Parish Bulletin for Sunday, April 3, 2005

Second Sunday of Easter

April, month of The Holy Spirit

      If we were asked to describe in one word the major thread in all four writers of the New Testament that word would be faith. Etched in the readings for the fifty days of Easter is the witness to faith in the early communities, gathered together to tell the story – the story of the great and wondrous gift of Jesus – the story of the love our God holds for all of his creation – the story of faith.

      Today's gospel tells the story of how those first disciples came to believe. The risen Lord of all appears to His disciples and they recognize Him and believe in Him. He breathes the Holy Spirit on them and, according to John, He commissions them to carry on his mission of forgiveness and reconciliation.

      Our friend Thomas, who was not with the others when Jesus appeared to them, is skeptical. How like us he is in his doubt! How very rational! How very skeptical! And yet it is in the cry of Thomas, "My Lord and my God" that the faith of all to follow reverberates. He recognizes Jesus as both Lord and God. Transformation is complete. The reality of God is present in the risen Jesus. And all to follow will believe based on the witness and the word of these few. It is all of us who are blessed. It is all of us who have come to faith; just like the disciples, just like Thomas. We come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah and that He is the Son of God. We come to believe that we are called to share in the new covenant and live a new life in His name.

      And what is that faith? It is belief in a God who is so loving, so gracious, so giving, that He has shared with us His son, our Lord, Jesus Christ. The life, death and resurrection of Jesus brings us a new way of being. He reveals God and brings us the gift of eternal life. Jesus is connected to the Father. Belief in Jesus cannot be separated from belief in God's presence in Him. That same faith leads us to new life – the new life that all are called to live.

      The readings during this wondrous Easter season take us into the life lived by the early church members. They come together, they tell the story, they break the bread and they pray. Faith must be fed. The nourishment of those early times is available today as we celebrate the Sunday Eucharist.

      Coming together is integral to the Christian community of faith. We are defined by the love and service we offer to one another. We express ourselves in praise and glory to the God who has so loved us and continues to offer that love to us. When we pray, we open ourselves to presence of God in our lives and welcome Him into our hearts. Let us be particularly aware this Easter season. Let us raise our voices in praise and offer our Alleluia's with new vigour.

      Alleluia ! Alleluia!

Mass Intentions for the week

TUESDAY, April 5

Easter Weekday

St. Vincent Ferrer

12 Noon – Intention: Thanksgiving

Requested by Desirée and Joseph Viegas

WEDNESDAY, April 6

Easter Weekday

8:30 a.m. - † Doris Kennedy

Requested by Patricia

THURSDAY, April 7

Easter Weekday

St. John Baptist de la Salle

8:30 a.m. - † Ligoury Periera

Requested by Nalini Shakhar

FRIDAY, April 8

Easter Weekday

8:30 a..m. - † Sister Immaculata

Requested by family

SATURDAY, April 9

Easter Weekday

9:15 a..m. – Morning Prayers

(Office of the Blessed Virgin)

Parish Bulletin for Sunday, April 10, 2005

Third Sunday of Easter

"The Road to Emmaus"

      What is more natural for us today than to talk about our travels? We go on vacation and come back to tell others about our journey. In truth, part of the enjoyment of a vacation lies in the ability to experience life in a different way and to share that experience with others when we return.

I am with you always!

      It is not uncommon to ask a friend we haven't seen for some time where they have been and what have they seen. Many of us are affected by the weather. We go south to soak up the sun, to stave off depression, to cheer us up. We travel to get over a loss or to celebrate a victory. Sometimes, we need companionship so that we can talk out our feelings and come to some conclusions.

      We meet two disciples today doing just that. Imagine their feelings of loss and confusion; their messiah has just suffered a horrible death, their hopes have been dashed and despair threatens to overwhelm them. A stranger joins them on their journey and begins to talk to them. The disciples do not recognize their risen Lord, but are drawn to him just the same.

      They begin to talk to him about what has happened and how it has affected them. They are further confused by the reports that the women brought back on the empty tomb and the message that Jesus is indeed alive. At this point, Jesus begins to interpret Scripture in order to show them that the messiah had to suffer before being glorified. One thing led to another, and the disciples do not want to end the conversation so they invite Jesus to eat with them.

