I write this Friday morning with a heavy heart. I have just watched an account of the mass shooting in Indianapolis on TV. It brings to mind all the gun violence we have experienced over the past few months, especially all the shootings we have had in our area. All life is precious, since we are all made in the image and likeness of God. Let us all pray for an end to all this violence.
We are an Easter people and our song is Alleluia! This Sunday we continue to celebrate with the Third Sunday of Easter. In our Gospel, Luke mentions two appearances of Jesus after his resurrection. The opening lines tell us that the two disciples reported his walking with them on the road and recognizing him in the breaking of the bread. Luke then goes into much greater detail with the whole groups' encounter with the risen Lord in the upper room. "Peace be with you." he says but they think he's a ghost and so he shows them his hands and feet and they touch him and see he is flesh and bone and he even eats in front of them to prove he has risen. Jesus then gives them a task by opening their minds to the scriptures. He then explains that they are to witness his resurrection to the whole world.
Our first and second readings give us two powerful examples of the disciples witnessing to the world. First Peter at Pentecost preachers to the powers and regular people of Jerusalem confronting them with how they killed Jesus. His message ends with hope: "Repent, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be wiped away." The message is the same today as then, we need to repent and be converted. We need to get closer to Jesus. St. John writes the same thing in his First Letter. He tells us that Jesus is our Advocate with the Father. "He is expiation for our sins, and not for our sins only but for those of the whole world." Jesus had to suffer and die on Good Friday before he rose on Easter Sunday. We, too, will suffer and die, but we have the hope of the resurrection, which we continue to celebrate. Alleluia!
We continue to have our Sunday Masses at 8:15 and 10:30 AM, masked and socially distanced. We have La Donna and Steve at the 10:30. The 8:15 is still quiet. Cheryl and Francine still record the 10:30 and put it on line later in the day. It can be found on our webpage. Last week there was a problem with the camera and so no recording. A group of parishioners is reading "The Sum of Us" and meeting on Fridays at 4 PM on zoom to discuss the book. The Soup Kitchen is still open MWF from 11 AM - 12:30 PM and our St. Vincent de Paul group still brings food to the shut-ins.
I want to thank you for your generosity during this difficult time. Let us continue to pray for an end to the pandemic so we can all return to church and be the community we really are.