Happy Easter everyone! A couple of months ago, who would have guessed that we would not be gathering in church for this great feast of Easter, the most important feast of the Church? And who would have believed that our Easter dinners at home would be likely limited to just our immediate family members? But such is the uncertainty of life. Though the world and of course the Church along with it has experienced plagues and world-wide catastrophes in history, what we experience together in 2020 (and beyond?) is certainly unique. I don’t know that the Church has ever cancelled the public celebration of Mass or withdrawn its sacramental life in its 2,000 year history. Indeed we will remember and tell of these peculiar times to those who follow after us and pray that the world will never have to experience such a pandemic again, or at the very least, will be better prepared for it should it ever happen again.
But my purpose here is not just to muse on these past days and weeks but to remind you that in the midst of the world’s changes, what will never change will be the continuous presence of the Risen Lord and the proclamation of his Gospel through the Church. This we have as a promise from Christ, that “I will remain with you until the end of time.” So despite all the negative and frightening news we have been hearing, reading or watching, we still can rejoice on this Easter Day that the Lord has remained with us, and has once again taught us that despite the evil that exists in the world (and even in us), he can pull life out of every harmful thing that we face, just as God brought forth (eternal) life from the death of His Son. How we need this Good News now more than ever. It is what sustains us in hope.
What a joy it was for me to see familiar faces (even ones that were partially covered by masks) as you drove by to receive palms or to venerate the cross or to have your Easter baskets blessed or wished us a Happy Easter as we handed you a book. It seemed like we had not seen you for months but it was so comforting to see how you continue to hold on to your faith and to find ways to express it, even during a quarantine when so much of the world (including our churches) had to shut down. It’s a sure sign to me of the resurrection, the new life that has arisen in you despite the crosses you have had to bear.
I am encouraged by the fact that so many of you were able to participate in the Mass as we posted it online, and am grateful that you continued to support the parish financially by mailing it or dropping off your collection envelopes. I can pledge to you that we will continue to do whatever we can to help you remain connected to us in the weeks or months ahead and continue to encourage you to visit our website or to feel free to call if technology is not at your disposal. Please continue to check in on your neighbors and fellow parishioners by calling them, especially if they are elderly, live alone, or do not have internet technology available to them. We must let them know that we are here to support them, pray for them and know that they are not forgotten.