A Message from the Pastor…………
WITH GREAT POWER THE APOSTLES BORE WITNESS TO THE RESURRECTION OF THE LORD JESUS.
This key announcement is from the Mass this past Tuesday. It’s core to what Easter is about. It came after Monday’s Gospel when Jesus tells Nicodemus “You must be born again from water and the Spirit”—Baptism( John 3). So after their Baptism walking with Jesus, it wasn’t just a ritual moment and then their lives went on as before. They lived now in a new way, because they had died with Christ and risen with Him. Their new risen life which bore witness to the Resurrection of Jesus in their own hearts included: “They were of one heart and mind. no one claimed anything as his own, they held everything in common…. there was no one needy among them, for they sold property and houses and laid the proceeds at the foot of the apostles and they wee distributed to each one according to need.” (Acts 4)
This was perhaps an idealistic recounting, but it was intended to announce to those around them that the Resurrection had changed their way of living. So this is our goal: to understand that we’ve died with Christ, and we’re free to live a new life—one that can surprise, even startle those around us.
This is what I call upon us to do now for the whole Easter Season, a 50 day period of rejoicing in and appropriating our new life—that is, each of us taking it inside ourselves, call ourselves to live in faith in the Lord’s Resurrection and to live in the confidence and charity we would expect to see in believers. 2 weeks of this season are up already! So let’s get living.
The ACA is getting into full gear. Your own card is in the foyer for you to pick up. It’s a great way to live out this new life: setting our proceeds at the feet of the Archbishop to distribute to the needs of others. These funds also come back to serve our parish in a variety of ways.
Saturday this weekend we’ve just had our First Communion, after this column’s deadline, so I’ll comment more next week. I’ve taught lessons myself to our school and PSR classes, and I’m always filled with life by their faith and joy at Jesus in this sacrament. So if you want to know what the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist is, ask a 2nd Grader.
I’ll be away this Wednesday to the following Wednesday May 3.
Fr Tom Wyrsch