Good Sunday morning. The world kept moving overnight. Here's what happened, and what your faith has to say about it.
✝ 3rd Sunday of Easter
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Pope Leo XIV
Pope Leo appeals for dialogue to end wars in Ukraine and Middle East
At the Regina Coeli following Mass in Angola, Pope Leo XIV directly addresses the intensifying conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, calling for diplomatic solutions and expressing solidarity with those suffering from war. This is the Pope speaking personally in his own words about major global crises.
Response to World Events
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Luke 24:13-35
"Two of the disciples of Jesus were on their way to a village called Emmaus, seven miles from Jerusalem, and they were talking together about all that had happened. Now as they talked this over, Jesus himself came up and walked by their side; but something prevented them from recognising him. He said to them, ‘What matters are you discussing as you walk along."
| Rosary Mystery of the Day | |
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Today's Mysteries |
Sunday: Glorious Mysteries |
Glorious Mysteries
- 1. The Resurrection
- 2. The Ascension
- 3. The Descent of the Holy Spirit
- 4. The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
- 5. The Coronation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
The Objection
"Catholics add extra sacraments that aren't in the Bible. Jesus only told us to do baptism and communion. The other five are man-made inventions."
The Catholic Response
All seven sacraments have roots in Scripture, even if the word 'sacrament' isn't always used. James 5:14 describes anointing the sick with oil and the prayer of elders. John 20:22-23 shows Jesus breathing on the apostles and giving them authority to forgive sins, which is the basis of Confession. Acts 8:17 records the laying on of hands to receive the Holy Spirit, which is Confirmation. The early Church Fathers, including St. Ambrose and St. Augustine, recognized these rites as sacred signs instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church (CCC 1114, 1210).
CCC 1114 | CCC 1210 | James 5:14 | John 20:22-23 | Acts 8:17
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Test Your Faith IQ |
Scripture |
In today's Gospel, Jesus walks with two disciples to Emmaus. How far was Emmaus from Jerusalem according to Luke's account?
- A) About 2 miles
- B) About 7 miles
- C) About 12 miles
- D) About 20 miles
Answer at the bottom of this newsletter.
 Photo: NPR
NPR
The U.S. is returning to negotiations with Iran after the Strait of Hormuz closure, but Trump is threatening military strikes if diplomacy fails.
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FAITH & THE WORLD |
Matthew 5:9 |
"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God."
Just War Doctrine (CCC 2307-2317)
The Church teaches that war is permissible only as a last resort, after every peaceful alternative has been exhausted, and only when the damage inflicted by the aggressor is lasting, grave, and certain (CCC 2309). Threatening strikes while negotiations are still on the table inverts that order: peace isn't the backup plan, it's the obligation.
Reflect → Where in your own conflicts do you reach for threats before you've truly exhausted patience?
 Photo: CBS News
CBS News
CBS previews this week's Sunday Morning broadcast, a cultural institution that has gathered Americans around shared stories for decades.
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FAITH & THE WORLD |
Luke 24:32 |
"Were not our hearts burning within us while he spoke to us on the way and opened the scriptures to us?"
CCC 1069 (Liturgy as the work of the people)
Sunday morning means something different depending on where you sit. For the disciples on the road to Emmaus, their hearts caught fire not from a broadcast but from a stranger who walked alongside them and broke bread. The question for every Sunday isn't what you watch but who you encounter.
Reflect → What is your Sunday morning actually ordered toward: consumption or communion?
 Photo: BBC World
BBC World
Austrian police found rat poison in a jar of baby food, with authorities warning the contamination could be life-threatening.
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FAITH & THE WORLD |
Matthew 18:6 |
"Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea."
Fifth Commandment / Dignity of the Vulnerable (CCC 2258, 2268)
The Catechism is blunt: every human life is sacred from conception, and harming the defenseless is a sin that cries out to heaven (CCC 2268). Poisoning what a baby eats is an act of such calculated evil that it strips away every excuse about context or complexity. This is the kind of thing Jesus spoke about with millstones.
Reflect → How do you actively protect the most vulnerable people in your daily life, not just in theory?
 Photo: Good News Network
Good News Network
On this date 251 years ago, the first shots of the American Revolution were fired at Lexington, launching the fight for independence.
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FAITH & GOOD NEWS |
Galatians 5:1 |
"For freedom Christ set us free; so stand firm and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery."
Catholic Social Teaching on Freedom and Responsibility (CCC 1731-1738)
The Church teaches that true freedom isn't the mere absence of tyranny but the ability to choose the good (CCC 1733). The founders risked everything for self-governance, and the deeper Catholic question remains: once you're free, what do you do with it?
Reflect → Are you using your freedom to serve something greater than yourself, or just to stay comfortable?
 Photo: Upworthy
Upworthy
A veteran teacher argues that kindergarteners are being buried in worksheets while recess and free play disappear from their days.
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FAITH & GOOD NEWS |
Matthew 18:3 |
"Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven."
Gravissimum Educationis (Vatican II Declaration on Education)
Vatican II insisted that education must develop the whole person: body, mind, and spirit, respecting each child's stage of growth (Gravissimum Educationis, 1). Jesus held up childhood itself as a model of the kingdom. When we strip five-year-olds of play, we're not preparing them for life; we're stealing the very thing Christ told adults to recover.
Reflect → When did you last let yourself play without productivity as the goal?
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DAILY WORD GAME
Test your Catholic vocabulary
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Saint of the Day |
April 19 |
Saint Leo IX
Before becoming pope, Leo IX insisted on walking to Rome barefoot as a pilgrim and told the people he would only accept the papacy if they freely elected him. He was also the only medieval pope to personally lead troops into battle, which ended in a humiliating defeat that he publicly repented of for the rest of his life. He spent his final days as a prisoner of war, praying the Divine Office and washing the feet of his captors.
His feast falls on April 19, and his insistence on free consent before accepting authority echoes today's Gospel theme: Christ never forces recognition but walks beside us, waiting to be invited in.
Trivia Answer
B . Luke 24:13 specifies Emmaus was about sixty stadia from Jerusalem, which is roughly seven miles. That's about a two-hour walk, plenty of time for Jesus to open the Scriptures to them along the way.
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