This week we are called to focus on the SECOND chapter of Living the Gift of Sunday.  The three relevant pages for this week, as well as a video of a parishioner sharing what Sunday means to him, are available here.  I invite you, as a family, to spend time this week with chapter TWO: Sunday is a Day of Peace.
 
This Friday, April 23rd, the 10 martyrs from the diocese of our sister parish will be beatified in Quiché, Guatemala.  Please take a few minutes of prayer on Friday in solidarity with our sister parish and all those who have suffered violence.
 
Our reading from the first letter of St. John reminds us of what is crucial if we want to live out our belief in Jesus Christ: The way we may be sure that we know him is to keep his commandments. Those who say, “I know him,” but do not keep his commandments are liars, and the truth is not in them. But whoever keeps his word, the love of God is truly perfected in him.
 
And what are His commandments?  Love of God as shown through love of neighbor.  That is very clear from various places in the Gospels, not the least of which is the parable of the Last Judgment: When I was hungry, you gave me to eat…a stranger and you welcomed me…ill and you cared for me…in prison and you visited me…
 
We cannot say we love God if we are not showing it through love of others.  We all have been given time, talent, and treasure that we can share with those in need.  Are we doing it?  Do we visit or call those who are homebound or in institutions?  Do we use our education and skills to help those in need?  Do we support worthwhile causes?
 
All of our religious practice needs to be helping us show love of God through love of neighbor.  I invite us this week to reflect on how we are doing and how we could do better.  God bless.
 
Church sign of the week: If excuses came to church, the pews would be full.

Our services during Holy Week went very well.  On behalf of all of our community, I thank Kathy Wellenstein and all the musicians and ministers who gave of their time and talent so that we could celebrate these special events in the life, death and resurrection of Christ our Savior.  And we can’t forget Bobby Pantuso SDS, who live streamed the Triduum for us. May God bless all of you for your 
generosity.

This week we are called to focus on the first chapter of Living the Gift of Sunday.  This booklet is available in the parish office, outside the main church door and online.  The three relevant pages for this week, as well as a video of a parish family sharing what Sunday means to them, are available on our website and Facebook pages.  I invite you, as a family, to spend time this week with chapter one: Sunday is a Day of Christ’s Resurrection.

Our Gospel this weekend has Jesus appearing twice to His disciples, the first time on Easter Sunday, the second time a week later with doubting Thomas present.  Let’s reflect on the 11 apostles a moment (remember, Judas is out of the picture).

As they walked with Jesus, the apostles knew Jesus was special and had special power.  They were feeling important as members of His inner circle and looking forward to being MORE important (e.g., James and John coming with their mother to ask for the first and second places in the kingdom).

Then came Jesus’ arrest.  They ran away, denied Him.  They were hiding in a locked room in fear.  They were hollow and empty; their pride and grandiose plans were shattered.

In this state, emptied of selfish desires and feeling very vulnerable and alone, they were ready for the Holy Spirit. After His resurrection, Jesus appears to them and does three things: He tells them to be at peace, He confers the Holy Spirit on them, and He gives them a commission.  

There were other times before His death that Jesus had told them to be at peace (e.g., when the storm was tossing their boat), but they could not receive the Holy Spirit while they were full of ambition and selfishness.  It is the same for us.  Jesus wishes us peace and He offers us His Spirit to strengthen us, so that we can bring His love to the world.  But, if we are selfish and proud, we will block it.  The more we know we are needy, the more room there is for the peace and Spirit of Jesus. 

I invite us to reflect this week on the apostles before and after the crucifixion and death of Jesus.  How much are we ambitious and full of ourselves, as they were before Jesus died?  How can we grow to understand and feel more fully our neediness and dependency on Jesus and His Spirit?  All of this, ultimately, is to make us better disciples, bringing the Good News to others.  May God bless us as we strive to grow as disciples!  

Church sign of the week: Sorrow looks back, worry looks around, faith looks up. 

Happy Easter!  May our celebration of the gift of our salvation inspire us to share the Good News with others!
 
I would be commenting on Holy Week, but that will have to wait until the next bulletin, since this letter is due the Friday BEFORE Holy Week!  I thank those who took the opportunity to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation at our service on March 23rd.
 
Please note the information on “Living the Gift of Sunday,” which you can find in the April newsletter (which should have arrived this past week) and on our website.  I hope you can take advantage of this 10-week reflection opportunity, as individuals and especially as families.
 
The basic message to us as we celebrate Easter is that after suffering and death comes resurrection, a gift that Jesus bought for us with His life.
 
What we have celebrated the past four days mirrors the cycle of life:  in the fall flowers die, leaves fall from the trees, and seemingly death settles in and stays through winter.  However, with spring comes resurrection and we rejoice as the trees begin to grow leaves and the first flowers emerge from the dormant earth.  What does that say to us about what we have lived through this past year?
 
Perhaps because I have always been interacting with people and continuing many of my normal duties (even when my local community was quarantined with Covid, the five of us prayed and ate together and I continued my ministry from home), the pandemic has not weighed heavily on me.  However, my pastoral ministry has made me realize that, for many people, it has been a long winter that followed the closing down of activities a year ago.
 
Where are we in the pandemic?  February?  March?  April? How close are we to spring?  We don’t know.  But we DO know that spring and the resurrection will come:  Jesus has promised!  Spring and summer might not look exactly as they did before, but we can make sure that they are better by our attitude.
 
If we have been looking at the past and pining for it, I invite us to use Easter to turn our minds away from missing the past to the future and how we can make it better than any past.  What have I learned during this past year?  What is REALLY important and what should my priorities be? How can I make the new “normal,” whatever it will be, better than the past? 
 
With a positive attitude and resolve, we can do it.  It doesn’t help to pine for the past; we need to use what we learned this past year to make the future better!  I invite us to reflect on this as we celebrate the great feast of the Resurrection.  God bless.
 
Church sign of the week: If excuses came to church, the pews would be full.