L.O.V.E. from Father David
Father David DeJulio, Pastor
At the Easter Vigil, we celebrated the light of Christ which we carried, filled with hope, into a world of uncertainty and darkness. Then, s uddenly, like a blast of a trumpet…Easter interrupted the darkness!
“Why do you look for the living among the dead?” (Luke 24.5). This was the question of the three women who arrived at the empty tomb at sunrise on the first day of the week. They could never have imagined from life’s natural cycles what they discovered because everyone knows old age is not followed by youth so obviously Jesus’ death could not naturally be followed by life!
But there was nothing natural about the Resurrection. It is an event in which time and nature are flipped upside down and turned inside out. Only as an act of God is the Resurrection possible; and like all acts of God, it is a trumpet blast to all of us…a wake up call that God, who raises the dead, is more real and more powerful than any upset or crisis that we can ever encounter.
For all of us standing at the empty tomb – no matter our circumstances – Easter gives us unfathomable hope.
Easter is meant to leave us with a changed perspective of the present and the future. It offers a reality that is full of joy. Easter proclaims that death is not the end of the story. The prayers of the Easter Vigil convey assurance that “If we keep the memorial of the Lord’s paschal solemnity in this way, listening to his word and celebrating his mysteries, then we shall have the sure hope of sharing his triumph over death and living with him in God.” (Roman Missal: The Blessing of the Fire and Preparation of the Candle)
Let's keep the Easter Fire of God’s LOVE burning in your hearts this Easter season and have confidence in placing yourselves in Christ’s care as we hope in the divine power that “dispels wickedness, washes faults away, restores innocence to the fallen, and joy to mourners, drives out hatred, fosters concord, and brings down the mighty.” (Roman Missal, Longer Form of the Easter Proclamation)
May we all share this wonderful news with the world around us...that we are people who believe this…that we are Easter people!
Please know how blessed we are with everyone’s presence during our Lenten and Easter celebrations and I am ever prayerful that we will see you all again very soon. St. Mark is here for you…All Are Welcome!
Peace!