Dear Friends, 

Happy Easter! We have journeyed through these 40 days of Lent and have reflected on the need to turn away from sin and to be faithful to the Gospel. And now begins not only Easter Day, it also includes the season of Easter which lasts for 50 days. We indeed are an Easter people.  

Welcome everyone to this Easter celebration. The warmer weather, the flowers, and the Easter meal are part of the Easter experience for many of us and we are reminded that Easter involves a gift from our God. The gift of eternal life. We are reminded through Jesus’ death on Good Friday that our lives are temporary in this world. It will not last forever. On our final day on earth, our lives will be changed, and we will share eternal life. At our baptism, we shared in Jesus' death and we will also share in his resurrection. Our role as the Church is to ask God through our prayers to receive everyone into paradise, and remind God that the people who have died have been loved on earth. We will not lose those who have died, but we will enjoy their company again in God’s kingdom. 

As we await that day, our parish community has used the theme BE CHRIST and focused on the question, "WILL THEY SEE CHRIST IN ME?" Our baptism reminds us of our call to be followers of Christ, not just to worship or hear his words. We are to do what Christ does and put into action what he commands us to do. These past 40 days, and now these 50 days of Easter, will allow us to reflect on what it means to BE CHRIST in our lives and in all we do. For the next 50 days of this Easter season, we will focus on our call to action; "I WILL BE CHRIST IN ALL I DO."   

My friends, we have received a gift. It is God's gift to us that we can share in the resurrection! The way we live our lives following Christ will help us become closer to God and one another. As you leave Mass today, we will be handing out a reminder of this gift and our call to BE CHRIST. You can wear it or place it somewhere in your house or office to help us remember to be Christ in all that we do. 

Blessings on this Easter Day, this Easter season, and on your Easter meal.

Peace in Christ,

Fr. Eric Tellez, Pastor