From the Pastor&

• They laughed at Joan of Arc, but she went right ahead and built it anyway.
       -- Gracie Allen (comedian and wife of George Burns)
  

• Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.
       --St. Paul to the living people of Ephesus,
          and, hopefully, heard by living Christians in 2001.
  
       Happy Easter to all the parishioners and friends of St. John the Baptist parish in New Brighton.  Christ is risen!  He is truly risen!  Alleluia.
       The word, "Alleluia" has its sources in the Hebrew "Hallelujah", meaning, "Praise Yahweh."  When we sing Alleluia (and one always stands, never sit or kneel when you hear that word) we are proclaiming Christ's victory over death.  And, because we belong to Christ, it reminds us that we too will be victorious over death, thanks to Christ.  How can we stand there in church and not sing Alleluia?  Let your spirit burst forth in song, no matter what your musical gifts are!  It is our common expression of thanking God together.  How can we not thank God in song as we believe that we will live forever with the Almighty and Holy One?  Let's get out of our heads and into our souls!
       When something really wonderful happens to you, what do you say?  All of us experience wonderful and magical moments in our lives (if we realize it or not) when you experience God's love, God's presence, God's compassion, or experience a little miracle, a stroke of good luck (or a streak of good luck), or hear someone whose gentle words "knock your socks off" as they say, can you shout something as an expression of gratitude to the Creator?
       Maybe "Alleluia" is a good word for you.  Or, maybe you want to shout _________? Try thinking of a word that works for you.  For example, someone might shout "Emmanuel" which means "God is with us."  Personally, I am uncomfortable saying "Praise the Lord."  But I could be comfortable saying "Emmanuel" silently.  It reminds me that God is really present in the mystery of my life.  All of us need a faith-filled response to life, to our faith journey.  Some days we just pray and hope that God will be with us.
       How do we live the power of Christ's resurrection?  The early Christians had it clear:  "See how these Christians love one another."  Faith doesn't stop at the empty tomb but goes forth in love and compassion.  The Easter season (the next fifty days) is a good time to imitate the Risen Christ.  He appeared to the Apostles who had failed him on Good Friday.  He didn't blame, nor shame them.  He didn't get into a long discussion about their failures.  He didn't even bring up the issue of their running away as cowards.  Can we learn from the Risen Christ and practice the "God-art" of forgiveness?  When someone hurts you, if you have to write about it, write in pencil so that you can erase it.
       Easter is a reminder to erase the failings of others.  Whoever thinks Christianity is an easy, waste of time, religion,  I challenge you (and myself) to practice Easter forgiveness. It's a good time to start over with Christ's example of love and forgiveness.  The people in your life will shout "Alleluia!"  No one will laugh at you!
       With Christ's Spirit we can reinvent and recreate ourselves.
       Thanks for being part of my life!
  

     Fr. Bill