We celebrate the Second Sunday of Easter on the 19th. The Gospel tells us about St. Thomas, who goes from doubting the Resurrection of Jesus to professing Jesus as "My Lord and my God." That is a real profession of faith and from someone who felt left out and doubted. A line in the second reading from the Letter of St. Peter really caught my eye in this age of virus and separation: "In this you rejoice, although now for a little while you may have to suffer through various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold that is perishable even though tested by fire, may prove to be for praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ."
Today is also the Sunday of Divine Mercy. We pray in the Responsorial Psalm: "His mercy endures forever." And it does! Even with the virus and all the pain and suffering it causes, we can still say "This is the day the Lord has made; let us be glad and rejoice in it." We can and should rejoice in the Lord in good times as well as bad.
Due to our many volunteers, some new and some old, our Soup Kitchen continues to feed those in need on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Our St. Vincent de Paul society also continues to help those in need with home visits. Both groups continue to keep social distance as well. I do miss our Sign of Peace at Mass.
A big thank you goes out to those who have been able to still support the church by mailing in their envelopes. Our address hasn't changed. We are still at 1501 W. Washington Street, South Bend, IN 46628 or at P.O. Box 3198, South Bend, IN 46619. Let's all keep praying as well.