Easter is so much more than eggs and egg hunts, rabbits and chicks, flowers and baskets, and yes even much more than chocolate! Oh, how our broken world needs Easter more than ever. So central to our faith is the Resurrection that St. Paul writes, “If Christ be not raised from the dead, our faith is in vain.” (1 Cor. 15:14). Our observance of Easter is not just a mere recollection of the central events of Christianity it is a real, lifegiving sacrament and sign of hope. The sadness of so many things happening in our world and in our country can often lead us to question and wonder, ‘where is Jesus’ in all of this? Personal despair and suffering can also add to many doubts that we may be tempted to believe and ask that same question, where are you Jesus? Understood properly, the resurrection of Jesus Christ has great power to inspire, motivate and to change. The beauty of the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist, has both a here and later effect. In one sense we are spiritually strengthened by reception of the Eucharist and yet it celebrates and reminds us of that great eternal banquet that Christ has prepared for each of us in the next world. So too in our despair, doubt, and sufferings, we need only be reminded that all of those negative attributes are merely here and now and not in the next. As Jesus suffered so profoundly for us even to His death, He promises us in the next, joy, happiness, and an existence that is beyond anything we have ever experienced in the here and now. Let’s recall the words of St. Paul “What eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and what has not entered the human heart. What God has prepared for those who love Him. . .” May this Easter inspire and bring you renewed hope that in Jesus Christ, your faith can never be in vain or just some mental emotional feeling, but a truly life giving and live changing experience. From all of us on the parish staff, Joe, Sam, Ruth, Mary Ann, and myself, we wish you and your loved ones a blest and inspiring Easter! wesołych Świąt Wielkanocnych. Fr. Roach
