Message from Fr. Rensch (11 April, 2020):
Important Updates:
1. For the Easter Vigil Mass I was back in Rutland to celebrate Mass at the parish there. It was not the Easter Vigil any of us had imagined 40 days ago, but there it was all the same. It was good to be with Fr. Bernie and some of the other parishioners to celebrate the Mass.
2. Easter Sunday Mass will be live-streamed on the parish Facebook page at 9:30 am from right here at St. Anthony’s. Join us! https://www.facebook.com/
Reflection of the Day
(http://www.usccb.org/bible/
In his homily today at the Easter Vigil, Fr. Bernie mentioned that this Easter was not the one we expected, but it's the one we received. How true. Forty days ago at the start of Lent, none of us was imaging an Easter like this! I remember as the information and reports about the corona virus started trickling in, Fr. Bernie said, "I hope this doesn't ruin the momentum of our Lent!" Even then, we were hoping to keep the status quo. At each stage things were cancelled that hardly seemed possible. When the NBA called off its games, I was surprised. When school was relegated to homes, I was shocked. When the basketball rims were unscrewed from the public parks, I was stunned. Then the newspaper publishing days were reduced. Then shopping became touch and go. Each pillar of normalcy wobbled and fell. And, of course, the celebration of Mass was severely restricted.
It's not the Easter we expected. But it's the one we've been given. Fr. Bernie noted that when God acts, he always gives us what we need. Our Lord supplies all our needs. Between the manger, the cross, and the empty tomb, we have been given everything. So too, today. We've been given what we need, not what we expected. The women who went to anoint Jesus had the same experience, in a way. They expected to find the body of Jesus. They expected to anointed him. That's what they imagined. Instead, they were given what they needed. The resurrection was not what they expected, but what they needed.
So too with us. We've been given everything we need by our Lord. It can seem like too little, or too late. Perhaps that's because we don't realize how lucky we are that God did not give us what we expected.
Well, more Easter reflections tomorrow. Right now it's late, and Bustopher Jones is lying on my arm and computer, so I'm going to cut this one short.
Happy Easter!
God bless you all,
Fr. Rensch