MESSAGE ON EASTER SUNDAY (YR C)
Thursday 17th April 2025
My dear people,
While Easter is on 20th April this year, quite late compared to last year, it is amazing that the Triduum and the celebration of Easter itself are already here. I can’t believe that Ash Wednesday was six weeks ago. This season of Lent has gone by quite fast!
Today, we start re-living the most wonderful events of the church’s calendar beginning with the Mass of the Lord’s Supper this evening. Tomorrow, we recall the events of the Passion at the Solemn Liturgy of the Passion of the Lord and on Saturday we celebrate the very reason for our faith, the Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ. I invite you to enter deeply into these events this year so that they are not simply a distant memory but truly the very reason for living the way we do. At Easter, we rejoice at the victory of life over death.
We also celebrate the new life which comes after death and Jesus Christ, in his death and resurrection, shows us that not even death has the last word. What a tremendous realisation! Easter is indeed the highpoint of our liturgical calendar. St Paul reminds us that without the Resurrection, our faith and our preaching are in vain. It is because of Easter that our worship of God every Sunday and all the activities which comprise our spiritual lives make sense. I strongly encourage all of you to avail yourselves of this wonderful opportunity to come and worship our loving God at the liturgies of the Triduum, advertised on the website and in the bulletin.
This year, twelve members of our parish community will celebrate one or more of the sacraments of initiation. Noah and Jai Josan will be baptised together with their mother, Shauna, who will also be confirmed and receive Holy Communion for the first time. Christiaan van Taarling and Jessica Fontana will also celebrate the three sacraments of initiation, Baptism, Confirmation and receive Holy Communion for the first time. Wendy Cian, Faith Esguerra and Danilla Bakoos will celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation. Daniel Thomas, Luke Walton, Sasha Truong and Alana Currie will celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation and receive Holy Communion for the first time. What a blessing for our parish! We sincerely congratulate and warmly welcome them to our community.
At Easter, we celebrate new life. Our parish will run its eleventh session of Alpha starting on 23rd April. I highly urge you to think about attending Alpha this year. We all have gone through times in our lives when we have questioned the very meaning of life. Perhaps you are going through this right now. Perhaps your daughter or son, brother or sister, or colleague is going through this. Alpha is the best way to come to reflect on the deeper meaning of life, over dinner, a short film and conversation. May I ask you to consider attending and warmly inviting others to attend Alpha? The transformation in people’s lives, their healing and closeness to Christ is testament to the fruits this wonderful program has to offer!
A reminder that our Parish Feast Day Dinner will be on 26th April. If you have not already bought your ticket, I very strongly invite to do so ASAP.
I would like to take the opportunity to warmly thank each and every one of our ministry coordinators and volunteers for all their work so far and particularly in the preparation for Easter. I would also like to sincerely thank the parish staff without whom I simply would not be able to do what I need to do.
To finish, I sincerely wish you and your loved ones, near and far, a very Happy and Holy Easter. May the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus bring you joy and peace.
We continue turning to our patron saint and we ask for her intercession.
St Catherine of Siena, Pray for us.
Yours sincerely in Christ,
Fr Richard Rosse PP