Thursday in the Octave of Easter

1. Lectio

“While they were still incredulous for joy…”

A most delightful contradiction.

Not incredulous from doubt—
but incredulous from delight.

So much joy
that belief itself seems almost too small to contain it.

They see Him.
They hear Him.
They touch Him.

And still—
they hesitate.

Not because they do not want to believe,
but because what they are given
is greater than belief has yet learned how to hold.

2. Meditatio

I have known something of this strange condition—
this being incredulous for joy.

Especially in this Centennial Year
in the Diocese of Amarillo.

For the year did not begin in triumph.

It began, rather, in a way that felt
almost unthinkable:

Masses cancelled.

A silence where there should have been proclamation.
An absence where there should have been Presence.

And I remember thinking—
perhaps even saying—

that this was not merely a logistical failure,
but something deeper.

That one does not cancel liturgy lightly
without entering into a kind of contest
one cannot win.

And yet—
the story did not end there.

For we have come now to Easter—
and what do I find?

A Prince of the Church
seated upon our Cathedra.

A moment so unexpected,
so improbable,
that it feels almost out of proportion
to what preceded it.

And more than that—
appointments, movements,
signs of stability
where there had been uncertainty.

And I find myself, quite honestly—

incredulous.

Not skeptical.
Not resistant.

But astonished.

As though the Resurrection
has not merely been proclaimed in the Gospel—
but quietly enacted
in the life of the Church before me.

And then I hear the words
of Cardinal DiNardo echo:

“Let us not allow darkness and fear to distract us…
the Lord is not here, but has risen!”

And I realize—
this is precisely the point.

That resurrection does not remove problems—
it transforms them.

It does not deny darkness—
it illuminates it.

And sometimes,
when that light breaks through
in a place I did not expect—

I am left
joyfully, wonderfully,
incredulous.

3. Contemplatio (Chestertonian Synthesis)

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Chesterton might say that the modern man has grown so accustomed to disappointment
that he now finds hope suspicious.

We are prepared for failure.
We anticipate decline.
We brace ourselves for the worst.

But joy—
true joy—

catches us unprepared.

And so when grace appears—
not in theory,
but in reality—

we hesitate.

We look again.
We question—not out of doubt,
but out of wonder.

For the resurrection is not merely believable—
it is unbelievable
in the best possible sense.

It exceeds expectation.
It overturns probability.
It restores what seemed lost.

And thus, the proper response to Easter
is not a tidy affirmation—

but a kind of holy astonishment.

A willingness to say:

“This is more than I expected—
and therefore, more than I deserve.”

4. Oratio

5. Actio — In Light of Laudato Si’ and Synodality

We see increasing sensitivity to the environment and the need to protect nature, along with a growing concern, both genuine and distressing, for what is happening to our planet.

Laudato si’ §19

Christian hope is not naive optimism,
but a gift that enables us to see beyond present difficulties.

Today, I will:

• Acknowledge one place where I have seen unexpected grace.
• Speak hope into a situation that feels uncertain.
• Walk synodally—trusting that God is at work in the Church even through difficulty.

For communion grows
when we recognize grace together.

6. Song Pairing 🎵

🎶 “Incredible” – Gary Barlow🎵

7. Movie Pairing 🎬

🎬Movie: “Joy” (2015)

My Story

• Bishop Matthiesen, who rode the white horse of public activism even as he brought abusive priests into our diocese such as John Salazar—wounds that still mark us today. I spoke with him often, pleading with him to reconsider his “no regrets” about bringing those priests here…
• Bishop Yanta, who sought to enforce the Dallas Charter even when Bishop Matthiesen resisted him, and who bore the personal and pastoral cost of doing so. I met with Bishop Yanta about Bishop Matthiessen’s “no regrets” stance. He listened. He believed me. He acted where he could. And when he retired, he urged me—quietly but firmly—to keep speaking out.
• Bishop Zurek, who told the Diocese of Amarillo he had “no facts” about the Philadelphia report even as Amarillo’s connection to that tragedy was headline news. When I continued to speak out, as Bishop Yanta had once urged me to do, he later wrote that I was not among the faithful and loyal disciples whom the Lord Jesus desires.
• Bishop Daniel Cardinal DiNardo…

While we recognize your thoughtful suggestion for a renewed dialogue on Bishop Matthiesen, the present circumstances do not present an opportunity for it. I think it would foster division not dialogue. We remain confident in God’s providence and hopeful for what the future may bring.

from a letter dated March 5, 2026