St. M - Reflection 2nd Easter

WEEKLY REFLECTION | Second Sunday of Easter, April 16, 2023

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I hope that you aren’t looking in your mailboxes for a letter this week. Since I’m not sure I’ll be able to go into the office to print and mail it, I decided just this once to send it via email.

Thank you all so much for the many expressions of care and concern you sent me last week. I’m glad to say that I am improving little by little. I am resting, as so many of you advised, and trying to be patient with the healing process. ALAS! I’m a better nurse than a patient, though!

I am very grateful to so many of you who took on extra work and responsibilities at an already busy time to make our Holy Week and Easter celebrations moving and nurturing. I was so sad when the organist also got sick, but you did a great job singing a capella! Wait till I tell Dodd. There might be more in your future…  And thank you for your hospitality to the visiting clergy and other guests, especially on Easter Day. That’s what it’s all about, being a warm, open-hearted community. I believe it is what Christ intended and you are living up to it. As Bishop Sean used to say, “Make it a great day in the kingdom!”

This coming Sunday is Easter and I hope that as many of you as can will be with us in person or online to shout out ALLELUIA! THE LORD IS RISEN! And to sing with joy the great Easter Canticle. Yes, of course, last Sunday was Easter, also. There are SEVEN Easter Sundays. The joy does not diminish, even after the chocolate bunnies have had their ears bitten off, and the beautiful eggs have made their way into egg salad.  The Resurrection is part of what gives us hope as we go through the struggles of life. It gives us courage when the people we love die. The promise that because Christ was resurrected, we, too, will be is perhaps the thing most worth rejoicing over in the whole world. And we intend to make the most of every one of those seven Sundays of joy!

So we shout and sing with everything that is in us ALLELUIA! THE LORD IS RISEN! THE LORD IS RISEN INDEED! ALLELUIA!

JOY!
Mo. Laura+