Liturgy Preparation - Association Of Catholic Priests

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26 April 2026 – 4th Sunday of Easter, (A)
April 26 2026
Joe O'Leary
The prophetic books of the OT are full of warning against false prophets. Jesus warns against fake messiahs. This is a topic that is very timely now that AI is spewing misinformation and deepfake videos all the time. How to we practice discernment? What are the criteria to check true from false? People will tell you, ‘There he is!’ or ‘Here he is!’ Do not go running off after them." (Luke 17:23) “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many" (Matthew 24:4-5) Today's gospel, from John 10, is likewise primarily concerned with warnings against false shepherds, and with the criteria for identifying them: “anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep." Then: "I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture." From the start the church was surrounded by fake cults, all freely exploiting the name of Christ and inventing fantastic tales. Finding criteria by which the true teaching could be recognized was no easy task. Apostolic authority, the rule of faith, the canon of scripture, all of these may sound like fussy ecclesiastical issues, but they were really urgent responses to an existential threat. Today misinformation is rife and is not longer a joke -- it is an existential threat. Outlandish conspiracy theories are rife on the internet, and one involving UFOs has been taken up by the White House (as The Guardian reports). Many people's minds are corrupted by a diet of conspiracy theories, and the internet feeds on people's paranoia and other pathologies Copilot, the AI service, declared to me many times that there is no such person as Pope Leo XIV. Finally I got it to admit the truth, and asked it to admit it was a public danger, because of spreading such misinformation. It said, no, because it does not make real-life decisions but leaves things to the user's judgment, and its mistakes will be readily corrected. But to correct such a basic error proved really difficult. I wonder how many people have died because of AI misinformation, for instance if they ask for health advice. But who would be so naive as to follow Copilot instead of consulting a real doctor? Many people, especially if they cannot afford a doctor. The Franco-Prussian war was sparked by a telegram (or so we were told in school). AI plays a role in the disinformation that is a major weapon in modern warfare. This could be a suitable topic for a sermon this morning, April 26.
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Vatican News: Pope Leo – Day Ten in Africa: Dancing in the rain in Bata
April 23 2026
M G-B
"Dancing in the Rain." The spirituality of the "dance" struck me. We have been invited to join in the dance by many Christian writers and Theologians. Thomas Merton says he joined the general dance with his conversion. Merton cautions that we can miss "the joy of the dance" when we take ourselves too seriously. C.S.Lewis believes that the purpose of being a Christian is to take our place in "the dance of the Trinity". G.K Chesterton described "the dance" as central to Christianity. He linked seriousness with pride. Richard Rohr believes that "God is the dance." Sydney Carter put this idea to music in his song "Lord of the Dance." Recently a young person drew my attention to the video of the dancing at Shane MacGowan's funeral in 2023. We were both awe struck.
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Vatican News: On the Return Flight to Rome – Pope: As a pastor, I cannot be in favour of war; too many innocents have died
April 23 2026
Joe O'Leary
James Martin speaks of Pope Leo just as his fans (myself included) spoke of Archbishop Rowan Williams back in 2003. The pope seems to be in the same spot as the archbishop was then, haunted by the danger of schism (which according to the Huguenot theologian Jurieu is "for a Christian, the greatest of tragedies and the greatest of crimes") and bullied by African prelates who like to play the schism card. Fr Martin is delighted with his friendship with Pope Leo (formed during the two synod sessions where they worked together) and with the encouragement Leo gave to his group Outreach in a private audience of last September. I imagine that Leo would also value the friendship and support of Fr Martin, who carries the blessing of his association with Pope Francis. For the agonies the Anglican Communion went through over the "presenting issue" of accepting gays (as previously over ordaining women, another issue of which Pope Leo could say that it causes "more disunity than unity") the archive of the website Thinking Anglicans would provide a lot of instruction. Rowan Williams memorably tried to make the 2008 Lambeth Conference into a dialogal encounter by using Indaba, the Zulu/Xhosa method of communal problem-solving, to replace formal debates and voting with deep, listening‑based small‑group conversations. LGBT-friendly Americans hated the feeling that the lives and loves of human beings were being dealt with as pawns in a church-political game, and some Catholics now may have the same feeling about how synodality has worked out. Both Archbishop Williams and Pope Leo indicated a temporary status to decisions about same-sex policies, as in the word "today" in the following line from the papal interview: "To go beyond that today, I think that the topic can cause more disunity than unity." Again, this seems a cop-out to those for whom the "issues" are pressing.
