Dear Friends,
This Sunday is the octave (eighth) day of Easter, so once again Happy Easter! The Resurrection of Jesus from the dead is such a staggering event, such an astounding and history changing event, that it cannot be contained to one day. We celebrate it all eight days. In fact, the Easter season lasts fifty days, right up to Pentecost.
While our Lenten fasting, prayer, and almsgiving is a forty-day experience, the Church offers us fifty days to celebrate, to feast. Have you given yourself time to contemplate the radicalness of Jesus’ resurrection? It is truly the game-changer in all human history.
This Sunday is also known as the Sunday of Divine Mercy, designated by Saint John Paul II, in accord with Jesus’ wishes shared with Saint Faustina. At 3:00 PM in Church we will have the recitation of the Divine Mercy Chaplet and Benediction. Come, ponder, receive from the ocean of Divine Mercy all that Jesus pours forth upon souls. A special plenary indulgence is available under the usual conditions today. It is a unique opportunity of grace and forgiveness for all.
Our Holy Week, Pascal Triduum, and Easter Sunday celebrations were truly a blessing in every way. So many came, especially to the Easter Sunday Masses. My profound thanks to so many for doing so much to make this year’s celebrations uniquely special. The list is nearly endless. Thank you, Father Giardini, for training the altar servers, coordinating the ministers, and helping to ensure that we had all we needed for the different celebrations, before, during and after. Thank you to Deacon Jack and Deacon Ed for their participation during those days and their ongoing presence and ministry here in our parish family. Thank you to Deacon Andrew Auletta, whose presence and assistance was a valuable help both behind the scenes and during the celebrations.
Thank you to our choir, cantors, psalmists, organists, under the able leadership of our Sacred Music Director, Elizabeth Calabro, for helping us to lift up our minds and hearts in worship and praise. Thank you to our altar servers, Lectors, Extraordinary Eucharistic Ministers for their ministry and assistance. To all our parish staff and my leadership team for their untiring help all year long but especially during these days. Thank you to our weekly Church cleaning volunteers and to the special crew of fourteen volunteers on Holy Saturday morning that helped to clean, prepare, and set up the Sanctuary, the liturgical vessels, and other essential items for worship for the Easter Vigil and Easter Masses. God bless you one and all!
Our Easter Egg Hunt for the little ones was back again. What a nice turn out of youngsters, parents, and grandparents. Thank you to our Youth Ministry group for all their hard work in preparing, organizing, and executing this very fun-filled event. And thank you all who so generously donated so much candy for the event. Even the Easter Bunny made an appearance.
The joy of this season is rooted in the reality that Jesus Christ suffered, going down into the depths of God-forsakenness, that He died, and rose from the dead. He sanctifies any suffering that we may experience by His conquering of sin and death. We belong to Him, and He belongs to us. The things of this world are passing away, but Jesus is preparing a place for us in His Father’s House. May we live in the joy and the light of that reality day by day.
God bless you, God love you, and I love you,
Monsignor McCulken
