ALLELUIA—EASTER HAS BEGUN

                God raised Jesus. The seven weeks of Easter Time give us an opportunity to reflect on this message. Today’s Gospel reading is one that never grows old. It reminds us that dark becomes light; weeping turns to joy; despair changes into hope. If Easter were to be summed up in one word it would be “transformation.” In the weeks following the resurrection the disciples found themselves doing things they could never have imagined. For the disciples, life would never be the same again. Their encounter with the risen Christ had changed them forever. Just as their encounter with the risen Lord changed the disciples’ lives forever, we too should be transformed by our Easter celebration.

                While Jesus ascended to the Father, the same Holy Spirit that inspired the early followers, also inspires us. The Spirit empowers us to continue to spread the Easter Gospel to all corners of the world. On the feast of the Ascension, we accept that ours is now the great commission to make disciples of all nations.

                True to our faith, and celebrating our great commission, we now welcome two members of our community to full communion in the Church. Since the fall, Jesse Thomson, Traci Swanson, and Krysta Doerfler have been preparing to receive the risen Christ in their lives. At the Easter vigil Jesse and Traci professed their faith before our community and received the grace of the Holy Spirit in confirmation. We now welcome them as full members of our faith community. Krysta will be confirmed on Pentecost Sunday at the Cathedral by Bishop Malone. We pray for her and all the members of our parish who will be confirmed as they await the gift of the Holy Spirit.

                Happy Easter to you and your families as we celebrate the joy of God’s life in us.