Pastor’s Pen
EASTER 2019
A word from—Father Bob
Dear Risen Spirited Family of God,
The Lord has Risen and we have the victory of victories! The victory of Jesus dying and rising for us so that when we die, we rise eternally, forever to be with the Lord. also our spirit will continue in the world as long as it is remembered which won’t be very long, regardless of who we are. But it doesn’t really matter because we have fought the good fight and run the race as St. Paul says. Now there is a merited crown for us because Jesus has risen from the dead. Alleluia!!
Victories! Oh, how we love to celebrate victories. Usually they are small victories. We look around and see that Tiger Woods won a victory that was significant and almost miraculous in the professional game of golf. After ten years he came back and won the Master’s Tournament in Georgia, one of the main tournaments. And for you basketball fans, a team named the L.A. Clippers were 31 points behind the most significant and probably the best team in the NBA –the Golden State Warriors. But they came from behind and beat the Warriors and that is a record! So, they had a little victory, especially the team players. Of course, we see victories in all the sports world. But in a way, those victories and the ones that are in our lives are like puffs of smoke and just vanish into the atmosphere.
But the real victory is when you significantly accept the Lord as your Lord and Savior. Receive the Holy Sacraments as help to being totally united with him, so we celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation and we celebrate the Sacrament of Anointing, too, to heal ourselves of any physical infirmities as the Sacrament of Reconciliation heals our souls. With that and then with the Lord in Holy Communion, Alleluia!! , we receive the Risen Lord always. Maybe at this mass on Easter Sunday when you come to communion or you make a spiritual communion because maybe you are not prepared all the way to receive the Lord but you are in process, so just imagine that the priest or minister that is giving you the body and blood is really Jesus. So, I am going to say to you, “I am Jesus and I share with you, my body and blood.” Then you really are receiving this gift miraculously as really His body and blood. As it enters into us there is a beginning and continuation of that wonderful gift that the Lord gives us of Himself in Holy Communion. So, celebrate and enjoy this total victory and any other victory of love and relationships, accomplishments of children with graduations. Any victories of someone being baptized or confirmed and all the new people coming into our church. All of these are victories but they are just like a puff of smoke and they vanish, but the real victory is you totally accepting the Lord, Jesus, as your Lord and Savior and then celebrating that union always by receiving our Lord in Holy Communion. Alleluia!! A joyous Easter to you! Alleluia!!!
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