Friday in the Octave of Easter

1. Lectio

Jesus said to them,
“Come, have breakfast.”

No thunder.
No sermon.
No grand declaration.

Just—
breakfast.

After the Resurrection,
after the empty tomb,
after the fear and the running and the wondering—

He cooks.

Fish on a charcoal fire.
Bread already prepared.

And He invites them
not to understand—
but to eat.

2. Meditatio

I have to admit—
breakfast is my favorite meal.

And here at The Glenn,
the most celebrated meal of the week
is Sunday morning breakfast.

Or brunch, if we are feeling refined—
which we usually are not.

Instead of fish on a charcoal fire,
we have bacon on the griddle,
and French toast sizzling in butter.

Coffee poured generously.
Plates filled quickly.
Conversation even quicker.

And yet—
the Lord is present all the same.

There is something about breakfast
that disarms the soul.

It is not formal.
It is not demanding.

It meets you
where you are—

often half-awake,
slightly disheveled,
and not yet pretending
to be anything impressive.

And I begin to see
why the Risen Christ chose this moment.

Because after failure—
after Peter’s denial,
after the disciples’ confusion—

what they needed most
was not explanation.

It was restoration.

And restoration, it seems,
begins not with a lecture—
but with a meal.

I find it no coincidence
that one of the most effective ministries
in the Church
is donuts and coffee.

Or breakfast after Mass.

We might pretend
it is a small thing—
a social courtesy,
a minor convenience—

but in truth,
it is profoundly theological.

Because it echoes the beach.

“Come, have breakfast.”

The Last Supper
was solemn,
heavy with meaning,
laden with mystery.

But this—
this is simple.

And perhaps that is the point.

For what could be the proper follow-up
to the Last Supper
but a meal that says:

“You are still welcome here.”

3. Contemplatio (Chestertonian Synthesis)

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Chesterton might say that modern man is forever searching for meaning
in the extraordinary,
while overlooking the miracle of the ordinary.

We expect the Risen Christ
to appear in glory—
and He does.

But He also appears
with a frying pan.

The God who conquered death
is not too grand
to cook breakfast.

And this is the great scandal—
and the great comfort—
of Christianity:

That the divine does not merely descend
into the dramatic,
but into the domestic.

The resurrection does not abolish the ordinary—
it sanctifies it.

So that bacon on a griddle
and fish on a fire
become, in their own way,
sacraments of presence.

And thus,
the holiest invitation in the Gospel
may also be the simplest:

“Come, eat.”

4. Oratio

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

The social dimensions of global change include the effects of technological innovations on employment, social exclusion, an inequitable distribution and consumption of energy and other services, social breakdown, increased violence and a rise in new forms of social aggression, drug trafficking, growing drug use by young people, and the loss of identity.

Laudato si’ §46

Community is built
in shared, simple encounters.

Today, I will:

• Share a meal or coffee with someone intentionally.
• Practice hospitality in a small but meaningful way.
• Walk synodally—recognizing that communion often begins at the table.

For the Church is not only gathered—
it is fed.

6. Song Pairing 🎵

🎶 “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” – Deep Blue Something🎵

7. Movie Pairing 🎬

🎬Movie: “Unfrosted” (2024)

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