Father Rick’s Two-Minute Homily for Saturday in the Octave of Easter

April 11, 2026, Mark 16:9-15

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/041126.cfm

Stuck. I Can’t Move. Grab a Hand. 

I moved from Illinois to Florida in 1989. I have only been back to Illinois once, in the winter. I don’t miss driving on icy, slippery roads and getting stuck in the snow. The tires just spin in that rut.
After the resurrection, the 11 disciples experienced a remarkable event. Mary Magdalene and the two travelers on the Road to Emmaus saw Jesus alive again. Filled with joy, they hurried to share the incredible news with the mourning disciples. Imagine their excitement: “He’s alive, risen, He’s not dead anymore!” Sadly, the disciples were stuck in “their snow”. So, they refused to believe the witnesses’ stories.
Being stuck is no fun for us or anyone else. Unfortunately, it can become a way of life. The rut only grows deeper in our hearts and can lead to self-pity, where all the focus is on ourselves. Notice that it took Jesus appearing to them a few times and rebuking them for not believing the witnesses.
God never forgets the good heart He created in us when we were conceived in this world. He made us His son or daughter when we were baptized in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. God is waiting for us to believe, despite all we have gone through in this world.

Gospel Challenge:
Are you in a rut now? Who is reaching down to lift you from your sorrow? Jesus appears to us in many ways. Watch for Him and believe.

Love Your Neighbor!

Fr. Rick Pilger, IC
www.bscchurch.com
www.rosminians.com