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In the Gospel, Jesus promises to give us the power to speak new languages. But out of every language on this planet, which one is the most important?

After all, there is one language we all must speak.

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The language of love.

Love is what drives out the demon of hatred; the demons of pride and prejudice; the demons of jealousy, envy and greed. 

As it’s written elsewhere, “Love covers a multitude of sins.”

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Fortunately, there’s more than one way to speak this language of love. Some say there are five primary ways.

We express love through words of affirmation; through acts of service; by offering gifts; by spending quality time with others; and through physical touch.

So how do I speak this language of love?

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Maybe I prepare a home cooked meal for my family each night; an act of service. 

Maybe I insist on telling my family I love them before ending a phone call; words of affirmation.

Maybe I show my love by offering a hug; physical touch.

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There is one language we all must speak, the language of love. However you say it, make sure you say it today.

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One of my favorite hobbies used to be cooking. I’d have the chance to be creative every so often.

But due to social distancing, I’ve cooked everyday…for the last five weeks. What was once a hobby has started to feel like a chore.

God bless all those working moms and dads who come home after a long day’s work to prepare dinner for their kids. It’s a lot of work.

How I wish I could go back in time and thank my own mother for all the cooking she did for me. 

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One of the interesting things I find with recipes is the fact that nearly every one of them calls for a pinch of salt.

Not a gallon. But a pinch. A little salt goes a long way.

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In the Gospel, a large crowd of people are following Jesus. And like all of us at the end of a long day, they’re hungry. Somebody needs to feed them. 

So Jesus turns to Philip and Andrew asking, “Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?”

“There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what good are these for so many?” Andrew says.

Nobody considered this poor boy’s feelings. Does he want to offer his food? Thankfully Andrew doesn’t think it’s worth much anyways. 

What this boy has to offer, it seems, is simply not enough.

Yet Jesus takes these five loaves and two fish and multiplies them until everyone is satisfied.

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How often we feel like this little boy. What we have to offer doesn’t seem to be enough. Whether we’re short on money, energy, or time.

But Jesus shows us that even the smallest offering can make a world of difference, much like a pinch of salt.

A weekly offering at church; a phone call to a friend; a sincere prayer; picking up groceries for a neighbor. 

These small acts of love go a long way, especially while everyone feels stressed and cooped up at home.

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A pinch of salt doesn’t seem like much. Nor do five loaves and two fish. But Jesus makes a little go a long way.

The same is true with love. Just a pinch of it makes a world of difference.

How, then, might we offer a pinch of love to a neighbor, a spouse, or a friend today? 

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Throughout the Easter season, our first reading often comes from the Acts of the Apostles, offering us a glimpse into the early life of the Church.

Acts answers questions like:

How did the the Apostles react to news of the resurrection?

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Remember, while Jesus is being crucified, most of them run away and hide.

They remained hidden until the Risen Lord appears to them inside a locked room in Jerusalem, transforming their grief into belief.

In fact, their sudden reverse in behavior becomes one of the first arguments for proof of the resurrection.

How else do you reconcile the fact that these men were cowering in fear one day, then boldly preaching in public the next?

They saw the Risen Lord. Jesus wasn’t a ghost. He was real. He was alive again. 

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The faith of the Apostles, which we see so clearly in the Book of Acts, is meant to teach us  how to live out our own faith. Allow me to offer just two examples.

First, they had courage.

They risked their lives preaching about Jesus. Even a good flogging couldn’t stop them. 

Jesus was alive. No amount of suffering would stop them from sharing this. They were determined to tell the world. 

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Secondly, they knew their destiny.

So many of these first Christians experienced persecution, separation from their families, and untimely deaths.

But they weren’t afraid; they believed that strongly in the resurrection.

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I wonder if that faith has been watered down at all today. After being handed on for nearly 100 generations, do we have the same faith and courage of the Apostles? 

Or have we lost some fire in our bellies?

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I don’t mean to compare ourselves to them in a negative sense. Rather, the opposite.

These first Christians didn’t let anything disturb them because they knew that heaven was just around the corner.

Jesus had been raised from the dead. And so would they be, so long as they remained faithful.

Perhaps this current state of affairs reminds us of how important our faith is. The Coronavirus is scary, yes. Along with numerous other things that threaten our health, like cancer.

But the Apostles remind us that all is well that ends well.

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As it’s written in the Letter to the Hebrews: “Jesus Christ is the same; yesterday, today, and forever.”

So should the Church be.

Whether we’re first generation Christians, the 100th generation, or the 1,000th generation, our faith should never change.

Jesus Christ conquered death. And, thankfully, so shall we.