      The risen Lord continues to do what He has always done; He breaks bread with those who need Him. Sinners and tax collectors or poor and outcast, all are called to be part of the Kingdom of God. Eating with them announces to the world that they are called to be a part of that kingdom and are in relationship with each other and with Jesus himself. It is in the breaking of the bread that the disciples begin to recognize who He really is. This phrase – the breaking of the bread – has become for us the sharing of the Eucharist, just as it was in the early beginnings of our tradition.

      Jesus continues to announce; Jesus continues to invite; Jesus shares Himself with us in the form of food for all who come to His table. In their joy at recognizing the risen Lord, the two disciples reflect back on how deeply they were touched by the 'stranger' who interpreted scripture for them. They did not want the experience to just end with a good-bye. In the sharing of the word and the breaking of the bread, the disciples were renewed. Their physical journey took on new meaning and compelled them to return back to Jerusalem to tell others what had happened to them on their journey.

      For us, the implications are devastatingly clear; the risen Jesus remains among us in word as well as sacrament. Our journeys in life can take many twists and turns. We find ourselves in both joy and sorrow, light and darkness, happiness and despair. Yet the Lord of all is with us every step of the way. Christ is with us and He is alive in us. Easter reminds us most emphatically that we are truly loved and can encounter our God in both Word and the Eucharist. Food for the journey – the journey of faith!

Mass Intentions for the week

TUESDAY, April 12

Easter Weekday

12 Noon - † Leo McLaughlin

Requested by Mr. and Mrs. Gerald DeVeau

WEDNESDAY, April 13

Easter Weekday

8:30 a.m. - † Maria DiRosa

Requested by Jim and Fran Hutchinson

THURSDAY, April 14

Easter Weekday

8:30 a.m. - † Robert Nolan

Requested by niece

FRIDAY, April 15

Easter Weekday

8:30 a..m. - † Debbie Costello

Requested by Charles McCollam

SATURDAY, April 16

Easter Weekday

9:15 a..m. – Morning Prayers

(Office of the Blessed Virgin)

Parish Bulletin for Sunday, April 17, 2005

Fourth Sunday of Easter

Shepherd and Sheep

      If we were asked to sum up the meaning of today's readings in a single word, that word could be life. Our God is a God of life. He is the Creator, the Source of life, and He is the Sustainer, the One on whom all life depends. Rather than offering punishment and destruction in the face of humankind turning away from life in all its fullness through sin and self-destructive behaviour, our God offers instead the life, death, and resurrection of His Son to renew life for all of us.

      Easter proclaims once and for all time the triumph of life in Christ. The experience of that triumph of life over death, of light from darkness, of forgiveness and reconciliation, are gifts that God offers to each of us, if only we are open to them. The responsibility of those gifts is lived out when we take the message to heart. When we realize that sharing in the triumph means we also share in the life-giving work of Jesus. We too must offer the care and nurturing evoked in today's gospel. We too must be the gatekeepers who operate in the light and who show the concern and caring for each other that marks the shepherd. We too are called to be life-giving and life-sustaining in all that we do and all that we say.

      The strong images in John's whole gospel are life centred. Jesus is the bread of life, the living water, the vine to which we are intimately connected for sustenance, and the source of eternal life. This particular gospel evokes images of the caring and involved shepherd. He is the provider of safety and well-being. He is the source of all food that is required. Life with this shepherd reveals the love and caring of our God.

      Jesus is God's gift to us. Jesus is both shepherd and gatekeeper. It is through Him that God and God's gifts are freely offered. It is in Him that we are called to dwell forever in the gift of the Spirit. If we are to follow in this shepherd's footsteps, then we accept the gift and live as He has taught us to do-in care and love of one another.

      Today's gospel leaves us with a very powerful expression of life: 'I came that you may have life and have it in abundance.' Our God is generous with his gifts. In all that Jesus said and did, He revealed a depth of compassion and concern that was particularly visible in His dealings with the poor and the lost, the sinners and the sick, and those who were isolated from society.

