March 31, 2021 Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ: Psalm 118 is the Church’s great Easter hymn of thanksgiving. It is the Responsorial Psalm for Easter Sunday Mass and from it comes the great Easter shout: “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad.” The last several months we have been told what we cannot or should not do in combatting COVID-19. Pandemic or not, this Easter festival we must shout out, unrestrained, what our God has done and continues to do for you and me. Why do we shout it out? Maybe we are not in the mood. We might feel that we have had nothing but nervous tension, misery and sorrow these last few months. We shout it out because we are an Easter people, and in a world that is increasingly deaf, even hostile, to the Godly, we must call attention to the fact that our God was born, suffered and died for every person and HE HAS RISEN FROM THE DEAD. Out of immense gratitude for such a Gift, we desire, we are compelled to share this Good News and express resurrection joy, yes, even in the midst of life’s trials and tribulation. How do we shout it out? We will not allow any facial covering to mask our Resurrection Faith. Shouting it out is not about volume but is about an unashamedly confident witness of joy and hope. Our daily witness shouts out an attitude of gratitude fed by fervent prayers and heart-filled joy as we serve the needs of our neighbor. We shout it out in worship and praise as we come to Mass as a family of faith and are nourished by His very Body and Blood, food for the journey. Who should shout it out? All those who have reason to thank God for the gift of His Son who has won eternal life for all who would believe. No one is excused. Everyone is a recipient of the Good News. Everyone has reason for hope. Yes, we shout “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad!” Happy and Blessed Easter to you and all your loved ones! |
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