5th Sunday of Easter – Year A

Fr. Mark Gatto

Preached: May 3, 2026

“Do not let your hearts be troubled.”  In John’s Gospel we hear Jesus speaking these words heard by the early church.  Today you and I need to hear those words of Jesus spoken to us just as much as they did.  When I look out at all of you, I am sure that many of you have hearts that are troubled, for many different reasons.

Some are grieving, some are lonely, some are fearful about the future, some are struggling with faith, some dealing with sickness.  Some are troubled by what they see happening in the world, some with the images of war, some with the news of violence.  Some are troubled by the reality of death.  Some are troubled by broken relationships.  Some of us are perhaps troubled by several of these things that I have mentioned.

Jesus speaks to the heart of each of you, to each of us, “Do not let your hearts be troubled.”  Jesus does not want us to give in to fear, does not want us to become discouraged, does not want us to live in the darkness of a troubled heart.

When our hearts are troubled, when we are fearful, when we are discouraged, we make poor decisions, we take wrong paths in our lives.

In extreme cases we might resort to violence as a false solution for our troubled heart.  In some cases we might embrace addictions to deal with our troubled heart.  Some might make decisions that are immoral or unethical because we do not feel it matters.

Sometimes a whole society will be influenced by troubled hearts often leading us to create scape goats.  In the 1930’s, the Nazis used the Jews as scape goats.  At times, a society or politicians will use other groups or minorities as scape goats.  Often the poor, criminals, immigrants or refugees.  Our troubled heart looks for someone to blame.

Where do we need to turn instead when faced with our troubled hearts?  To Jesus.  In Jesus we find true healing and peace for our troubled hearts.  Not by attacking some person or group, not by trying to satisfy our hearts by something finite and temporary in this world.  As St. Augustine famously said, “our hearts are restless until they rest in you, O God.”

Turn to Jesus, in prayer, in sacraments.  Each day sit quietly just being with Jesus.  There you will find peace for your troubled heart.  Only in the Living God will you find peace for your troubled heart.  It is in Jesus that your heart will not become hard, will not look for someone to blame, will not try to satisfy it with some addiction or by distractions.  Only through Jesus you will see beyond suffering and death to life eternal.

Just as 2000 years ago in the early church, many had troubled hearts and they needed to hear Jesus speaking, “Do not let your hearts be troubled.”  So, today you and I need to hear Jesus speaking within us, “Do not let your hearts be troubled.”

Take a moment each day, close your eyes and listen to Jesus within you.

Take a moment right now, all of us close our eyes, for a moment of silence, listen within to Jesus speaking to your heart, “Do not let your hearts be troubled.”