EASTER SEASON
As a Church we celebrate not just Easter Sunday but an Easter Season till Pentecost 19th May.
This Easter Message comes from Archbishop Hart with a wonderful story about St Teresa of Avila. One day the devil appeared to her, disguised as Jesus. St Teresa wasn't fooled for even a second, dismissing the devil.
Before leaving, the devil asked her, "How could you be so sure I wasn't Jesus?"
"You didn't have any wounds – Christ has wounds!"
One of the most striking elements of our Gospel’s Resurrection stories is that Jesus is still wounded in all of them. The crucifixion wounds do not heal. They remain open, eternally. The resurrected body of Christ remains marked by his earthly suffering, forever.
In fact, in many of the gospel stories, it is not until the disciples actually see the wounds of Christ that they recognize Jesus for who he is.
Until they see the wounds, Christ remains shrouded in mystery. Christ, in the resurrection, is known by his wounds.
Yes, Christ has wounds and so do we! In fact, our Catholic faith refuses to gloss over our wounds with hollow positive thinking. It refuses to ignore that basic tenet of human life. We will be wounded.
But as people of the resurrection, our promise is that our wounds can begin to heal others.
Some Christians live out this mystery of the Resurrection profoundly. So many people are living the mystery of the resurrection. If only we had the eyes of faith!
The wounded and risen Christ still appears among us:
- in the quiet tender care of our nurses and care givers in our hospitals, especially to the elderly and the dying
- in the patient and professional care of our teachers who generously serve our young people
- in the outreach of our social services like the St Vincent de Paul Society to the needy
- in the quiet heroism of parents as they sacrifice themselves for the good of their children.
Wounded saints are all around us. Their wounds do not embitter them but become fountains of compassion and hope for others.
One such saint known to many Vietnamese Catholic community is someone we can especially seek to imitate. He is the late courageous Cardinal Van Thuan, who witnessed powerfully to his Catholic faith while locked for years in a Vietnam prison.
Pope Benedict XVI referred to Thuan saying:
"During thirteen years in jail, in a situation of seemingly utter hopelessness, the fact that he could listen and speak to God became for him an increasing power of hope, which enabled him, after his release, to become for people all over the world a witness to hope - to that great hope which does not wane even in the nights of solitude."
Listening to Cardinal Van Thuan, as he describes the logic of Christ’s resurrection in our lives in this way:
“Jesus cast fire on the earth and he desires the earth to be set ablaze with its brilliant light. You must be the bright flame; from which other torches must be kindled until the whole world is a vast sea of living flame.”
Let us allow the Risen Lord to roll away the rocks of pride, ego and selfishness from our hearts, stones that may block the power of his presence, power and love in our lives and in our families.
May the light of the risen Christ that streams from his glorified wounds bring joy, healing and peace to us all.
"By His wounds we are healed"
UP COMING DATES
21st April - World day of Prayer for Vocations
25th April – Anzac Day Mass - 7.00am Infant Saviour, Burleigh Heads
28th April – Sacramental Program Welcome Masses
5th May – Year 9 and 10 Connect Mass - 5.30pm Mary Mother of Mercy Church,
12th May – Mother’s Day
19th May – Pentecost Children Family Mass – Prep - Year 3 Connect Mass, Mary Mother of Mercy.
Our Parish Evangalisation Program is Simple
Say "God Bless You" after every conversation. Don't be afraid to put God back into the marketplace and every day conversations.
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Children's Family Mass
Join us the 4th Sunday of the month for a Mass celebrated for children and families at Mary Mother of Mercy Church.
