Hi Everyone,

Updates:

1. Today I celebrated Mass for all of you and for Deborah Lloyd (by Mary Johnson)

2. As I mentioned before, the Mass tomorrow will be live-streamed from the parish facebook page, and then uploaded to the parish website. https://www.facebook.com/ourladyvt/

3. Just so you know, many of the flowers at St. Anthony's were taken to St. Elizabeth's. Others were transplanted to some of the space around St. Anthony's. There are still some more daffodils, if people would like some more!

Reflection:
http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/041820.cfm  


The Jewish leaders find themselves in a tricky spot in today's first reading, as the account in the book of Acts follows what happens after the curing of the crippled man. The chief priests cannot deny what has happened, but they want to keep things quiet. So they decide to threaten St. Peter and St. John to prevent them from speaking any more of Jesus. The book of Acts records their response: Peter and John, however, said to them in reply, “Whether it is right in the sight of God for us to obey you rather than  God, you be the judges. It is impossible for us not to speak about what we have seen and heard.”  If the choice is between obeying God vs. obeying men, which is right? The response is so perfect because the religious leaders have to agree that it is more important to obey God rather than men. It is so central to follow God above all others that Sts. Peter and John can even say that it is impossible not to speak of what they have witnessed.

I had a professor in seminary point out that the reply of St. Peter and St. John recorded here is almost definitely a summary of what each one said individually. Specifically, the first sentence reports the words of St. Peter, and the second sentence those of St. John. He noted that the line about the necessity to speak about what we have seen and heard echoes extremely closely many passages in St. John's writings, including for example the very first verse in the first letter of St. John: That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched -- this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. St. John loves to emphasize over and over the fact that the Apostles have seen and heard and touched the grand miracle of God become man. They have witnessed the incarnation. They have walked with God. They have heard his words, seen his face. And having seen and heard him, they must proclaim him.

The more deeply the truth of the resurrection penetrates our hearts, the more natural the proclamation of the Apostles will be. What holds us back from following their lead? What holds us back from spreading the Gospel? It could be a fogginess of faith, perhaps, but maybe it's something else. Maybe it's disappointment. Maybe it's fear. Maybe it's just straight up awkwardness. It's worth asking the Apostles for their intercession. If we long to be apostolic, let's ask the Apostles! St. Peter knows all about the difficulty of admitting one's discipleship of Christ. He denied him three times! It reminds me of that saying about being careful what you ask for in prayer. If you ask for patience, God will give you situations that require patience! A hard training ground makes for the well-equipped soldier, and God desires a well-equipped army.

Turning to the Gospel, we encounter St. Mark's summary of Jesus' appearances after the resurrection. He speaks of Jesus' appearance to Mary Magdalene, to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, and finally to the Apostles. He lists Mary Magdalene before all the others, recalling that the very first resurrection appearance was to her. It reminds me of a title applied to her: Apostle to the Apostles. She is given the task of going forth to spread the Gospel news to the Apostles. Perhaps Mary Magdalene would be the perfect intercessor for us, especially when we seek to share our joyful faith with people of our own religion, but who seem slow to believe!

Finally, St. Mark concludes his passage by recording Jesus' commission of the Apostles: He said to them, “Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature.” From the start to the last in today's readings, the focus is on the fearless, urgent, irresistible impulse to announce the Gospel to every creature. Christ is risen. Christ is Lord. The true ruler, despite every appearance that the world is ruled by political forces, health directives, economic supplies, circumstances ... is Jesus Christ. He has defeated death itself. His reign has begun. We are training in the same battleground that he himself endured, with this great difference: that we've already seen the outcome that he himself accomplished.

God bless you all!

Fr. Rensch

PS. Here's a great message from St. Francis de Sales, one of my favorites!