May 3, 2026 Fifth Sunday of Easter

May 3, 2026

Fifth Sunday of Easter

“Satisfaction Guaranteed.” You see it stamped on boxes, printed on receipts, and splashed across storefront windows and websites. It is the promise we crave before we buy. The phrase was part of the consumer lingo-sphere long before Mick Jagger began complaining that he “can’t get no satisfaction.” Today, the concept of guaranteed satisfaction has wandered far beyond Jagger’s personal problems and the shopping malls of America. It is across multiple genres, and a marketing pledge that often means, “Trust us — you won’t be disappointed.”

The expression has its origins in the retail mail order business. Montgomery Ward was probably the first retailer to make this unequivocal and remarkable promise when he founded the first successful general merchandise mail-order business in 1872. His guarantee was a revolutionary and essential marketing tool aimed at building trust. People in rural areas patronized local general stores and were skeptical of buying goods sight unseen from a catalog.

By offering the unconditional promise, “Satisfaction guaranteed or your money back,” Ward reassured customers that they could trust the company and its products, effectively diffusing the risk of buying by mail. This promise of customer satisfaction helped the company become a massive success and set a standard for retail that continues today — although failure to adapt to a changing retail landscape in the end of the 20th century made the company irrelevant.

Today’s Gospel tells us that long before return policies and customer service lines, people were already looking for a guarantee. In the Upper Room, in the hours before the cross, Jesus’ friends reached out for reassurance. Philip finally said what many of us feel but rarely say out loud: “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” In other words, “Give me a money back guarantee, and I will feel better about investing in you.”

John 14 unfolds in the thick of anxiety. Jesus has washed their feet; Judas has slipped out into the night; Peter has been told he will deny his Lord before dawn. It is into this churning atmosphere that Jesus gives the assurances we read in today’s Gospel.

Thomas speaks for the unsure: “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?”

Philip speaks for the unsatisfied: “Show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.”

The voices of Thomas and Philip still live in us. We want a plan that guarantees outcomes. We want satisfaction that can be measured, reviewed, and — if needed — returned within 30 days. The likes of Amazon and Walmart have spoiled us so much in this way that we now expect it in all aspects of life.

But underneath both questions is something deeper and more honest: we want presence. We want to know we are not alone, that our lives are not random and have meaning. And the ultimate reassurance for those of us afflicted with a 30-day return policy mentality is that when all else fails, we know that “there’s an app for that.”

Many in Israel’s story had longed to see God. Moses begged, “Show me your glory.” The prophets spoke of visions and voices. Philip’s request is a cousin of this longing. And Jesus answers with a claim that would be scandalous if it were not true: the clearest, truest vision of the Father is found in the face, words and works of Jesus.

If you want to know what God looks like, look at Jesus. He is stooping to wash feet, healing the broken, forgiving enemies, welcoming outsiders, telling the truth and laying down his life in love.

Does Jesus guarantee satisfaction? Yes, but not the kind we typically seek. He doesn’t promise that every question will be answered as we expect, that every road will be smooth, or that every pain will be quickly remediated. What he does guarantee in this text comes in three guarantees he offers as gifts.

He guarantees an eternal home. He guarantees the gift of divine presence. He guarantees the gift of participation.

In other words, Jesus offers us the gifts of a place, a person and a purpose — satisfaction guaranteed.

The problem is that we too often want control, and unfortunately, that’s not how it works. Like Thomas, we want proof and to know the way and the destination. We want this so we can plan our own route, calculate the time required, and so on.

Lacking that, we would at least ask for a map with mile-markers – well, okay – we want GPS.

But Jesus doesn’t bite. He says, “I am the way.” We want certainty. Jesus offers confidence — a much better offer because certainty is a feeling that fluctuates. Confidence is trust in someone’s character. Your peace rests on who God is, not how you feel at 2 a.m.

Often, we want relief and we want it now! Like most parents, God doesn’t respond well to tantrums. Instead, God offers through Jesus Christ a sustained and ongoing presence. “Let not your hearts be troubled” doesn’t mean “You’ll never be troubled.” It means trouble won’t have the last word because God has your back. The promise is not that God will rubber-stamp our blueprint, but that God will act in ways that reveal a divine goodness.

