Hearing The Word

A weekly newsletter delivering context and insight into the Sunday Gospels.

April 26, 2026

Fifth Sunday of Easter

John 14:1-12

Jesus said to his disciples:

"Do not let your hearts be troubled.

You have faith in God; have faith also in me.

In my Father's house there are many dwelling places.

If there were not,

would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?

And if I go and prepare a place for you,

I will come back again and take you to myself,

so that where I am you also may be.

Where I am going you know the way."

Thomas said to him,

"Master, we do not know where you are going;

how can we know the way?"

Jesus said to him, I am the way and the truth and the life.

No one comes to the Father except through me.

If you know me, then you will also know my Father.

From now on you do know him and have seen him."

Philip said to him,

"Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us."

Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you for so long a time

and you still do not know me, Philip?

Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.

How can you say, 'Show us the Father'?

Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?

The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own.

The Father who dwells in me is doing his works.

Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me,

or else, believe because of the works themselves.

Amen, amen, I say to you,

whoever believes in me will do the works that I do,

and will do greater ones than these,

because I am going to the Father."

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Where the Way, the Truth, and the Life Remain With Us

Rev. Christopher C. Moriconi, S.S.L., S.T.D.

Saint Margaret + Narbeth, PA

Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life’” (John 14:6). What exactly is the relationship among these three nouns? In general, the Greek Fathers held that the way and the truth lead to life, whereas the Latin Fathers, including Augustine, understood that the way leads to life and truth. There is a certain primacy of the “way” in this passage. For example, Jesus says, “Where I am going you know the way” (John 14:4), Thomas questions, “How can we know the way?” (John 14:5), and Jesus answers, “No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). The way is the main idea, while the truth and the life clarify its meaning. In other words, Jesus is the way because he is the truth and the life. When the phrases “the way,” “the truth,” and “the life” are connected by “and,” the kai between the first and second is epexegetical or explanatory and allows for the translation: “I am the way, that is, the truth and the life.”


Affirming that Jesus is the way does not diminish the significance of the second and third terms, as they clarify precisely how Jesus embodies the way. He is the way because he is the truth, the revelation of God, and because the life of God abides in him. Because Jesus is the way, he guides us to the Father’s house, shows us the purpose of life, and makes entry possible.

Why do we not follow the way? Perhaps because “the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit” (Gal 5:17) and we “do not do what [we] want, but [we] do the very thing [we] hate” (Rom 7:15). But as Augustine reminds us, “It is better to limp along on the right path than to walk confidently on the wrong one” (De Verbis Domini, Sermon 54).

Finding the Way is Easy

~Cheryl Rodgers

Saint Patrick Catholic Church + Norristown, Pa.

When I was a sports writer for The Times Herald newspaper, whenever I was assigned to cover a game at a high school I wasn’t familiar with, I’d tack on 30 minutes for “get-lost time” to my travel time because, yes, I always got lost. This was before the wonderful invention of GPS.

Getting lost to an assignment was about as stressful as my job got – even beating out the stress of making deadlines. Getting lost, and not knowing how to get to where I needed to be was a recurring fear of mine for many reasons. I didn’t want to be late for the game I was covering, I wasn’t sure if I was in a dicey neighborhood, or what I would do if my car broke down. Too many variables that left me wondering and fearful.

In this week’s Gospel, the apostles faced similar issues – not knowing the way. And Jesus, in a perfect response to their questions and concerns, said “I am the way and the truth and the life.”

A short but impactful statement. Because knowing where to go in life and how to get there comes down to one simple thing – trust in Jesus and God’s plans for us.

The Gospel continues with Philip questioning Jesus about the Father, and he asks Jesus, basically, to show proof of the Father. "Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us."

And Jesus says, “Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?”

Again, we come back to trust.

Placing our trust in Jesus, having confidence in the directions He gives us and knowing that He will show us the way, take away the fear, the anxiety and the stress that daily life can sometimes produce. A simple “Jesus I trust in You” can do a world of good in lessening anxiety and stress.

I no longer add “get-lost-time” now when I’m driving to unfamiliar places – that’s thanks to my Google maps app and GPS.



And I no longer stress about where I’m going or how I’m getting there, that’s because I truly believe Jesus is “the way and the truth and the life.”