Seizing the Opportunity to be a Disciple

Dear Friends:

On Easter Sunday, we celebrated Christ's Resurrection from the dead. Death itself could not keep our Lord from us; the tomb could not contain nor isolate his love.

In our Scriptures this Sunday, we read that it is fear that stands between the disciples and the Lord. We hear that on the evening of the day of the resurrection, the disciples gathered together in a room with locked doors, "for fear of the Jews". It was this fear that had caused them to flee on the night of his arrest.

Today, many years later we may be experiencing some of that same fear - not of those of the ancient world who were averse to Jesus and his message - but fear of the virus and perhaps even of sickness and death itself. Just as then the tomb could not keep Jesus in and the locked doors could not keep him out, we experience the same phenomenon.

As Jesus comes and stands in their midst, he says, "Peace be with you!" Even behind our locked doors today, even in our quarantine and isolation, he says the same. His resurrection brings us many gifts, not the least of which is peace. 

Although these weeks have been difficult, and anxiety producing for many of us, I believe that we are starting to see glimmers of hope; conversations about antibody testing, planning for the eventual re-opening of society, reduced hospital admissions and lessening of the burdens of those who have cared for the sick and dying. These are instruments of his peace - meant for you and me.

In the readings this Sunday, after Jesus gives the disciples his peace, he then gives them a mission: "As the Father has sent me, so I send you." Freed from their fear, the disciples are then called to bring his peace to others.  You and I are called to do the same!

Please take a moment this week to reach out to someone, particularly someone who may be sick, elderly, living alone, or someone prone to worry and anxiety. Talk with them. Pray with them. Use the grace in your heart to give them the peace of the Lord.

This Easter season will give us many opportunities to be his disciples. Seize them because the world needs us more now than ever!

Blessings!

RSM    

Easter Blessings

Dear Friends:

Christ is Risen!

Perhaps at very few other times in history have we ever needed to hear those very reassuring words. With so many of our brothers and sisters across the globe facing sickness, isolation, and even death, the foundational principle of our faith needs to be shouted from the mountain tops and perhaps even from our windows!

Christ is Risen!

The resurrection of Christ is the principle of new life for every man and every woman, for true renewal always begins from the heart. And while some of us may still find ourselves in the tomb of darkness, there are surely signs of hope, recovery and life all around us.

Christ is Risen!

Easter this year, more than so many others before, gives us a new starting point, and turns our compass to God, who sets us free from fear, anxiety, stress, and all those things that prevent us from truly living as God desires.

Christ is Risen!

While we are surely not out of the woods yet, and there will be plenty of rebuilding to do, we do so with a renewed hope. May the Risen Christ, who flung open the doors of the tomb, open wide our hearts to the needs of those around us who are suffering most.

Christ is Risen!

He is the hope for each of us and for the entire world. May we let ourselves be renewed by Him! And let our work of rebuilding now begin.

Wishing you a Blessed Easter! -Fr Bob

Be Not Afraid

Worried?

Anxiety is a toxic brew of negative emotions—anger, angst, apprehension, tension, worry, discouragement, fear, nervousness, panic, and fretfulness. Forty million Americans battle it regularly, and everyone faces periodic bouts of this devilish disease—me included. So you can imagine that these days of dealing with the coronavirus and all of the restrictions and changes in our daily lives have certainly added to that number and its intensity!

The parish staff and I have spent the last week calling all of our registered parishioners - more than 3000 families in all.  It's a project that took many days to complete. While we have heard that many people are fine and hunkered down together as a family, we have also heard the stories of worry and anxiety.

In the midst of a pandemic, sometimes we can allow our mind to worry about everything - even and especially things beyond our control. The fact of the matter is that today we can only manage the things that we are immediately responsible for: 

1. Our own health and safety;

2. Caring for your children;

3. Elderly parents;

4. Temporal matters, not the least of which is food, supplies and our financial stability.

Just thinking about these few points can make people very anxious!

None of us can change the rising number of people infected, but we can follow the good advice of washing our hands, cleaning and sanitizing surfaces, self-isolating and exercising social distancing to ensure that we are not adding to that number.

None of us can fix the stock market, but we can be aware of someone in our community who has a greater need than we do. Consider helping a small local grocery store or restaurant with an order or making a donation to a food pantry.

None of us can make any of this process go any faster, but we can use each minute to breathe, focus, rest, exercise and pray until the global situation changes - and we can encourage our family and friends to do the same.

Our God speaks to us in the Sacred Scriptures.  Perhaps in times like this, with much less movement and much more quiet, we can better hear God's word.  The Bible has many passages for overcoming anxiety. I offer here just one, from the book of Proverbs 12:25: 

"Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up."

The writer of Proverbs knew from personal experience that anxiety feels like a weight. When we’re anxious, it’s like trying to run in a waterlogged wool coat. We trudge from step to step. There is no countermeasure better than a kind word—either from a friend or counselor, or from God's Word. 

Instead of reciting our problems to people over and over and posting them on social media adding to our anxiety, give a trusted friend the short version and then offer a kind word or share a happy memory or an insight that has come out of all this.  

These days will not pass by very quickly - so perhaps it's better not to try and obsess on the "end date."  Instead, despite the anxiety and worry, let's use each minute to better know ourselves and those we are surrounded by - physically and virtually.  Let's use these days to assess our needs and pray for one another - especially those who are sick, those caring for them, and those whose work and service we rely on these days.

Trade your list of worries for a list of hopeful insights.  And if you can, please share them here with me, so that we can be an inspiration to one another and our community of faith.

Blessings!

RSM

(With Thanks to: https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/spiritual-life/6-great-anti-anxiety-passages-of-scripture-for-tough-times.html)