 So, is satisfaction guaranteed? Yes, just not in the same way the world guarantees it.

It’s not a guarantee of ease, but of presence.

It’s not a guarantee of control, but of communion.

It’s not a guarantee of your plan, but of his purpose.

It’s not a guarantee of temporary thrills, but of eternal belonging.

The guarantee comes in the form of counter-intuitive expectations, like the erroneous idea that in life we’ll never walk through sorrow. Not true. What is true is that we’ll never walk it alone. Or the false notion that now that I have a relationship with Christ, I’ll have access to all the answers. Again, not true. What is true is that we’ll have 24/7 access to the One who does have all the answers — although they are answers we may not like.

If you have a troubled heart, hear Jesus’ first word again: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.” If you echo Thomas’ question, “How can we know the way?” then also hear Jesus’ second word: “I am the way.” If you are with Philip when he demanded, “Show us the Father,” hear Jesus’ third word: “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.” And if you are wondering whether your small life can make any difference, carry home his promise: “The one who believes in me will also do the works that I do … If in my name you ask me … I will do it.”

This is Jesus’ version of “Satisfaction Guaranteed”: a place prepared for you, a person present for you, and a purpose worth investing your whole life to fulfill.

Let us pray.

In today’s Gospel Jesus tells us “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life; No one can come to the Father except through me”. Let us pray for the grace to hear more clearly the voice of Jesus in our daily lives, so that we too can come to the Father through Him. We pray to the Lord.               

Today we celebrate the first Sunday of May, which we traditionally see as the month of Mary, Mother of God and gifted to us as our Mother also.   May we never forgot that in Mary we have a loving mother and a very powerful advocate in our hours of  need. We pray to the Lord.               

We ask God to bestow on us the wisdom and insight to care for the earth and to preserve His gifts of water, land and climate for ourselves and  the good of those who come after us. We pray to the Lord.               

As we experience a continuation of destructive wars throughout the world , we pray that the hearts of the aggressors be softened and that the gift of peace which Christ wishes on all should prevail. We pray to the Lord.

As the world marks International Day for the  Red Cross and Red Crescent this coming Friday, we pray for all those who work in war and conflict situations that they may have the respect of combatants, the resources they need and a safe space to bring relief and healing to the sick and wounded. We pray to the Lord.

We pray for our leaders to focus more on our own country and the ever increasing costs of living. Many Americans are finding it harder and harder to afford utilities, gas, and food. May this be the most focused on agenda in our government. We pray to the Lord.

O God, like Thomas and Philip, we want to see and believe, but we often doubt. When we awake to news of new deaths in Ukraine, the Middle East, gas prices ever increasing due to unnecessary wars, people struggling with the cost just to eat — we have to work to find hope. As we walk alongside family or friends suffering from illness or addiction, dealing with the pain of broken relationships, we aren’t always confident of your presence. The shadow of the gloom obscures our sight.

We are thankful for the work of your Spirit in those people who encourage us and speak your presence into our lives, who help us remember your love story (with and without words), who remind us that you haven’t abandoned us, who are present in the suffering — gathering us in your arms and crying with us. Help us trust that doubt is a part of faith — and not a lack of faith.

Open the eyes of our hearts so we might see you. Kindle in our hearts a desire to know you better and renew our spirits. Help us grow in our faith and build our lives on the sure foundation of the risen Christ. As we sing the joyous Easter refrains, may our ears truly hear the mystery of our faith proclaimed. Let our minds and our hearts truly take in the good news of your presence among us. We ask all these things through Christ our Lord. Amen.

God Love You +++

The Most Rev. Robert Winzens

Pastor – St. Francis Chapel

San Diego, CA.

As a small parish, we come to you all as beggars! Share with us this Christmas, a little sacrifice for the Christ Child. Your generous support also allows us to continue these important projects that fuel the movement of progressive Christianity. Thank you and God bless you! +++

paypal.me/stfrancischapel