Jesus told Martha, “I AM THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. DO YOU BELIEVE THIS?" (John 11: 25-26). This is the question that Jesus is asking each one of us as we complete our Lenten journey, our climbing the mountain of Easter, the mountain of the Resurrection. We have walked together for 40 days, anticipating the Joy of the Risen Lord. Can we answer Jesus' question with the awesome words of Martha, "YES! LORD. I HAVE COME TO BELIEVE THAT YOU ARE THE MESSIAH, THE SON OF GOD, THE ONE WHO IS COMING INTO THE WORLD." (John 11: 27)

The last three Sundays, we have reflected on the key question, "WHO IS JESUS FOR ME?" As we walked with our catechumens to be baptized at EASTER's VIGIL, we reflected first on JESUS BEING THE LIVING WATER in his encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well (John chapter 4), second we reflected on JESUS BEING THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD as he heals the man born blind (John chapter 9) and now third on JESUS BEING THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE. Through these three marvelous chapters, St John helps us to understand the deep meaning of BAPTISM. Through Baptism, we are totally TRANSFORMED. Through baptism, we become a NEW PERSON, through the waters of baptism, WE DIE WITH CHRIST, and emerging out of the waters of baptism, WE RISE WITH CHRIST. For us baptized, Jesus is the one who truly changes our lives. HE IS OUR SAVIOR!

As we enter THE HOLY WEEK and the TRIDUUM, the summit of our entire Liturgical Year, we can reflect on our baptism, on where we are today on our Christian journey on earth, and where we are going. The last 12 months have been the most challenging. The good news is that we have been able to endure the restrictions and hardships brought about by the pandemic. Last year, our church was closed for the entire Holy Week. Since our re-opening end of May, about half of our regular parishioners have returned to attend Mass. As vaccination is increasingly more available, we have seen additional participation in the last few weeks. Last weekend, we had to use the Narthex for overflow. One 80+ gentleman was proud to tell me, "I am glad to be back in church. As both my wife and I have received the two doses of vaccination, we feel much more at ease."

All readings of last weekend talk about DEATH and LIFE. John's Gospel chapter 11 is all about the Death and Resurrection of Lazarus, the sadness of a young friend to die as opposed to the joyful miracle of his resurrection. This is an anticipation of the Passion and Death of Our Lord Jesus Christ on Good Friday, but also of His Resurrection three days later on EASTER SUNDAY. His death on the Cross transforms the whole world by redeeming our sins, and His Resurrection gives all of us the HOPE that one day after our bodies die, we may be able to see God face to face in HEAVEN. We need both His Death and Resurrection for our eternal SALVATION, for our entering into the Kingdom of Heaven.

Death and Resurrection are closely associated with the powerful Sacrament of BAPTISM. We talk about SPIRITUAL DEATH AND SPIRITUAL RESURRECTION. The baptized dies with Christ as he is plunged into the water and he rises to a new life in Christ as he comes out of the waters of baptism. The HOLY SPIRIT is at work! The sins of the baptized are all forgiven as the baptized becomes a child of God and has access to all the other sacraments. Most importantly, confirmation gives more of the effects of baptism (especially more of the gifts of the Holy Spirit) and the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession) helps us to be back on track in a state of grace and be able to receive the Eucharist, whenever we fall away from Christ through our sinfulness. We need to be sorry for our sins and to REPENT, i.e., amend our lives with the help of God: daily CONVERSION!

If we truly desire to be saved and spend eternal time with God in perpetual Joy and Peace, we need to rearrange our priorities. We need to put top priority on God. Our worldly desires will never be satisfied. We will want more and more, whether more money, or more power, or more prestige, or more recognition, or more admiration, or more pleasure (including immoral actions: sex outside sacramental marriage, drugs, alcohol, pornography, gambling). When we die, we will not be able to take with us any worldly possessions or attachments. However, our souls will remain alive. We believe that our souls will never die. We pray that The Holy Spirit will keep guiding our souls.

Do you want Jesus to change your life? Do you want Him to give you a new life away from the darkness of sinfulness? Visualize the image of the tomb in which the Body of Lazarus has been kept for four days. See the big rock which is the door to the tomb. This rock prevents anyone to enter. It also serves to protect the dead body and limit the stench to reach out visitors of the tomb. We can imagine that when we commit a grave sin, we enter into the darkness of a spiritual tomb. The rock at the entrance keeps us in total spiritual obscurity, in a state of mortal sin. We can hear the voice of Jesus asking His angels to help us, "TAKE AWAY THE ROCK!" Even when the rock is removed, and our body begins to be again in the light, we still need help from our Guardian Angel to untie our body so that we can walk out of the tomb and go back to the FULL LIGHT. We need to be untied. We need to CONVERT.

We need to break the chains of addiction to sins. Those chains paralyze us. Jesus invites us to walk with Him in the Light. WE NEED TO GO TO CONFESSION NOW , NOT TOMORROW! NOW IS THE TIME , just a few days away from the HOLY WEEK. One of our volunteers has just built a beautiful traditional kneeler with screen, which has now been installed in our Confessional in the Narthex. Jesus is inviting you to come and meet HIM in our refurbished confessional. When you enter the glass door, remember you have left your spiritual tomb carrying all your sins as a burden. As you are sorry for your sins and promise God with His help to avoid sin in future, you are leaving the Confessional without the burden of any sins and with a CONVERTED HEART, based on your promise to GOD ( through the priest who represents the person of Christ in every Sacrament), God will help you to keep away from the chains of your earlier attachments to sin.

Let us kneel down in front a Crucifix, and pray together the powerful Preparatory Prayer of St Alphonse Liguori at the beginning of the Stations of the Cross:

"My Lord, Jesus Christ, You have made this journey to die for me with unspeakable love; and I have so many times ungratefully abandoned You. But now I love You with all my heart; and because I love you, I am sincerely sorry for having offended You. Pardon me, my God, and permit me to accompany You on this journey. You go to die for love of me. I want, my beloved Redeemer, to die for love of You. My Jesus, I will live and die always united to You .

AMEN!

One in Christ,

Fr. Alain