Easter
has begun on 16 April and it will end with Pentecost Sunday on 4 June. These 50
days of the Easter season between Easter Sunday and Pentecost is a time to
rejoice and a time to experience what it means when we say Christ is Risen. He
is very much alive in us, among us and through us. In these seven weeks, we are
also called to celebrate and ponder the birth of the Church (Acts 2) and gifts
of the Holy Spirit and how we are to live as faithful disciples of the Risen
Christ.
This
sacred period of fifty days makes it the longest liturgical season in the
liturgical year, longer than both Christmas and Lent. It is a time to celebrate
new life in Christ. Coming to Church throughout this time is very important.
The Risen Christ will change us and transform us always. We need not be afraid
of change. He gives us hope and encouragement through faith. Eastertide reminds
us even as we fail, that God will never fail us and His love is always new and
never fails.
As
we celebrate new life in Christ and the gift of peace in this season of Easter,
let us remember the prayer of St. Francis of Assisi to be “instruments of
Christ’s peace”.
Peace of Christ grows when we live as reconcilers and in harmony with all of
God’s creatures. I am very much inspired with his prayers, which goes: “Where there is
hatred let us bring Your love. Where there is injury, let us bring Your pardon.
Where there is doubt, let us bring faith. Where there is despair, let us bring
Your hope. Where there is darkness, let us bring Your light. Where there is
sadness, let us bring Your joy.” It is a very fitting prayer for peace after the celebration
of Easter Sunday.
Now,
we are in the midst of celebrating our Novena to St Joseph, the Worker that starts
on 22nd April and will end on 1st May with our feast-day celebration. We, as “Easter People”, shall carry the joys
of Easter with us in every aspect of our lives especially during our Novena and
feast of our Patron Saint. I pray that during this nine-day novena period,
every parishioner and pilgrim to our Parish may obtain special graces for all
your petitions. May our celebrations during these days bolster the faith of the
individual and our community as well. I hope this Easter season, our novena period
and feast day celebration will bring new life, new strength and freshness in
your faith.
During
the Easter Vigil, our parish community welcomed 10 new Catholics (6 from the
Tamil-Speaking community and 4 from the English-Speaking community) through the
Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA). They have gone through a period
of enquiry, searching and contemplating since June last year and also through a
Lenten time of enlightenment and purification towards the Easter Sacraments of
Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist. They have just begun their life-long
journey of a faith as Catholics. They have also come to the final period of the
RCIA journey. It is called mystgogy, a Pentecost experience of mystery. It will
last for 50 days until the Pentecost feast. It is a time for deepening your
spiritual experiences in order to enter more fully in the life of the Church.
Stand firm in your faith and be courageous!
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