He is Risen! Alleluia, Alleluia!

04-05-2026Weekly ReflectionFr. Fred Adamson

Easter greetings and blessings to all who have joined us for the celebration of Mass on this glorious Easter Sunday. We pray that your hearts are filled with the joy and peace that comes only from the Risen Lord.

For forty days we journeyed through Lent, allowing the Lord to prepare us for these great Fifty Days of Easter. Along the way, we fixed our gaze on the Cross, learning again that God’s love is revealed most fully in sacrifice.

Now, in the light of Easter, we see that this love does not end at the Cross. It passes through suffering and death into the empty tomb and bursts forth into new life.

This has been our focus: to love in and through the Cross. Now we rejoice in the truth that this same love has conquered death. Jesus is risen, and He calls each of us, His disciples, to witness that love in our daily lives. Without this love, we are nothing. Without this love, there is no hope, no peace, no healing. This is the love that gives life to the world; the love of Christ, poured out and victorious.

The Cross remains our school of love. Day by day, in the ordinary and sometimes difficult moments of life, we continue to learn what it means to love as Jesus loves, with open, sacrificial arms. Easter does not move us away from the Cross; it reveals its power. It teaches us that when we give ourselves away in love, we discover true life.

We offer our heartfelt prayers for all who received the Sacraments of Initiation at the Easter Vigil. Your witness is a powerful sign of God’s grace at work among us. Your presence strengthens our parish and reminds us of the beauty of a life lived in Christ. We also invite anyone seeking to grow deeper in their relationship with Jesus to join our Quest group, which meets every Sunday at 9:00 a.m. in the parish center. All are welcome.

Our Easter book this year is The Seven Pillars of Catholic Spirituality by Matthew Kelly. We encourage you to make it part of your Easter journey, allowing it to help sustain and deepen the love God has placed in your heart through the practices of our Catholic faith.

As we continue celebrating the Easter season, we invite you to a special Easter Encounter and Egg Hunt on the Second Sunday of Easter, April 12th, following the 9:00 a.m. Mass in the parish courtyard. It will be a joyful time for our young people to explore the Resurrection appearances of Jesus, culminating in a festive Easter Egg Hunt. Consider inviting another family to join you as we celebrate the beauty and joy of Easter together.

That same Sunday is Divine Mercy Sunday, a powerful reminder of God’s boundless mercy. Special graces are promised to those who receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation, attend Mass, and receive Holy Communion on this day. A special Divine Mercy Mass will be celebrated at 3:00 p.m., the Hour of Mercy. We warmly invite all to come and experience the healing love of Christ. (This Mass fulfills your Sunday obligation.)

Be sure to take a family Easter photo, either in the church or outside at the Resurrection Cross and share it as a witness to the hope we celebrate. Let your Easter light shine. Let your Catholic faith be visible. Let others see the joy of a community alive in Christ.

Together, let us proclaim the greatest story ever told: the story of God’s love in Jesus Christ, who saves us. We rejoice! He is risen!

Easter blessings.