Scripture Reflection - May 3, 2026

Fifth Sunday of Easter

Acts 6:1-7 1 Peter 2:4-9 John 14:1-12

More Than Believers: Living the Mission We Were Made For

A Reflection on John 14:1-12 and the Universal Call to Proclaim, Serve, and Sanctify

There is a moment in John's Gospel that really makes us pause. On the night before His suffering, Jesus looks at His disciples, who are scared, confused, and already grieving, and says something amazing: "Whoever believes in me will do the works I do, and will do even greater things than these" (John 14:12).

He promises greater things—not just the same, but even more.

If we are honest, many of us quietly ignore that verse. It feels too big, maybe even out of reach. Surely Jesus couldn't have meant us—the ordinary Catholics sitting in the pews, dealing with mortgages, tough relationships, busy lives, and our own struggles. Surely the "greater works" were meant for saints, mystics, or missionaries, for people with more faith, courage, or clarity than we think we have.

But this is exactly what Jesus invites us to, and it starts not with a demand but with a relationship.

The Foundation Is Not a Task. It Is a Person.

Before Jesus talks about greater works, He speaks about something much more personal. "Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me” (John 14:1). The whole passage—the promise of a place prepared for them, His words that He is the way, the truth, and the life, and the assurance of the Father's presence—shows Jesus grounding His disciples in relationship before sending them on their mission.

This order changes everything. The call to proclaim, serve, and make everyday life holy does not start with a program or ministry plan. It starts with trust. It starts with letting Jesus truly and personally be the way you walk, the truth you live, and the life behind everything you do.

When that relationship is real—when prayer becomes a true conversation and the Eucharist is a real encounter, not just a duty—something shifts. The mission no longer feels like a burden but becomes something that flows out of you. You do not serve because you have to. You serve because you have been loved, and real love cannot be kept to yourself.

Proclaiming, Serving, Sanctifying — Right Where You Are

The Church calls every baptized Catholic to share in Christ's priestly, prophetic, and kingly mission. This is not just language for theology classes. It describes your real, everyday life.

You do not need a pulpit to proclaim God's goodness. What it really takes is honesty—speaking with integrity where cynicism is common, choosing hope when negativity is popular, and showing love by being present for others. Catholic Social Teaching reminds us of the dignity of every person, and we show this every time we treat someone with respect, care, and dignity.

To serve means letting the needs of others interrupt your comfort. The idea of a preferential option for the poor challenges us to ask not just what is easy, but who is being left out. Who in your community, workplace, neighborhood, or parish is like the overlooked widow in Acts 6—present but unseen, struggling but unnoticed? Service is faith put into action.

Sanctifying everyday life may be the most radical call of all, because it asks us to find God not just in church, but in the ordinary, unremarkable parts of each day. The kitchen table can become an altar. A tough conversation can be a moment of grace. Patiently enduring a hard time can be a priestly offering. The common good is not made by big gestures alone—it is built through countless small acts of faithfulness, repeated in many ordinary lives.

The Challenge We Cannot Avoid

Jesus does not say, "If you feel ready, consider doing greater works." He says, "Whoever believes in me will do greater." This promise comes with real expectation. In the Catholic tradition, faith is never just intellectual assent — it is a life turned toward God and reaching out to the world.

So here is a question to consider today: Is my relationship with God alive enough to move me to action? Am I letting Christ's love shape how I treat my family, friends, and everyone I meet, how I vote, how I spend my money, and how I show up for people who cannot give me anything in return?

The world does not need more passive believers. It needs Catholics who have truly met the one who is the way, the truth, and the life—and who live differently because of it.

You were made for more than just getting by. You were made for mission. And it starts today, right where you are.

"Do not let your hearts be troubled."

— John 14:1

Sr. Didi Madden, OP