MESSAGE ON EASTER SUNDAY (YR A)
Thursday 6th April 2023
My dear people,
I can’t believe that the Triduum and the celebration of Easter itself are upon us. It does not seem like Ash Wednesday was six weeks ago. Indeed, the 40 days of Lent seemed like a very long time on Ash Wednesday. However, we find ourselves at the threshold of the Triduum and I have found this year’s Lent to have gone all too quickly.
Today, we start re-living the most wonderful events of the church’s calendar beginning with the Mass of the Lord’s Supper this evening. Tomorrow, we recall the events of the Passion at the Solemn Passion of the Lord and on Saturday we celebrate the very reason for our faith, the Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ. I invite you to enter deeply into these events this year so that they are not simply a distant memory but truly the very reason for living the way we do. At Easter, we rejoice at the victory of light over darkness. We also celebrate the new life which comes after death and Jesus Christ, in his death and resurrection, shows us that not even death has the last word. What a tremendous realisation!
This year, four members of our parish will complete their initiation into the church at the Easter Vigil. Chelsea Gatto and Mitchell Salton will celebrate the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation, and will receive Holy Communion for the first time. Amy Dillon will celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation and Sheena Pettigrew will celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation and receive Holy Communion for the first time.. We sincerely congratulate and warmly welcome them to our community.
We are very grateful to God that we can celebrate Easter as a community. I strongly encourage all of you to avail yourselves of this wonderful opportunity to come and worship our loving God at the liturgies of the Triduum. The times for the liturgies are advertised on the website and in the bulletin. I hope to see you there.
As mentioned, at Easter, we celebrate new life. Our parish will run its fourth session of Alpha starting on 26th April this year. I highly urge you to think about attending Alpha this year. We all have gone through times in our lives when we have questioned the very meaning of life. Perhaps you are going through this right now. Perhaps your daughter or son, brother or sister, or colleague is going through this at the moment. Alpha is the best way to come to reflect on the deeper meaning of life. May I ask you to consider attending and encouraging them to attend Alpha? You and they will certainly benefit from it!
Fr Joel and I would like to take the opportunity to warmly thank each and every one of our ministry coordinators and volunteers for all their work this year so far and particularly in the preparation for Easter. I would also like to sincerely thank the parish staff without whom I simply would not be able to do what I need to do.
Please note that the parish office will be closed on Easter Tuesday 11th April. You are welcome to leave a voicemail and someone will return your call as soon as possible.
Fr Joel joins me to wholeheartedly wish you and your loved ones, near and far, a very Happy and Holy Easter. May the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus bring you joy and peace.
We continue turning to our patron saint and we ask for her intercession.
St Catherine of Siena, Pray for us.
Yours sincerely in Christ,
Fr Richard Rosse PP