A special welcome to the new members of our St. Dominic
Community received into the Church at the Easter Vigil
Sheila
Olan, Shannon Costello, Clayton McLean and Baby Emily McLean
Many thanks to Barbara-Anne Krampart, and Silvio Fernandes
for their dedication and spiritual guidance in leading these new parishioners
into the Faith in the RCIA program.
The Resurrection of Christ is the cornerstone of our
Christian faith. St Paul tells us in his letter to the Corinthians, (15:14),
that if Christ has not been raised from
the dead, our faith will be empty and useless. But the Resurrection of Christ
is not merely something "out there," not merely an historical fact at
which we gaze admiringly. It is a present reality in which, through Baptism, we
are intimately involved. "If we have been united with him through likeness
to his death, so shall we be through a like resurrection" (Romans 6:5).
Our sharing in the crucifixion-Resurrection of Jesus brings
about a mysterious change in our very being. Paul expresses it in a startling
way: "I have been crucified with Christ, and the life I live now is not my
own; Christ is living in me" (Galatians 2:20). The English poet Andrew
Young, in his poem "Nicodemus," arrives at the same conclusion:
Why do I kneel before your empty tomb? You are not here, for you are everywhere; the grass, the trees, the air, the wind, the sky, Nothing can now refuse to be your home; nor I Lord. Live in me and I shall live.
Why do I kneel before your empty tomb? You are not here, for you are everywhere; the grass, the trees, the air, the wind, the sky, Nothing can now refuse to be your home; nor I Lord. Live in me and I shall live.
This intimate union between Christ and ourselves calls for a
new way of life. We must change our behavior. Saint Paul writes that we should
put to death whatever in our nature is rooted in earth, (see Colossians 3:5),
precisely BECAUSE we share the new life of Christ. Corruption and wickedness
must yield to sincerity and truth. He invites us to put teeth into
today's annual renewal of baptismal promises. Recalling our baptismal promises
seriously, will challenge each of us in different ways. The goal is
"Easter Living" all year long.
I sincerely hope that our Holy Week celebrations were
meaningful for you. There are so many people to thank and I will do that in the
bulletin next week.
Easter Is The Gift... Easter is the gift of HOPE …Easter is the gift of PEACE… Easter is the gift of LOVE. Let us rejoice in Him, who gives all these gifts to us. May God bless you at Easter, and keep you all year through. May God give you all the faith it takes, to make your dreams come true. May His love and wisdom always help, to guide you on your way. May His light shine down upon you now, to bless your Easter Day.
Easter Is The Gift... Easter is the gift of HOPE …Easter is the gift of PEACE… Easter is the gift of LOVE. Let us rejoice in Him, who gives all these gifts to us. May God bless you at Easter, and keep you all year through. May God give you all the faith it takes, to make your dreams come true. May His love and wisdom always help, to guide you on your way. May His light shine down upon you now, to bless your Easter Day.
Happy Easter!
Fr. Phil
