A Letter from Fr. Paul - Easter Sunday, April 9th

As I was reflecting on today’s readings on my computer, I was called to the front office.  When I came back, the computer was acting wacky: I couldn’t control the mouse or do anything.  Then I remembered what my techie brother always told me: when you have a problem, “REBOOT.”  So, I restarted the computer, rebooted it, and all was fine.

Then it struck me: that is what the disciples of Jesus had to do: reboot.  They had been following him for almost three years and knew the incredible things he could do.  But they were brought up to believe the Messiah would be a great warrior king who would make Israel #1 and they were ready to take positions of power and honor in this new kingdom. No matter how many times Jesus tried to explain reality to them, they could not hear it: they were ready to be important people in the powerful kingdom that Jesus, the kingly Messiah, would establish. 

Then to make matters worse, one of them betrayed him, one who bragged that he would die for him ended up denying him three times, and they abandoned him in his time of need. How crushed, deflated, and ashamed they must have felt. They certainly needed a reboot.

That is why Jesus says he will meet them in Galilee.  Galilee is where it all started: they were Galileans, it is where Jesus called them, it is where he spent most of his active life. They needed to go back to the beginning and see all in the light of the risen Christ (a number of times in the Gospels we hear “they didn’t understand until after he was risen from the dead”). 

My friends, we all need to be rebooted now and then. That is why, in its wisdom, the Church gives us the 40 days of Lent and the celebration of the Triduum each year to help us reboot, examine ourselves, see what needs to be better, and work on making it happen.  Those early disciples needed to leave behind their shame for what they had done in order to be open to the Spirit, which would energize them to go forth and proclaim the risen Christ. We need to do the same.

Hopefully, as we lived our way through Lent, we recognized how we need to grow to be better followers of Jesus and have been working to achieve that.  Our sins and failings were nailed to the cross with Jesus on Good Friday and we have been rebooted, freed to celebrate with joy the resurrection of our Lord and Savior and share that joy with those we meet. That is the meaning of what we celebrate today.

This is my tenth Easter at Pius.  Hard to believe! It has been a good ten years for me.  I have grown and I hope you have grown in your faith, as we have walked together and listened to the Risen Christ inviting us to “go back to Galilee.” 

The Lord is Truly Risen.  Happy Easter!!!  ALLELUIA!!!!

Church sign of the week: We all have baggage.  It’s time to unpack.