the elderly, or those who lack a voice?
  • Murmuring and Discord: The deacons were appointed because of “complaining.” Do I contribute to gossip or divisiveness within my parish or community instead of seeking constructive solutions?
  • Prioritization: Do I balance my life appropriately between prayer and action? If I am busy with “serving tables” (work/chores), do I neglect the Word? If I claim to be spiritual, do I neglect the practical needs of my neighbor?
  • Integrity in Responsibility: When I am given a task, am I “reputable, filled with the Spirit and wisdom,” or do I perform my duties with a spirit of resentment or laziness?

II. Embracing Our Identity

Peter describes believers as “living stones” built into a spiritual house, chosen by God to be a holy priesthood.

  • Spiritual Foundation: Am I building my life on Christ, the “chosen and precious” cornerstone, or am I building on the shifting sands of secular approval and personal ego?
  • Holy Priesthood: Do I exercise my “royal priesthood” by offering up my daily sacrifices, sufferings, and joys to God, or do I live a purely secular life with no reference to the divine?
  • Stumbling Blocks: Do I, through my actions or lack of charity, become a “stone that causes people to stumble” and fall away from the faith?
  • Identity in Christ: Do I truly believe I am part of a “chosen race” and “God’s own people,” or do I suffer from a spiritual amnesia that leads me to act like the rest of the world?

III. Believing in the Way

Jesus comforts his disciples, telling them not to let their hearts be troubled, and reveals His oneness with the Father.

  • Anxiety vs. Trust: Do I “let my heart be troubled” by the world’s chaos, or do I truly trust in the “dwelling places” Christ has prepared for me?
  • The Exclusive Claim: Do I live as if Jesus is truly the Way, the Truth, and the Life, or do I treat Him as just one of many options, compromising the Truth when it becomes inconvenient?
  • Seeing the Father: Do I seek to see God’s hand in my life, or am I like Philip, constantly asking for “more proof” despite the many blessings I have already received?
  • Greater Works: Jesus says those who believe will do “greater works than these.” Do I live with the expectation that God wants to work through me, or have I become spiritually stagnant and small-minded?

Theology, Apologetics & Evangelization

These channels focus on explaining and defending the Catholic faith, often engaging with modern culture and other viewpoints.

  • Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire): One of the most influential voices in the Church, offering cultural commentary, movie reviews, and deep theological deep-dives.
  • Ascension Presents: A powerhouse channel featuring popular figures like Fr. Mike Schmitz (known for the “Bible in a Year” and “Catechism in a Year” podcasts) and Fr. Josh Johnson, offering accessible videos on faith and life.
  • Catholic Answers: The premier channel for Catholic apologetics, featuring live Q&A shows where apologists answer tough questions from callers.
  • Pints with Aquinas (Matt Fradd): Long-form interviews and discussions on theology, philosophy, and culture, often over a drink.
  • The Counsel of Trent (Trent Horn): Trent Horn, a Catholic Answers apologist, provides rebuttals to atheist and Protestant arguments, as well as commentary on current events.
  • Jimmy Akin: A senior apologist at Catholic Answers known for his fairness and deep knowledge, covering everything from bizarre questions to deep theology.
  • Breaking In The Habit (Fr. Casey Cole, OFM): A young Franciscan friar who offers fresh, accessible reflections on faith, vocations, and everyday life.
  • Thomistic Institute: Excellent, high-quality animated videos and lectures explaining the philosophy and theology of St. Thomas Aquinas.

The Servant of
the Way

Gospel: John 10:1–10
Theme: I am the good shepherd. 

Deacon Peter
McCulloch
(Diocese of Broken Bay)

In the intimate setting of the Last Supper, Jesus looks at his disciples, who are confused, anxious, and troubled by his talk of departure. In this moment of fear, he offers them a profound word 

of comfort, not a set of directions, but a person: ‘Do not let your hearts be troubled… I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’ 

The disciples are lost. Thomas says, ‘Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?’ Philip says, ‘Master, show us the Father.’ They are asking for a roadmap and a destination. Jesus reveals that He is both. 

The deacon, as a servant of the Word and a guide for the community, is ordained to be a living signpost to this Way. As St. Thomas Aquinas said, ‘To follow Christ is to walk in truth and love.’  The deacon’s entire ministry is to walk this path faithfully and to help others, especially thetroubled and the lost, to find their way home to the Father.

AT MASS

The Proclamation of the Truth

Jesus is the Truth, and the deacon’s first duty is to the proclamation of this Truth. 

• Proclaiming the Comforting Truth: When the deacon proclaims this Gospel, he gives voice to the disciples’ anxious questions and to Christ’s definitive, comforting answer. He is the herald who, in the midst of the assembly’s troubled hearts, announces that we are not lost, for the Way has been given to us. 

• The Homily of the Way: The deacon’s preaching must be a clear signpost. In a world full of confusing ways and distorted truths, his homily cuts through the noise. It points, not to his own wisdom, but to the singular, saving Truth of Christ.

• Guiding to the Father: ‘No one comes to the Father except through me,’ Jesus says. The deacon’s liturgical ministry, including leading the faithful in their intercessions and ministering the Cup of ‘Life,’ is a constant act of guiding the assembly along the way (Christ) to the destination(the Father).

IN THE PARISH

Jesus is the Way, the path itself. The deacon is a man who must walk this path in the midst of the parish. 

• The Minister to the Troubled: The deacon’s pastoral ministry is a direct response to Christ’s command, ‘Do not let your hearts be troubled.’ He is the one who sits with the Thomases and Philips of the parish – the doubters, the grieving, the confused, the lost. He is the Church’s first responder to the troubled heart. 

• A Signpost, Not the Destination: The deacon’s life is the signpost. By balancing his family, his secular work, and his ordained ministry, he shows the parish how ‘the Way’ is walked in the midst of the world. He points, not to himself, but to Jesus Christ. 

• Preparing a Place: Jesus promises to prepare a place. The deacon’s practical and often unseen service in parish administration, in the RCIA, in baptismal prep is the humble  work of ‘preparing a place’ in the Father’s ‘dwelling’ of the parish, ensuring all are welcomed. 

AT THE MARGINS

The Witness to the Life (At the Margins) 

Jesus is the Life. The deacon’s ministry of diakonia is a profound witness to this Life, especially in places where life is diminished or threatened. 

• Bringing Life to the Lifeless: The deacon is sent to the margins, to the places of spiritual and physical death: the hospital, the prison, the home of the shut-in. His presence is the proclamation of Life. 

• Love as the Way: (Referring to St. Thomas: ‘walk in truth and love.’) For the person on the margins, the deacon’s act of service – the food he brings, the time he spends listening, and the hand he holds – is the Way made visible. It is the love of Christ in action, the most credible signpost. 

• The Path Home: The deacon walks the path between the altar and the street, between the proclamation of the Truth and the service of Life. In doing so, his entire vocation becomes a faithful, patient, and loving guide, a living signpost that quietly says to all the troubled hearts of the world: ‘Christ is the Way. Walk with Him.’

Norms for the Formation of Permanent Deacons and Guidelines for the Ministry and Life of Permanent Deacons – (ACBC)

The National Directory for the Formation, Ministry, and Life of Permanent Deacons in the United States of America (USCCB)

Catholic Press

U.S. Diocesan Publications

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