Third Sunday of Easter

April 19, 2026

GOSPEL MEDITATION

When I first read Homer’s Odyssey as a teenager, one scene captured my imagination: Odysseus finally returning home after 20 years, yet no one recognized him. Disguised as a beggar, he speaks with his wife, his son, and even his enemies. He is fully present, yet hidden. Only at the right moment does he reveal himself, and everyone realizes he has been with them all along. I was struck by the mystery that he could be so close to his loved ones, and yet they simply could not identify him.

A similar mystery is at the heart of today’s Gospel. Two disciples walk the road to Emmaus with Jesus, but “their eyes were prevented from recognizing him.” (Luke 24:16) He listens, teaches, and eats with them, yet they remain blind until he breaks the bread. Suddenly their eyes are opened — and at that very moment, he vanishes. His disappearance is not absence. Rather, it is revelation. The Risen Lord is now present in a new way, in the breaking of the bread and in the life of His Church.

Faith is this shift of vision. Instead of searching for a visible Jesus as if he were absent, we learn to recognize him unveiled in hidden ways — in Scripture proclaimed, in the Eucharist, in the sacraments, in the very life of the Church. And what is true of him is true of us. Just as he disappears into the mission of his Body, we too are meant to be hidden in him. When we live hidden in Christ, we are seen for who we really are.
- Father John Muir

PRO-LIFE CORNER

“Nothing we do to defend the human person, no matter how small, is ever unfruitful or forgotten. Our actions touch other lives and move other hearts in ways we can never fully understand in this world. Don’t ever underestimate the beauty and power of the witness you give in your pro-life work.”
- Archbishop Charles Chaput Archbishop of Philadelphia, April 8, 2011

EVERYDAY STEWARDSHIP

Today’s readings focus on a theme of ‘sojourning.’ As Christian stewards, we know that our lives are a sojourn toward the ultimate destination of heaven. Our second reading instructs us to “conduct yourselves with reverence during the time of your sojourning, realizing that you were ransomed… with the precious blood of Christ.” What a powerful reminder during the Easter season of our ‘why’ for embracing the stewardship way of life – we have been ransomed by our Lord’s saving death and resurrection. Our lives are a gift from Him – as we sojourn through life, we are to make our lives a gift to Him in return.

So, what can we do when we become discouraged - when we need our hearts set on fire once again? We can go to the same sources as the two disciples from our Gospel today on the road to Emmaus – the Scriptures (the living Word of God) and the Eucharist (the very source and summit of our faith). Frequent recourse to these two gifts from our Lord is essential to sustain us in the stewardship way of life.

A FAMILY PERSPECTIVE

In today’s gospel the disciples were returning home so “downcast” they did not recognize Jesus walking with them. In our homes we can be so overwhelmed with responsibilities we don’t see God with us. Today’s gospel tells us to stop and open our eyes to the blessings we are to one another.
- Bud Ozar

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

We are inviting all youth and adults who would like to be trained for service as an altar server, lector or Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, especially for the 12noon mass. Please contact the parish office at 814-943-8553 if you are interested and a training session will be scheduled for you.

Prayer Requests

Kathy Ansman, Mark Blackie, Rod Baronner, Dan Bauer, Dave Bauer, Jack Chilcote, Harry Chirdon, Karen Claar, Brandon Conaway, Shirley Conlon, Denise Conrad, James Conrad, Kathy Corl, William Costlow, Joe DeGennaro Jr., Colette DiMemmo, Margaret Dodson, Tim Dodson, Joan Donnelly, Matthew Dorman, Nate Dorman, Amelia Doughurty, Lois Duncan, Thomas Duncan, Paul Dunmire, Ashley Eagen, Corinda Ermin, Roberta Farabaugh, Herman Frederick, Pat Harpster, Leighton Hess, Lucy Horton, Raymond Kargo, Carol Keagy, Russell Keith, John Kleine, Ruth Lamca, Cyndi Lansberry, Beth Lloyd, Joan Maier, Charles McGrain, Shirley McIntyre, Mason Wayne McManus, Paul Angelo Morelli, Bev Mueller, Bonnie Neal, Jessica Neff, Lee Neff, Kevin O'Rourke, Lucille Parker, Sarah Rihnovich, Nancy Servello, Elizabeth Siglow, Laura Snyder, Bill stauffer, Alex Walter, Margo Wascherl, Joan Weston, Renee Williams, Mikayla Yanchik, Pat Zeak.

If you would like to add a sick or hospitalized person to our prayer list or readd a person, please call the rectory office, at 943-8553. Parishioners of Saint Mary are encouraged and welcome to participate. Remember, you must have the permission of the ill person/family to publish their name.

Sacred Heart Church