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26 April 2026 – 4th Sunday of Easter, (A)
April 26 2026
Thara Benedicta
Key Message: Are you in the hands of your good shepherd? Homily: Testimony: "Me and my friend often go for walk. I am a satisfied person, so I do know have any complaints. I live happily with my family, in my one-bedroom house. My friend talks so much about her insufficiency, though she owns a big three-storey bungalow. I really wondered what kept her so unhappy all the time. So much that at the end of the walk, I would return home completely drained out, hearing her complaints. When I was reading through the Bible verse 'The thief came to steal and Jesus came to give life abundantly,' I understood the real reason. The thief, the devil is stealing all her joy through her thoughts, and Jesus is showering me with peace, again through my thoughts." Have you ever wondered … why do some people live such a useful, meaningful life … while others struggle and feel like they accomplish very little? And maybe deep inside you are asking: “Lord … how do I live the life You have planned for me?” “How do I accomplish what You created me for?” Our Jesus Christ gives us the answer, through today's Gospel: “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” Let us understand this clearly. Abundant life is not just a materialistic life, like more money or success. We have seen people with everything … still empty but people with less … still joyful and impactful. In a manger, St. Joseph and Mamma Mary did not have any material blessings, but they had abundant overflowing life in them. They were aware that they were fulfilling the will of God. So their hearts did not crave for anything more. They lived their lives with satisfied hearts. All that matters is our relationship with our Jesus. When we are close with our Lord Jesus, abundant life will flow from us too. Our Lord Jesus calls you, “You are My sheep.” Now think about this beautiful image. When a sheep belongs to the shepherd, the shepherd takes responsibility for the sheep. So if you feel that you are wandering away from His presence, you can go back to His presence. When you become part of Jesus’s flock, when He sees you tired, or weak, He carries you. Are you trying to do everything alone? Or are you saying, "Lord, I cannot do this without You”? Don't wander alone. Realise that there is your Jesus waiting for you, to carry you on His shoulders. Our Lord Jesus also warns us in today's Gospel, “The thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy.” Our enemy, the devil, tries to steal our life through negative thinking, fear and anxiety, distraction, comparison and any sin that slowly pulls us away He does not attack loudly. He slowly drains your purpose. Practical tips: 1. Stay connected to Jesus daily. Start with 10 minutes. Even before you lift your head from the pillow, talk with Him. The Bible says in Psalm 121:3-4, that God watches you even while sleeping, without Him sleeping. Let's think about it. Every night our Father watches over us continuously while sleeping, but in the morning we forget Him. As soon as we get up, we start worrying.Let us give our sweet smile to our Father, or talk with Him as soon as we wake up. As we all know, relationships grow when we invest time. Can we invest time in our most important relationship? 2. Stop trying to do everything alone. Do it together with Jesus. Instead of saying: “I will manage", say, "Jesus, help me in this.” 3. Trust Him even when you do not understand. You may not see the full picture but the Shepherd knows the path. 4. Be sensitive to the little voice. Listen to that gentle inner voice: “Do this”, “Avoid this”, “Be patient”. This is the voice of your Good Shepherd. 5. Recognise that the negative thoughts are from the enemy. The enemy did not even spare Jesus. He tested our Lord in the desert. So be sure that you will be tested by him. He is not going to give you a red carpet welcome when you try to do something good. So be aware that he is planning to walk through your own thoughts, or through your family or through your well wishes. They will not even know that the enemy is using them to hinder your progress. So do not be angry at them. Pray for them and stay focussed in your beautiful agenda for your life. Let Jesus carry you when you are overwhelmed. Do not quit. Just ask our Jesus, "Lord, carry me.”
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26 April 2026 – 4th Sunday of Easter, (A)

Vatican News: Pope Leo – Day Ten in Africa: Dancing in the rain in Bata

Vatican News: On the Return Flight to Rome – Pope: As a pastor, I cannot be in favour of war; too many innocents have died

26 April 2026 – 4th Sunday of Easter, (A)