5th Sunday of Easter A
128th Maryland State Knights of Columbus Convention
St. John Neumann, Annapolis, Maryland
May 2, 2026
I. Solid Foundations
It is always a special joy and pleasure
to join with you, the family of the Knights of Columbus, in my home state.
Our gathering gives me an opportunity to thank and encourage you
for the many ways you serve the Church and the wider community,
and for integrating the principles of the Order
in your homes, your families, and your hearts.
Inspired by the teaching and example of Blessed Michael McGiveny,
we are cooperating with the Lord who enables us
to build our lives on the solid foundations of unity, fraternity, and charity.
It is the work of a lifetime and tonight’s readings show us the way . . .
II. Charity Is Foundational
A. . . . beginning with the reading from the Acts of the Apostles.
Here we find the Apostles, filled with the Holy Spirit, building up the Church.
We read that “the number of disciples continued to grow.”
But such growth was accompanied by tension.
Greek speaking disciples complained to the Apostles
that their widows were not being cared for.
The Apostles didn’t let the complaint fester.
They called the community together in prayerful discussion.
It was then decided that the Apostles would have new co-workers,
namely, the first deacons, to assist in the Church’s charitable works.
B. Notice that the Apostles were building up the Church day by day.
They were preaching the Gospel boldly & winning many new converts to Christ.
But notice also that charity was an essential part of the Church’s life.
It was unthinkable to leave anyone in need of basic necessities.
Yes, from the start, charity was at the heart of the Church’ mission.
C. Something comparable happened in the late 19th century.
A zealous young parish priest in New Haven realized
that widows and orphans in his parish were not getting the care they needed.
Many others were being neglected – “the needy and the outcast”.
That is one of principal reasons Fr. McGivney started the Knights –
to raise up co-workers in helping to provide for those in need.
He realized that the Church could not be built up if charity was neglected.
And we, the family of the Knights of Columbus, are heirs to his wisdom.
Charity – love of God and neighbor – especially those in need – is foundational
to our lives as Catholics and as members of the Order.
III. Built Together on Christ, the Sure Foundation
A. In the second reading, St. Peter continues the theme of being built up.
He urges us to build our lives on Christ,
“a living stone, rejected by human beings,
but chosen and precious in the sight of God.”
In Christ, each of us is a living stone in God’s household.
None of us stands alone.
One stone rests upon the another.
All the stones are necessary.
Christ, the Master-builder, brings us together, fits us together, calling us to be
“a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own.”
B. Notice that we are being built up together in Christ.
We belong to Christ and in belonging to Christ, we belong to one another.
We depend on one another, support one another,
complement the gifts and talents of one another,
and together, out of many living stones there emerges
the unified and beautiful vision – Christ, united to his people,
a people who announce with joy
how Christ called them from darkness to light.
Does this not remind you of our principles of unity and fraternity?
After all, none of us is as good as all of us.
Together we can accomplish far more than we can individually.
That is why we stick together and support and encourage one another.
So too, we stand in solidarity, unity, with one another,
and in our unity, we make common cause the needy and the outcast,
as well as with those who suffer spiritual poverty in our culture.
IV. Built to Last
A. Finally, in the Gospel Jesus invites us to place our trust in him.
When our hearts are troubled, when life is uncertain,
let us know that the Lord is working in us,
that Jesus remains “the way, the truth, and the life”,
and that Jesus is preparing for us a permanent dwelling place in heaven.
In a world often based on deceptive images and flimsy promises,
the Lord is building us up into a house that is built to last.
B. After more than 140 years, we can see
that the Knights of Columbus was built to last.
It is growing in membership, in the depth of its spirituality,
and in the breadth of its charity.
It is reaching young men and their families as never before.
While only the Lord’s Word and works are eternal,
surely the Knights of Columbus has an important place
in God’s design for his Church and for our lives.
Membership in the Knights helps ensure our security,
both in this world and in the next.
C. My prayer and yours is that more and more young men and families
will be attracted to the Knights of Columbus,
will discover in our principles the way to live their faith in Christ,
and will join us ‘in announcing the praises of the God
who has called us out of darkness into his own wonderful light!’
Vivat Jesus!