As hundreds of LGBTQ Catholics, family members, clergy and allies gather at Georgetown University this weekend for Outreach 2026: Walking Side-by-Side, the Gospel for this Sunday offers a serendipitously perfect message for our community:
“Do not be afraid.”
Twice in this Gospel, Jesus tells his disciples not to fear. He does this, knowing what they are about to face. He knows that following him will often bring persecution and rejection to his followers. But still, he calls them to live with courage because their community is rooted in the love of God.
I think for many people arriving at this conference, Jesus’ words may resonate deep in our hearts.
Many of us come filled with excitement, but carrying questions about our place in the church. We arrive this weekend hoping to meet others who share our experiences. Others of us come looking for solace when handling difficult encounters in families, parishes or faith communities. Often, we have heard many come to be reminded that they are not alone.
Into all of these hopes and dreams and worries and anxieties, Jesus speaks:
“Do not be afraid.”
My favorite part of this Gospel is when Jesus points to the sparrows. Sparrows are these small creatures, easily overlooked by everyone (except perhaps my dog). Yet, as Jesus tells us, not one of them falls to the ground without God’s notice. How much more, then, does God care for each one of us?
It is a pretty astonishing thought. Nothing about our lives escapes God’s loving gaze. Before anyone else knows our story, God knows it. That truth lies at the heart of the Christian life. God’s knowledge of us is never superficial. God does not love an idealized version of who we are. God loves the real person. We do not need to earn that love. We need only receive it.
Perhaps that is why the story of Emmaus, the inspiration for this weekend’s theme Walking Side-by-Side has resonated so deeply with me and with so many Catholics. The two disciples are not portrayed as paragons of certainty. They are simply walking together, carrying their questions and disappointments. They are grieving, confused and trying to make sense of their experience. And it is there, on the road, that Jesus draws near, listening before he teaches. He accompanies before he reveals himself. Their hearts begin to burn because they discover that Christ has been walking beside them all along.
In many ways, that is our hope for this weekend.
Gatherings like this matter because they remind us that none of us journeys alone. We come together to pray, to listen, to learn and to walk side-by-side. Like the disciples on the road to Emmaus, we gather not because we have everything figured out, but because we trust that Christ meets us on the journey and reveals himself through Scripture, prayer, friendship and the breaking of bread.
As Outreach celebrates five years of ministry, I’ve been reflecting on a favorite prayer from Jewish tradition:
Days pass and years vanish
and we walk sightless among miracles.
Lord, fill our eyes with seeing and our minds with knowing.
Let there be moments when your Presence,
like lightning,
illuminates the darkness in which we walk.
Help us see,
wherever we gaze,
that the bush burns unconsumed.
