How can we know the way? Fifth Sunday of Easter (A) 

As we gradually move into the Easter season, the Gospel readings begin to direct our gaze toward the feast of the Ascension and Pentecost. We see Christ preparing his disciples for his departure and promising the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit who will guide the Church.

In today's Gospel, Jesus has just spoken of his departure. He perceives the anxiety of his disciples and says to them: “I am going to go away.“Let not your heart be troubled, believe in God and believe also in me.”. He talks about leaving and coming back, precisely to be with them in a definitive way: “I will come back and take you with me, so that where I am you may be also.”. Jesus wants us to be where He is. That is the deepest meaning of salvation: communion with Him and, through Him, with the Father. He goes before us to prepare a place for us. But it is Thomas who gives voice to a restless heart: “...".“Lord, we don't know where you are going, how can we know the way?".

In this time of departure and return, we are reminded of where Christ remains with his Father. This mystery is made concrete in the life of the Church. Christ remains present in his Church. In the Church we find Christ, who is “the Father".“the way, the truth and the life”He leads us to the Father, the source and summit of our existence and the path of life.

The second reading, taken from the first letter of Peter, describes the Church as a living temple built on Christ, the “...".“living stone”. He is the cornerstone, the one who holds everything together. But he is also the stone that some reject, the stone on which some stumble. The Church, built on him and made up of “....“living stones”participates in this same mystery.

The first reading, from the Acts of the Apostles, shows us this reality in action. The first Christian community experienced tensions: the Greek-speakers complained against the Hebrew-speakers because their widows were neglected in the daily service. Cultural diversity caused misunderstandings and divisions. However, since the Church was built on Christ, a solution was found. The Apostles discerned, delegated responsibilities and thus preserved the unity of the Church. Human weakness did not destroy the Church. 

This is the Church to which we belong: a diverse reality, united in Christ, in which each one of us is a “...".“living stone”. As living members of the Church, the apostle Peter calls us to “a chosen lineage, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession.”. This is our dignity and also a gift. At the same time, we have the mission to proclaim the wonders of Christ. We are called to be faithful to this gift that God has given to the Church and not to allow our human limitations to destroy it.

Thus, Thomas' question becomes ours as well: «how can we know the way?» We know the way by abiding in Christ. We remain in Christ by remaining in his Church as living stones. The way to the Father is not a map, but a living person, a living reality.