Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Alleluia! He is risen! Truly He is risen, Alleluia!
Recently, as he left the church, a young man said to me “Have an amazing Easter, Father!” I don’t think there is any other kind of Easter! The joy of Easter and the triumph of Jesus Christ over our sin and death is a joy that transcends space and time. The Resurrection is not an event limited to the past, but rather an event, the repercussions of which continue to be felt today. Because Christ is truly risen from the tomb, we have the hope of everlasting life, the hope of heaven. Because Christ is truly risen from the tomb, we have confident access to our heavenly Father. Because Christ is truly risen from the tomb, death has lost its sting. Because Christ is truly risen from the tomb, we are reconciled to God and this reconciliation paves the way for us to be reconciled with one another. The Resurrection continues to bring us healing and peace in our own day.
This season of Lent, the holy days of the Triduum, and now the joyful solemnity of the Lord’s Resurrection all point us toward our ultimate goal: to be united with God, to live in close communion with Him, to recover our identity as His beloved sons and daughters. Our discipline during Lent and our walk with Jesus during Holy Week help us to prepare and detox from the effects of sin in our lives. Now we embark on a different sort of spiritual journey. Today we are invited to allow this good news of the Resurrection to truly take root in our lives and walk each day with the power of Christ risen from the dead at work in our hearts.
The celebration of this solemnity requires not only spiritual preparations, but also practical work. Therefore, I would like to express gratitude to our staff here at St. Pius X who have worked so hard to make the Lenten journey fruitful. A special thanks is due to Mr. Michael Lantowski, our organist and choir master, for bringing us music that lifts the mind and heart to God. Our choir members have spent many extra hours in rehearsal so that our Holy Week and Easter liturgies would be accompanied by music worthy of the angels. Thank you! Each liturgy is also supported by the presence and generosity of our liturgical ministers – readers, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, and especially our altar servers. Thank you all for your gift and assistance in profound prayers of the Church. Our altar servers especially deserve extra thanks for their time spent rehearsing unique liturgies and responsibilities that only arise once a year. As always, they were more than up to the task! I thank also Kathleen Donnelly and Paola Peña and our entire RCIA team who have helped our newest Catholics prepare to receive the sacraments. A warm welcome to our newest Catholics! Finally, thank you to all of you, parishioners, who so prayerfully accompanied Jesus through the Triduum.
May our Easter season be truly amazing. May our hearts be filled with awe at our Lord’s Resurrection, joy at the new life He promises us, and confidence to walk with Him all the days of our lives.
Peace,
Fr. Sam
