A Word From The Pastor
Happy Easter: Today we proclaim and celebrate the great mystery of our faith. Jesus is Risen. Easter is the greatest and the most important feast in the Church. The resurrection of Christ is the basis of our Christian faith. It is the greatest of the miracles, for it proves that Jesus is God. St. Paul writes: “If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain; and your faith is in vain”. “Jesus is Lord, he is risen” was the central theme of the 'preaching' of the Apostles. The apostles who were sad, gloomy and disappointed were strengthened after his resurrection. As we celebrate our greatest day in the Catholic Calendar I wish all of you a Happy and Blessed Easter. May the Risen Lord fill your mind and heart with Hope and Joy.
Inscriptions at the Tombstones: In the cemetery, we see various inscriptions on tombstones, some of them truly amusing. On the tomb of an atheist: “Here lies an Atheist, All dressed up, And no place to go.” On the tomb of a famous lawyer: “Here lies a lawyer who lies no more.” To a greedy and selfish woman it is written “Returned unopened” On the tomb of Jesus, perhaps the most appropriate words would be: “Jesus was here, but not anymore, for He is risen.”
Author of the First Gospel: Saint Mark was born in Cyrene, Libya but his date of birth is unknown. He is the author of the Gospel of Mark and it is the first Gospel to be written and is the shortest with 16 chapters. It is unclear whether St Mark ever saw Jesus. He traveled with Saint Barnabas and Saint Paul on their first missionary journey, during which he founded the Church of Alexandria. He died circa April 25, 68 A.D. Mark fulfilled in his life what every Christian is called to do: proclaim to all people the Good News that is the source of salvation. In particular, Mark’s way was by writing. Others may proclaim the Good News by music, drama, poetry, or by teaching children around a family table. As we honor this great evangelist Mark on the 25th of April we seek his intercession for our life. St Mark Pray for us.
Question and the Answer: Three blondes die and arrive at the pearly gates of Heaven. St. Peter tells them that they can enter the gates if they can answer one simple question. St. Peter asks the first blonde, "What is Easter?" The first blonde replies, "Oh, that's easy! It's the holiday in November, when everyone gets together, eats turkey, and are thankful." "Wrong!," replies St. Peter, and proceeds to ask the second blonde the same question, "What is Easter?" The second blonde replies, "Easter is the holiday in December, when we put up a nice tree, exchange presents, and celebrate the birth of Jesus." St. Peter looks at the second blonde, shakes his head in disgust, tells her she's wrong, and then peers over his glasses at the third blonde. He asks, "What is Easter?" The third blonde smiles confidently and looks St. Peter in the eyes, "I know what Easter is." "Oh?" says St. Peter, in amazement. "Easter is the Christian holiday that coincides with the Jewish celebration of Passover. Jesus and his disciples were eating at the last supper, and Jesus was later deceived and turned over to the Romans, by one of his disciples. The Romans took him to be crucified, and he was stabbed in the side, made to wear a crown of thorns, and was hung on a cross, with nails through his hands. He was buried in a nearby cave, which was sealed off by a large boulder." St. Peter smiles broadly with delight. The third blonde continues, "Every year the bolt is moved aside, so that Jesus can come out... and, if he sees his shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter.
God’s blessings,
Fr. Suneesh Mathew
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