Short Homily – Tuesday of the Second Week of Easter (2025)
Memorial of Saint Catherine of Siena
Theme: “Lifted Up to Give Life”
Readings: Acts 4:32–37 | Psalm 93 | John 3:7b–15
Jubilee Year Focus: “Hope Does Not Disappoint” (Romans 5:5)



🌅 Today we celebrate the Memorial of Saint Catherine of Siena, a bold woman of faith who knew that the love of Christ lifts us from fear into courage, from death into life.

In today's Gospel, Jesus reminds us that just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up—that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life.
The Cross is not the end—it is the beginning of true life.

😊 Sometimes we think holiness is for the few or the famous. But Saint Catherine, a young woman with little formal education, became a Doctor of the Church because she said “yes” to God with her whole heart.

You don't need fancy words to be holy—you just need a heart on fire.

📖 In John 3:7b–15, Jesus speaks with Nicodemus, explaining that salvation comes through being born again from above—and through His being "lifted up" on the cross.

Belief in Jesus is not simply knowing about Him.
It is entrusting your whole life into the hands of the One who loved you to the end.

In Acts 4, the early Christian community lives this trust boldly:

“They were of one heart and mind.”
They shared everything so that no one among them was in need.
Resurrection faith leads to resurrection living—generosity, unity, and courage.

Psalm 93 reminds us that the Lord reigns with majesty and strength—the world is firmly established and cannot be moved.
Our hope is not built on shifting sands, but on the rock of Christ.

✝️ In the Eucharist, Jesus is once again "lifted up" before our eyes—not to die again, but to feed us with eternal life.

Every Mass is an invitation to trust again, to be lifted up again, and to be sent out again to love and serve.

❓ Question for Reflection

Am I willing to let Jesus lift me up from the fears, sins, or doubts that still pull me down?
Do I live like someone who believes the resurrection is real?

🛠️ Daily Practical Application

  • Say a prayer of surrender today: "Jesus, I trust in You."

  • Help lift someone else up—through a kind word, a listening ear, or a small act of mercy.

  • Be courageous in standing for what is right, even if you stand alone.

💔 Saint Catherine lived through times of war, plague, and corruption in the Church—yet she still spoke boldly of God's mercy and truth.

Whatever you face today, God has not abandoned you.
The same Lord who raised Catherine to greatness is lifting you, too.

🕊️ What Can I Do During the Jubilee Year?

  • Be a peacemaker in your family or community.

  • Spend more time in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament.

  • Take courage to be a voice of hope and reconciliation.

🇿🇦 South Africa, like Saint Catherine’s Italy, faces challenges—division, injustice, need for renewal. We need voices that are not afraid to speak truth with love.

Be that voice. Be that hope.
Let your life say: Jesus is risen—and so am I.

💬 Inspiration Quote

"Be who God meant you to be, and you will set the world on fire."
– Saint Catherine of Siena

🧭 As Pilgrims of Hope, we are called not to be spectators but to be witnesses—to lift others as Christ has lifted us.

With Saint Catherine as our model, let's dare to live boldly for Christ.

🙏 Lord Jesus,

You were lifted up so that I might have life.
Lift my heart above fear and doubt today.
Through the example and prayers of Saint Catherine,
make me a courageous witness of Your mercy.
In this Jubilee Year,
may my life set hearts ablaze with hope.
Amen. 🌿

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