Easter Message from Fr. Manuel
He is risen as he said, alleluia!
Our Lenten journey has ended! Christ is Risen as he said! Death is swallowed in victory! (Cor 15:54)
For 40 days we have journeyed preparing ourselves for the renewal that Easter offers us. I pray that the graces received during Lent, help us to be better followers of Jesus the Christ.
The resurrection accounts in John’s Gospel (John 20, 19) say that the apostles were gathered with the doors locked in fear of the Jews. Jesus appeared to them and said, “Peace be with you.” Seven days later, still with the doors closed (John 20, 26), Jesus appears to them and once again says “Peace be with you.” In the Gospel, according to Mark (16, 1-7), the women who went to the tomb found that it was empty, that a young man dressed in white announced to them that Jesus was not there, that he had been raised from the dead.
The doors were locked in fear. The fear of the apostles was not baseless. They feared that what had happened to Jesus, would happen to them. They did not have yet the courage to go out and proclaim to the whole world the good news of salvation. The fear was real. We also suffer from many fears, some are phobias that paralyze us; others are fears that warn us of danger around us. There are those fears that come to us for the things that we have no control over the health of a loved one that is decreasing; the gun violence that is increasing; war and famine in the world; the political divide that tears the fabric of society apart; the lack of documentation to be in the country; family members that are being held hostage; physical, emotional and sexual abuse that is experience at home and work; not being understood due to our sexuality or the identity that we have taken on. Those and many other fears can prevent us from growing and experiencing the fullness of life. Because of the fears we often find ourselves in situations where we can be said to have “locked our doors” as the apostles did.
The good news is that the Lord has risen from the dead. That he has conquered death and sin. He appears in our midst, despite our closed/locked doors, and announces to us his peace. A peace that does not take away the situations that lead to our fears but gives us the hope that God is with us and for us. A peace that cannot be destroyed by the fears and anxieties of our life. Let us rejoice in that peace. Let us take refuge in the victory of the Risen Christ.
Fr. Manuel
Our Lenten journey has ended! Christ is Risen as he said! Death is swallowed in victory! (Cor 15:54)
For 40 days we have journeyed preparing ourselves for the renewal that Easter offers us. I pray that the graces received during Lent, help us to be better followers of Jesus the Christ.
The resurrection accounts in John’s Gospel (John 20, 19) say that the apostles were gathered with the doors locked in fear of the Jews. Jesus appeared to them and said, “Peace be with you.” Seven days later, still with the doors closed (John 20, 26), Jesus appears to them and once again says “Peace be with you.” In the Gospel, according to Mark (16, 1-7), the women who went to the tomb found that it was empty, that a young man dressed in white announced to them that Jesus was not there, that he had been raised from the dead.
The doors were locked in fear. The fear of the apostles was not baseless. They feared that what had happened to Jesus, would happen to them. They did not have yet the courage to go out and proclaim to the whole world the good news of salvation. The fear was real. We also suffer from many fears, some are phobias that paralyze us; others are fears that warn us of danger around us. There are those fears that come to us for the things that we have no control over the health of a loved one that is decreasing; the gun violence that is increasing; war and famine in the world; the political divide that tears the fabric of society apart; the lack of documentation to be in the country; family members that are being held hostage; physical, emotional and sexual abuse that is experience at home and work; not being understood due to our sexuality or the identity that we have taken on. Those and many other fears can prevent us from growing and experiencing the fullness of life. Because of the fears we often find ourselves in situations where we can be said to have “locked our doors” as the apostles did.
The good news is that the Lord has risen from the dead. That he has conquered death and sin. He appears in our midst, despite our closed/locked doors, and announces to us his peace. A peace that does not take away the situations that lead to our fears but gives us the hope that God is with us and for us. A peace that cannot be destroyed by the fears and anxieties of our life. Let us rejoice in that peace. Let us take refuge in the victory of the Risen Christ.
Fr. Manuel