Happy Resurrection Day!
Dear sisters & brothers in Christ,
Happy Resurrection Day!
I pray that you and your loved ones are celebrating a joyful & blessed Easter! We have made it through another journey in the wilderness, thanks to our Lord & Companion. We have listened to His Gospel, we have witnessed His miraculous power born out of His love and compassion for each one of us. This morning, we witness the greatest act of love & mercy ever performed, the Resurrection of our Savior & Redeemer! We have stood before the tomb, we’ve seen that the boulder had been rolled away, and heard the love of The Father call His only begotten Son from death to New & Everlasting LIFE!
...someone ought to say, “Amen!” ...someone ought to shout, “ALLELUIA!”
Today is a day of great JOY! Today our sins are wiped clean. Today we have been bathed in the Blood of The Lamb, the Mercy of our loving God! Today, we have each been given New & Everlasting LIFE!!!
As we continue to celebrate for the next fifty days, I encourage you to leave the things of your old life behind. Leave the pain and hurt, leave the doubts and worries, leave behind the resentment and anger, leave behind the jealousy and the judgments, leave behind the gossip and lies, leave behind the sin and darkness, gather up all the baggage and leave it behind on Calvary. Once you are free of all the darkness and negativity, then go to peer into the tomb. See for yourself that it is indeed EMPTY! See for yourself that Jesus GOT UP! ...Oh yes church, your Lord & Redeemer GOT UP! He got up so that you might be Redeemed! He got up so that you can have New Life! He got up so that you might know the love and mercy of The Father. He got up so that you might have JOY, and have it in abundance.
Once you have peered into the tomb...once you are for sure that Jesus GOT UP! Once you know that Jesus Christ LIVES, then go forth and tell the world that Jesus GOT UP! Tell your family & friends, tell your neighbors and tell some strangers that Jesus Christ, who is Lord & Redeemer, not only GOT UP, but He STAYED UP, so that the whole world might have Joy & Life, New & Everlasting LIFE!!!
Indeed... ...someone ought to say, “Amen!” ...someone ought to shout, “ALLELUIA!”
Have a blessed and joyful Easter! In the Redeemer, Fr. Rick