In last weekend’s bulletin I thanked all those who made the Church look so beautiful for the Triduum and for Easter, and in doing so I of course left out a few key names, so here is my “mea culpa”: Thanks to Barbara Hopkins for the ordering of some of the flowers from Woodland Gardens and ensuring that we always get the top quality flowers—the hydrangeas and the lilies looked—and are still—spectacular; and a special thanks to two of our youngest decorators, Kirsten and Gretchen Helitzer who were both helpers to Janet Fischer in the creation of the sanctuary flowers. Janet said these two young ladies, who also sing in our Children’s Choir, worked very hard and diligently for hours…Janet thinks their creative interests and skills might lead them to be future designers! Thanks to all!

This Third Sunday of Easter has us hearing from St. Luke through the Acts of the Apostles in the first reading where we see that the Old Testament is fulfilled in the New Testament and that Christ preaches the call to repentance and conversion for the forgiveness of sins. The key to the reading’s message is two-fold: first, God is merciful in-and-through the death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ so that our sinfulness may be “wiped away” by our repentance and conversation; and second that an “active response” to God’s call to us is required. That is, after our repentance and conversion to the Truth of Christ we must “go and sin no more.” We must convert and not return to the old ways but to a newness of life in Christ. This highlights both the mercy of God as well as the justice of God—He is all-forgiving but that does not mean there are not consequences for certain behaviors. This is reiterated in this weekend’s second reading from the first letter of St. John—a letter believed to have been written like the Gospel of John to the same community—and one that tells us the reason why John wrote this letter: “so that you may not commit sin.” Be converted to the Truth of Christ!

In this weekend’s Gospel (Luke 24:35-48) Luke speaks to the final Resurrection appearance in the Gospel and focuses on Christ’s body after death—flesh and bones; that Christ eats and is not a ghost; and Christ’s greeting of “Peace be with you” offers comfort and support to His disciples. Christ also deals with the element of doubt that all the disciples and apostles possess. In the end, the Church gets its final marching orders from Christ to be a Church of evangelization to all the nations. Christ is the universal Son of God and God is the God of all peoples.

At the end of our readings this weekend we understand that Christ is the fulfillment of the Old Testament, and that through our love and obedience to Him we are called to convert from sin and to repentant. Then the Gospel reminds us that we are all called to be part of the Church’s order from Christ to evangelize the whole world to His love, mercy and justice. For if we do this, the reward is not only eternal but it will be most glorious. Amen!