A Homily for Friday of the Second Week of Easter
Friday, April 17, 2026
Prince of Peace Catholic Church – 8:00 Mass
Acts 5:34-42; Psalm 27:1, 4, 13-14; John 6:1-15
Audio Recording
In today’s first reading from the Acts of the Apostles, we hear the wise counsel of Gamaliel, a respected teacher of the law, who tells the Sanhedrin something remarkable: “If this endeavor is of human origin, it will destroy itself. But if it comes from God, you will not be able to destroy them.”
This is the same Gamaliel who later taught St. Paul before his conversion—one of the most respected rabbis of his time. There is a striking irony here: the very rabbi who warned the Sanhedrin not to oppose the Apostles helped form Saul, who at first did oppose them—yet later became the Apostle Paul, the Church’s greatest missionary. It is a powerful example of how God can work through people and formation long before someone realizes where He is leading them.
And Gamaliel’s insight is just as practical today as it was two thousand years ago.
He is not defending the Apostles because he already believes in Jesus. He is recognizing a spiritual principle: when God is acting, human resistance cannot prevail. In fact, he warns them that they might even find themselves fighting against God. That is a sobering thought. Sometimes the greatest mistake we can make is not failing to act—but resisting what the Lord is trying to do.
Gamaliel teaches us something very important: we must learn to recognize when the Holy Spirit is moving — and yield to Him. Because when something truly comes from God, He makes possible what seems impossible.
Christine and I experienced that very personally when the Lord opened the door for us to move to Sun City Center from what we thought would be our “forever home” in Knoxville. From a purely human perspective, the obstacles were overwhelming. A “chance” meeting with new friends at a golf tournament, who mentioned that their parish was in need of a deacon, ultimately led to our move here and my assignment at Prince of Peace.
There were so many obstacles to overcome that most people would never have attempted it. There was a transfer from one diocese to another to navigate. There was a house to sell and a unique business to sell that required a very particular buyer. We also had to find the right house here when real estate prices were at an all-time high — and make the decision to purchase it before our house in Knoxville was even on the market. Timelines did not seem to line up, and many uncertainties could not be solved in advance. At several points, it looked unlikely — maybe even unrealistic.
But step by step, things began to fall into place. Doors opened at just the right moment. Problems resolved themselves in unexpected ways. The business sold during Holy Week, and the house sold during Easter week — after just one day on the market. Looking back, it became clear: this was not something we forced. It was something God was doing. Our role was simply to trust Him and cooperate with His grace.
We see the same pattern in today’s Gospel. Faced with a hungry crowd, the disciples saw only five loaves and two fish — far too little. But Jesus already knew what He was going to do. He simply asked them to trust Him. And when they did, He multiplied what little they had and fed everyone.
The same Lord is still at work in our lives.
The question for us is simple: are we resisting what God is trying to do — and the way He is doing it — or are we cooperating with Him? When something truly comes from God, even overwhelming obstacles cannot stand in His way. Our task is to recognize His voice, trust His guidance, and follow where He leads.
God bless you.