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On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.”

We awoke on Easter Monday to the news of the passing of Pope Francis. Although we were aware of his illness, his public appearance in recent days gave us hope that his recovery would continue. The words of our Lord in today’s Gospel might rightly summarize the lasting wish of Pope Francis, “Peace be with you.” In his address to Congress during his U.S. visit in 2015, the late Holy Father said this:

“All of us are quite aware of, and deeply worried by, the disturbing social and political situation of the world today. Our world is increasingly a place of violent conflict, hatred and brutal atrocities, committed even in the name of God and of religion. We know that no religion is immune from forms of individual delusion or ideological extremism. This means that we must be especially attentive to every type of fundamentalism, whether religious or of any other kind. A delicate balance is required to combat violence perpetrated in the name of a religion, an ideology or an economic system, while also safeguarding religious freedom, intellectual freedom and individual freedoms. But there is another temptation which we must especially guard against: the simplistic reductionism which sees only good or evil; or, if you will, the righteous and sinners. The contemporary world, with its open wounds which affect so many of our brothers and sisters, demands that we confront every form of polarization which would divide it into these two camps. We know that in the attempt to be freed of the enemy without, we can be tempted to feed the enemy within. To imitate the hatred and violence of tyrants and murderers is the best way to take their place. That is something which you, as a people, reject.”

As we pray for the repose of his soul, let these words of Pope Francis also be the intentions of our prayer for our nation and its leaders.

DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY – As an Easter people, we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus for 50 days. So what jubilatory practices can we adopt to celebrate that he is truly risen, and we are set free from the power of sin? St. Faustina, to whom the inspiration of Divine Mercy Sunday is credited, wrote that the Lord Jesus told her “Mankind will not have peace until it turns with trust to My mercy.” Pope Saint John Paul II said, “Divine Mercy is the Easter gift that the Church receives from the risen Christ and offers to humanity.” Having received the gift of the Lord’s mercy, let us trust and believe that we are responsible for fostering the world peace we seek through the mercy we offer.

MORE EASTER THANK YOUS – At the Easter Vigil, I expressed my thanks to the staff and ministries that worked so hard to allow us to celebrate Holy Week so well. It is important to also acknowledge the faithful participation of all of you. The beauty of these liturgies was most evident in the faith professed by the those whose prayer and worship unified us. I also thank you for your financial generosity which enables us to continue the good work of our parish.

FIRST HOLY COMMUNION CELEBRATIONS – This weekend is the first of several celebrations of the First Holy Communion of children who attend our school or are enrolled in our Faith Formation program. As a symbol of our parish’s prayerful support for the First Communicants, our Rosary Altar Society has spent the last several months making over 300 rosary beads for the children. I thank the Rosarians for the devotion and care that went into making these rosary beads as well as their prayers asking the Blessed Mother to intercede for our children.

Peace,