Easter Sunday (March 31, 2024)

My brothers and sisters, Jesus is risen from the dead! Alleluia! He has conquered sin and death! Let us rejoice!

The dying and rising of Jesus is the foundation of our faith, the reality on which our hope is built. We have been made new in baptism. Jesus has shared his risen life with us. We have become his brothers and sisters, children of the Father, gifted with the presence of the Holy Spirit.

And we are destined to share the fullness of divine life in eternity.

While we are here on this earth, we are to keep our eyes on the things above as we go about living our daily life in sincerity and truth. Because we are a new creation, we have the power to live a life that reflects God’s loving presence in our world. Like our brother Jesus, we are to live for the good of others. We are to make God’s compassion, mercy, healing and empowerment evident for all to see in the way you and I choose to live.

Today we are invited to put aside our past ways of living and let the yeast of Jesus’ death and rising rise within us and change us.

As we look around us and see the signs of new life in the trees and the flowers, we can use them as a reminder of the newness we want to bring to our daily living: the greens of compassion and patience, the reds of zeal for justice and truth, the whites of simplicity, the yellows of hope and joy, the purples of forgiveness and healing.

As we renew our baptismal promises this morning, let us go deep within our heart to get in touch with the divine life flowing in us. Let us remember that we are beloved children of our God, brothers and sisters of Jesus who has died and risen for us. Let us resolve to be newness of life to all we meet today and tomorrow, and every day.

My brothers and sisters, Jesus our brother is risen! Let us rejoice and be glad!

Easter Vigil (March 30, 2024)

Tonight, we join the whole Church in a most sacred celebration. We are celebrating our thankfulness for the whole history of God’s saving work among His people.

We began our celebration by accepting once again Jesus our Light. In the Easter Proclamation, we sang of our Father’s great care for us - his boundless, merciful love. We even rejoiced over Adam’s sin that gained for us so great a redeemer.

Our Scriptures recounted the wonders of God’s creating word. We joined God’s chosen people as they passed to safety through the waters of the sea. And we heard the words of the prophets who kept the hope of salvation alive among God’s people.

The Gospel has just announced the great mystery that brings us together tonight. The waiting is over: salvation and redemption have come. Jesus, the One who was crucified for our sins, is risen. He is alive, among us.

St. Paul reminds us that we have been joined to Jesus’ death and resurrection through the waters of our baptism. As a result, we are slaves to sin no longer. We have been made new, alive for God in Christ Jesus.

In a moment, we will renew our baptismal promises together -- a sign of our re-dedication to letting Jesus live in us more fully.

Then as our celebration continues, we will experience in sacrament the renewal of Jesus’ death for us: his body broken, and his blood poured out for us. And we will receive his body and blood as food for our continuing journey with him.

At the end of our liturgy of thanksgiving, we will be sent forth as messengers of God’s continuing mercy and love for his people. May our celebration this evening renew us and give us strength for our mission.

Palm Sunday Passion of the Lord (March 24, 2024)

Today we begin the most sacred week of the Christian calendar.

We heard Isaiah’s Servant Song proclaimed to us. The Servant represents the sufferings of the exiled community of ancient Israel in Babylon. In the midst of their suffering, the Servant speaks a word of hope to the community: “The Lord God is my help; therefore, I am not disgraced.”

In Mark’s account of the Passion, Jesus’ last words from the Cross are the opening words of Psalm 22: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me”? Jesus was identifying himself with the suffering people of every age. Jesus has taken upon himself the sufferings and sins of every person who will ever live.

In the midst of all his suffering, Jesus knew his Father’s love.

Perhaps his last cry in a loud voice indicated that he was identifying himself with the last words of Psalm 22: “You, O Lord, be not far from me; O my help, hasten to aid me.” Then Jesus breathed his last. We know that his Father heard the voice of his suffering Son – and has greatly exalted him.

Jesus wants each of us to know that he has shared in our sufferings – for he is our brother. He invites us to join our sufferings to His – for the salvation of the world.

Let us be with Jesus, our brother and Savior, during this Holy Week.