MAY 5, 2026 DEACON ROBERT KINGHORN
Well, as you probably know, the word gospel means good news. The good news of the Christian message that comes to us for the death and resurrection of Jesus. No, there’s competition for people finding the truth in the world these days. Many people, if you want to find out truth, they go to AI, don’t they? Where do we go?
We go to JC. Jesus the Christ, the word of God. This is where truth is in the world. So today, as I say, gospel means good news. But some days when you read the listen to the readings, does it sound like very good news? Does it? We heard that. But the disciples been persecuted and all of the anger that was against them.
But we always have to remember that Christ came to earth to make us great, great witnesses to the power of God through the Holy Spirit, great witnesses by our own actions, our own actions, that God loves each person in the world. No exception. God loves us. This is one of the great messages I think we can bring out to the world these days, where people are being put down and spoken about in a bad way.
We could say, But God loves you and I love you as well, to help them realize who they are in the eyes of God. And in first reading today, we heard about the acts of the apostles, and that didn’t sound like very good news, did it? Paul was stoned and left for dead and had to drag him into the city again.
So he keeps things to myself. If that’s the good news. I’m not sure what the bad news is in this, but the people listen to the disciples. When Paul went right back into speak to them again when she recovered, and he kept on with that same message. Jesus Christ is the one. So this is, I think, our message as well.
No matter what happens to us in our life, things happen. It don’t look as though it might be the work of God. And yet we trust in that Jesus Christ that he will be with us in everything in life, no matter what’s going on. You know, people’s lives were changed as they saw the faithfulness of to Jesus of his disciples.
This was a witness of these early disciples. Even though they were beaten and put down. They still came back because we followed Jesus and he can’t stop us. So this is a good news that we hear that that same Jesus is with us as we go out into the world to minister with people. And then, of course, in the gospel would just have the Last Supper.
We know it so well. Jesus knew he is good today. He was preparing the disciples for that. And he said, I’m going to be leaving you just now. Before they did, though, he said that great acts of service, he dressed as a servant, knelt down and washed the feet of the disciples. What great action that is! We should be like that as well.
Figuratively washing the feet of others, especially the poorest of the poor. The people were told that you mean nothing in life and are put down. We have to tell them, yes, you are a somebody because God loves you and you’re a good person. So I think this really is what we’re talking about today, just the different ways that we minister in life and no matter what comes our way.
I’m a member of a community in Scotland called the community of the Transfiguration, and they’ve got some orders, have rules, they have suggestions. The love of suggestion is a love about. What they’re saying is that remember that what we have to endure in life is as important as what we can do. What a great message. When we’re getting older, maybe problems, the family, whatever is there.
But when we do that and we raise up the Lord, that’s for mercy. It’s just as much as what we can do when we’re younger. So this is good news today. As I say, no matter what happens. The Lord has says to us, as he said to disciples in the reading, peace I leave with you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.
These are the ones of Jesus the Christ. And no artificial intelligence can dream of something like that. Let me tell you a quick story. It will happen. Just last Thursday, I was down the streets as I always go down there, and I got to the area where there’s a lot of drugs. And the main part of the drugs had moved away from that to another area.
I was walking along in this lady was sitting in a doorway trying to later crack pipe. She must have been a bit in her 70s. And I stopped with and I spoke to her and she said, I’ve been married 27 years and I never thought I’d be a crack addict. She said, would you pray for me? So, as I always do, I retired and put my hands on her head.
And I prayed for her. And I said to her, no. You’re a good person. And I blessed her. And she said later on when I was talking to her, just to continue to the discussion, she suddenly stopped me and said, could you tell me again, I’m a good person. I need to hear that. I need to hear that.
