The Risen Lord is with Us

04-05-2020Weekly ReflectionFr. Bing Colasito

This year, I am celebrating my fifth Easter with the community of St. Rose with the theme: The Risen Lord is with Us. Once again, we are celebrating the greatest feast of Christendom, the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is greater than all other feast, including Christmas. We are saved because our Lord Jesus suffered and died for us. His death was not an ordinary death; it was “the Redemptive Death.” But the whole redemptive act was not limited to His dying, it started the moment He was born, His whole life, death and resurrection. Because without His resurrection, His whole life, suffering and death would be meaningless for our salvation. The resurrection of Jesus marks the crowning of the Father’s salvific work, new life for those whom He saved. It is said to affect the deepest core of our human existence. Why? Because by His resurrection He was transformed into new life, effecting for us a new way of life both here and now and the life to come, opening for us the way to eternal life with His Father. Without His resurrection, death would be an absolute end and there is no hope of an afterlife. Thus, Easter for us my brothers and sisters is not simply professing that Jesus has risen, that He is the Son of God and savior of the world. Easter is professing Him in our hearts, in our lives, living a life professing the Risen Lord is with us. Making His Words our own rule of life, our way of life. Jn. 13:34 “Love one another as I have loved you.” The greatest expression of His love is witnessed in the love we have for one another. He is truly risen.

Jesus is Risen and He is now with us. The many post-resurrection appearances of Jesus brought about many conversions, from unbelief to belief. We experience the Risen Christ through the living faith in His Words, in the Eucharist, and in His Church. Believe in His presence in His Word. Believe in His real presence in the Eucharist and believe in His omnipresence in the Church. Mt. 28:20 “And behold, I am with you always, until the end of age.” If Jesus had not risen from the dead; our faith is senseless and hollow. Because the Risen Lord is with us constantly, as the Easter Emmanuel, Easter has become the greatest feast of all. This Easter Season, may the Risen Lord’s presence be specially felt in our families, in our homes, in our lives, and in our SCC communities. His commandment to us to love one another is accompanied by the assurance of His ever presence. “If you love me, my Father will love you, and we will make our home in you.” (Jn. 14:23) St. Rose is our Spiritual Home; a Home we are now ready to develop. We are on track with our schedule of development. Hope is the greatest gift of Easter. This year, we hope to fully pay our mortgage. With one more big push, we intend to retire our mortgage by the end of the year. Year 2021 will be dedicated to build a strong building fund. And as we have scheduled, year 2022, we HOPE to make our dream of building a New Church a reality. Let us all be generous in our offerings to the SPECIAL Easter Mortgage Collection as we move closer towards our dream, a New Church.

  • EASY Online giving format: “WeShare”, available online at www.stroseanthem.com. Click on Giving in the top navigation bar, and select Easter Mortgage Appeal.
  • With checks, write “Mortgage Reduction” in the memo line.
  • For cash, use the envelope provided, write your name and address on the envelope.

Alleluia! The Risen Lord is with Us.

Be in God,

Fr. Bing

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