      This is life in the Spirit. This is the life of a disciple. If we believe, if we have faith, if we truly hope to follow this shepherd, then we too must be willing to be open to whatever the Lord is calling forth from us today. Let us pray this day for the grace to open our hearts and our minds to the true image of shepherd. Let us follow in steps that are clearly marked for those who have sight to see and ears to hear. Let us offer praise and glory to the God of all gifts by living life in abundance.

Mass Intentions for the week

TUESDAY, April 19

Easter Weekday

12 Noon - † Alice Reynolds

Requested by Charles McCollam

WEDNESDAY, April 20

Easter Weekday

8:30 a.m. - † William Collier

Requested by Charles McCollam

THURSDAY, April 21

Easter Weekday

8:30 a.m. - † Giles Chaves

Requested by wife and children

FRIDAY, April 22

Easter Weekday

8:30 a..m. - † Fred Locicero

Requested by daughter Sarah, son Al and children

SATURDAY, April 23

Easter Weekday

9:15 a..m. – Morning Prayers

(Office of the Blessed Virgin)

Parish Bulletin for Sunday, April 24, 2005

Fifth Sunday of Easter

Jesus' death and resurrection was a defining moment in the history of salvation. For all time, the covenant of God with his people took on new life. Today's gospel is taken from conversation taking place after the last supper. It is very clear to us that Jesus is offering encouragement to his first disciples. They are becoming upset with his talk of leaving them and Jesus is very clear that he must go. He promises to prepare a place for them and return to get them. Very clear promise: the disciples don't get it.

      John then records another of his "I am" statements. We have heard this before. "I am the bread of life; I am the vine and you are the branches," and now, "I am the way and the truth and the life." The image is powerful; to know Jesus is to know the Father. God has revealed himself to us in Jesus and through his life, death and resurrection, has offered us a share in His life. At this time in His ministry and as He is approaching His death, Jesus is able to sum up the mission entrusted to Him by His Father. Through Jesus we come to know and hold relationship with our God. We too become a part of the promise.

      Early believers did find hope in Jesus' promise to return for them. When we begin the season of Advent, we are told to be ready. The time of fulfilment is upon us. Yet decades, centuries, and even millennia have passed and we are still longing for the fullness of God's kingdom. This time of waiting is the time of the Spirit. The Easter season reminds us that we are the Easter people, reminds us of our new and eternal covenant, reminds us that Jesus continues to be with us, reminds us that God loves us and wants to be in relationship with us. It is the Spirit who offers us strength and inspires us to continue our efforts to form a community of faith.

      And just how are we reminded? The readings during this period of Easter are filled with the joys, the struggles, the conflicts, and the caring communities of faith in the early days of the Church. The gospels image for us the call to faith, the meeting with Thomas, the road to Emmaus, the Good Shepherd, the promise to prepare a place for us, the promise of the Spirit, and the celebration of Pentecost. The community celebrates sacraments of initiation. The church is decorated, the Vigil candle remains lit and for 50 days we continue what was started at the great feast of Triduum. We remember and we bring that memory to life in our celebrations of liturgy.

      We have just witnessed the Confirmation of our young people over the past two weekends and will celebrate First Eucharist over the next two. We offer our prayers and congratulations to all those who have taken these steps on their journey of faith and thank them for their gift of new life in our community of faith. It is through our participation in these steps that our journey of faith is rejuvenated and refreshed. We witness and we pray. We respond to God's call each and every time we gather together as His church. Let us rejoice in praise and thanksgiving for all that God has done for us.

Mass Intentions for the week

TUESDAY, April 26

Easter Weekday

12 Noon - † Caspar Kirijian and Jalian Family

Requested by Jeannette Kirijian

WEDNESDAY, April 27

Easter Weekday

8:30 a.m. – Intentions of Ann Smola

Requested by Bianca Occhipinti

THURSDAY, April 28

Easter Weekday

8:30 a.m. - † Ersilia and Alfredo Gallucci

Requested by daughter Caterina

FRIDAY, April 29

St. Catherine of Siena

8:30 a..m. - † Frank Liotta

Requested by Mamie Liotta

SATURDAY, April 30

Easter Weekday

9:15 a..m. – Morning Prayers

(Office of the Blessed Virgin)

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