Dear Parishioners,
Blessed Easter! Welcome all, guests and parishioners alike, who have decided to join us this Easter at our house of prayer. We strive to be a welcoming community of faith. At Easter, we proclaim and celebrate, once again, the most important moment in history: the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. All through Lent we had been focusing on prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. We should not stop such holy practices. However, today and throughout this season of Easter, we are called to focus our hearts in gratitude for this singular event that changed the course of history. Christ’s death and resurrection has also given us the forgiveness of our sins. In this vein, I extend my sincere apologies to all who have been injured by the Church. Please know that we are not a museum of saints, but a hospital of sinners. You are always welcome here.
I hope you take some time to enjoy the season by continually opening your heart to God. He is our true source of joy. In all of my seven years as pastor here, I have been speaking about conversion of heart. I truly believe that it is in our submission to God that we will turn from our sins and be given joy in return. This is not an intellectual pursuit. We can learn in our minds all we want, but if we do not have a deep abiding relationship with Christ first, our learning is for not. If you still find yourself seeking and wondering where God is in your life, take some time out each day, and directly ask the Holy Spirit to reveal himself to you. If you practice this daily, if you seek, you will find. Conversion before catechesis. Our faith is not just about ideas that stimulate the mind. It is fundamentally a celebration of Christ in our midst who wants to be with us in every moment of our day. If each of us during Easter were to thank God and invite him even more deeply in our hearts, we will simply not be the same. Then, we will have the thirst to learn. The mysteries of Easter are deep and potent. If you sense you are missing the joy that should be in your life, know that the Resurrected Christ can bring you that joy.
Easter is a time of renewal. May this Easter Season be a time to invite God, once again, to renew your heart, renew your mind, and give you the grace to love even more deeply than before. May his resurrection give you hope amidst this troubled world.
May God bless you all!
Blessings,
Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor
