LET US ALL REJOICE: THE LORD IS RISEN! ALLELUIA! YES! HE IS TRULY RISEN! ALLELUIA! LET US ALL REJOICE IN THE RISEN LORD: HIS RESURRECTION ON THE THIRD DAY CHANGES SALVATION HISTORY ONCE AND FOR ALL! HIS RESURRECTION GIVES US HOPE IN ETERNAL LIFE".

Do these repeated ALLELUIAS as messages of JOY and HOPE resonate in our hearts today? Are our hearts truly moved? Or do they remain lukewarm and indifferent?

In these challenging times, we all need HOPE! Many of our brothers and sisters have faced much suffering through two long years of a Pandemic bringing fear and isolation. Many have stayed home even for two years not receiving the EUCHARIST.

As we began celebrating Lent six weeks ago, a sense of NORMALCY and HOPE has returned. Cardinal Gregory has just written a long statement on the importance of returning to church and I encourage you to read it so as to share with your friends this renewed message on the need to celebrate the EUCHARIST as a community face to face: no more staying home unless you are seriously ill (click here to read the article). In our parish, we have seen a return of normalcy: a large number of people attending Ash Wednesday and Palm Sunday. This are great news. May the Holy Spirit guide those who just returned and may they continue to attend Sunday Masses.

THE MASS AND THE LORD's RESURRECTION are closely connected. If Jesus had not risen from the dead, THE EUCHARIST AND THE MASS will not exist. The PASCHAL MYSTERY celebrated at each Mass, not just on EASTER SUNDAY, has two dimensions: 1. By His death on the Cross, Jesus redeems us: our sins are washed away by HIS BLOOD 2. By His Resurrection, Jesus opens a way for a new life on earth and in heaven.

The four Gospels give us slightly different accounts of the first appearance of the Risen Lord. One of my favorite ones is from Matthew (Matthew 28:1-10) when an angel suddenly stands before the women that had come to the tomb on Easter morning: "There was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from Heaven...His appearance was like lightning and his clothing was as white as snow. The guards were shaken with fear...Then the Angel spoke addressing the women: DO NOT BE AFRAID ...

Go quickly and tell his disciples HE HAS BEEN RAISED FROM THE DEAD! AND HE IS GOING TO GALILEE! THERE YOU WILL SEE HIM". The women then went away OVERJOYED. They ran to announce this great news to the disciples and on their way, THE RISEN LORD appears to them...

All of us face FEARS in our lives, including the fear of death, the fear of losing loved ones. The ongoing war in Ukraine reminds us of the sanctity of life, but also of its fragility through the constant attacks of the Devil, seeding divisions and hatred. We all need the support of angels and archangels to take away our fears and protect us from the attacks of the devil. Above all, we need THE RISEN LORD. HE IS THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN GIVE US PEACE! PEACE AND HOPE!

May our hearts be OVERJOYED this EASTER SUNDAY! May we all pray together:

"God our Father, today is the day of Easter Joy. Let us celebrate together the Joy of encountering the Risen Lord in our own lives, without fear and always with Hope. Take away our fears and attachments to sin. Through the Death and Resurrection of your Son, you set us free by conquering the power of death once and for all. Your victory over death today opens for us a totally new way of life, Let our celebration today lift up our hearts to you. May today be a new beginning, a turning point toward You. May we all enter into the Joy of the 50 days of the Easter Season, preparing us for the Descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, and the Birth of the Church, the Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Church Sacrament of Salvation."

On behalf of Father Jan, Deacon Rich, Deacon Bill, Sister Rosario, and all our staff, we wish you all a MOST BLESSED EASTER: THE LORD IS RISEN! HE IS TRULY RISEN! ALLELUIA!

One in Christ,
 

Father Alain