April 20, 2025
Happy Easter to one and all! May God bless these days of joy. Today, all our hopes are fulfilled in the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. He has overcome sin and death. He has triumphed over all that would bring sorrow and despair. God wins!
These past days of Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter are the ultimate fulfillment of God’s promises throughout the ages. The ancient prophets spoke of it. The great men and women of Old Testament times longed for it. Saints of our Christian era have lived and died for it. We are offered this gift by God today and every day. Thank you for joining us in giving God praise and glory.
If I could have one special prayer answered, it would be that every single person recognizes that the Paschal Mystery — the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus — was done for each of us personally. Often we think of this sacrifice as a universal gift, that Jesus died and rose for everybody. And He did! But God’s salvation is not some generic, nebulous thing that doesn’t really mean much personally. No, in fact, it is very personal! Yes, Jesus died and rose for all of creation. But He did all that for YOU and ME, each one of us. It is as if Jesus is looking each of us in the eye — both from the cross and the empty tomb. I pray this Easter will bring you many blessings.
If you’ve been out of the loop for coming to church, we are very glad you came. Stick around. Come and see what God is doing at Saint George. Listen to hear how He is calling you. God invites you to a rich and beautiful relationship with Him. If there are hurts, allow God to bring healing. If you have doubts, you’re not alone. If you feel like you’ve been too sinful, join the club. All of us at Siant George are trying our best. We don’t always get it right, so let’s all stumble along to the Kingdom of God together.
Finally, I am very happy to be back from our pilgrimage to Spain and France. If you have a moment, take a look at the pictures on the Saint George Facebook page. La Sagrada Familia Church in Barcelona is a wonder of architecture and beauty. Lourdes, where Our Blessed Mother appeared to Saint Bernadette was so moving, especially the evening multi-lingual rosary and receiving water from the miraculous spring. If you haven’t seen “The Song of Bernadette” watch it! It is a great film and pretty accurate for Hollywood. In Avignon, we saw the palace of the popes who lived there over seventy years while Rome was in turmoil. It was a blessing to offer Mass in Nice among other places. These pilgrimages are a bit draining for me as spiritual director (shared with Father Kevin McCray of
Saint Elizabeth Seton) but what is emptied makes room for what God wants to put there. I brought all of you and your needs and prayers with me. Be blessed this Easter Day!