410-535-0223 (Office)
410-535-4395 (Rel Ed)
410-414-9099 (FLC)
410-286-1944 (Food Pantry)
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Most of us have lost something valuable at one time or another. It could be as simple as losing a wallet or a set of car keys. One could also wager that there are more than a few parents who have lost track of a child in a mall or on a playground. Whether it’s something or someone important, our normal reaction when this happens is usually panic and fear.
Because of this, we are naturally sympathetic to the disciples in Sunday’s gospel. We know from the text of scripture that they were locked in fear. They had no direction. The one whom they had trusted and believed in was no longer among them. As far as they were concerned, Jesus’ death on the cross was a tragic sacrifice that brought the life of their leader to an end. He was lost to them, and they too were lost.
Yet, all of that was about to change. Besides the remarkable encounter with the risen Lord presented here, this story of the Resurrection is also very much about the Church. Christ is raised and changed, but so are we.
This Easter story from the Gospel of Luke is about the appearance of the risen Lord and it is also about what that appearance creates in those who witnessed it. The resurrection radically changed the lives of those who came to faith in Christ. The disciples not only saw the risen one, they were invited to participate in his risen life through his mission.
For the Church in every age, the resurrection of Christ is witnessed because it is lived. Beginning with those first disciples, the presence of perfect Love, the Love that cast out fear, the Love that casts out doubt, opened their hearts to see beyond human experience. They saw with the power of grace. It is in this that the apostles built the foundation for the faith. They saw the risen Lord, and they were empowered by Christ in their own lives to bring his truth to the world.
They lived in Christ and became able, as Paul declares in the Letter to the Ephesians: “…[to] grow in every way into him who is the head, Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, with the proper functioning of each part, brings about the body's growth and builds itself up in love.”
Living as members of Christ’s body, empowers us to carry the Gospel forward. The Lord commissions us to be witnesses of his resurrection. The questions we must often face though deal with our ability to embrace what God offers. Are we bound by the little world of our human condition and fail to see the Risen Lord? Do we see signs of the resurrection in our own lives? Are we open to the fullness of life that the Resurrection brings?
Especially now when our world is increasingly being shown to be fragile and unstable. The Resurrection that empowered the first disciples of our Lord, gives us the ability to move beyond fear and embrace God’s life-giving presence. The choice is ours to make.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Rev. Joseph B. Pierce,
Pastor
Rev. Joseph B. Pierce,
Pastor
Third Sunday of Easter
First Reading Acts 3:13-15, 17-19
Responsorial Psalm: 4:2, 4, 7-8, 9
Second Reading: 1 Jn 2:1-5a
Gospel: Lk 24:35-48
On Saturday evenings, our bulletin is uploaded to our Parish website. (click here) You may also find a previous editions there!
First Holy Eucharist
Saturday April 24/5 pm
Sunday April 25/11 am.
This month, we will be celebrating Sacraments of Initiation during our regular Mass Times. Seating will be reserved for the children receiving First Eucharist and their families. Seating at these Masses will be limited. God bless you and thank you for your patience and understanding.
Campus Clean Up Event
April 22nd 3 pm - 8 pm
April 23rd 1 pm - 8 pm
Come out and join us for two evenings of cleaning up the grounds of St. John Vianney. As we prepare for nicer weather and spring. We will be abiding by all CDC guidelines and COVID restrictions. Please bring your gardening gloves, small hand tools, refillable water bottles and masks. We will provide a small refreshment table with drinks and snacks.
For details please reach out to Karen Benson, youthminister@sjvchurch.net
To join us via Zoom just click the link below on the date and time.
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87074996020?pwd=MHlrZStQSTJRR0xCdS82Z3ptbTR6UT09
Meeting ID: 870 7499 6020
Passcode: 084074
Meeting ID: 870 7499 6020
Passcode: 084074
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Next week we will take up the Catholic Home Missions Appeal. Today, over 40% of dioceses in the United States and its territories are unable to fund the essential pastoral work their communities need. Your support of this appeal helps them meet these faith formation and sacramental needs. Please prayerfully consider how you can support this appeal. More information can be found at www.usccb.org/home-missions.
ALTAR SERVERS
We are in need of new altar servers at SJV. Please pray about joining our team and being a Catholic witness to your family and friends. We are looking for upcoming fourth graders to twelfth grade students. Please consider adding your name to those that serve God at the altar.
There will be a training meeting on Saturday, May 22 from 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM, gathering in the main Church with pizza served afterwards outside.
All CDC guidelines will be in effect.
