- Please note that WEEKDAY MASS now starts at 9:15AM.
- COVID PREVENTION MEASURES – Please refer HERE for the latest Chancery Notice with regard to pastoral measures in relation to public masses, guidelines, etc.
ST. ANNE'S MEDITATION GROUP will resume meeting physically inside the church sanctuary every Tuesday at 7:00PM.
Please join us for some silence, stillness and simplicity in the presence of God! Come a little earlier to settle down!
The current Acolyte Coordinator will be moving in the summer, so a replacement is needed. Could you be the new Coordinator? The role involves asking the Acolytes the dates and times they are available to serve, putting those into a rota and then sharing it with the Acolytes and the Church. Due to COVID, we are also washing the used robes at a laundromat after each Mass.
The role is a very easy way to serve the St. Anne's Community. If you're interested, please email Kym Kettler at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information.
Would your child like to serve at Mass? We are in need of new servers.
We train all acolytes before their first Mass, and both the Priest and the other acolytes will help them during the service. Many children find serving at Mass far more engaging and meaningful than attending in the pews.
We set up the Acolyte Schedule based on your availability. Your child is not expected to serve every week--only when they are available.
Please contact Kym Kettler-Paddock at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if your child might be interested or if you have any questions.
Following Christ is not complicated. In fact, today Jesus reduces the essence of what it means to be his follower into one sentence.
This sentence is his New Commandment, a commandment that summarizes everything he has taught: "Love one another as I have loved you." If we do that, we are on Christ's path, and we will experience the joy and meaning that only God can give.
And to make it even simpler (because he knows that we tend to complicate things unnecessarily), Jesus explains exactly what he means by the word "love," a word the Devil is always trying to distort: "A man can have no greater love than to lay down his life for his friends."
In other words, love is self-giving, and so, the greater the self-giving, the greater the love. When we put our lives at the service of others, when we live in order to give and not to take, when we are willing to suffer so that someone else can rejoice, then we may call ourselves his disciples.
But Jesus went even further in order to make sure we would understand. He didn't explain the meaning of true love just with words; he also explained it with his deeds, with his own suffering and death.
He accepted mockery, humiliation, torture, rejection, injustice, misunderstanding, betrayal, and finally death, not because he was too weak to resist, but to show us what love really is: self-giving, self-forgetful generosity.
Jesus Christ hanging on the cross; bearing the weight of our sins; thinking not of himself but of the men and women he came to save, even pleading for their forgiveness up until the very end; giving without counting the cost, even without asking for something in return - this is God's idea of love. It is ours?
Turning Our Work into Love
This idea of true love (self-giving, not self-getting), helps explain the Church's vision of work. Popular culture encourages us to live for the weekend. It often sees work as a necessary evil.
But Christ's perspective is different. The Church teaches us that there is dignity in human work. From manual labor, to study, to the fine arts, human work "honor's the Creator's gifts" and "prolongs the work of creation" (Catechism of the Catholic Church #2427). By our work, we also "contribute to the abundance that will benefit all" (Catechism #2429).
In other words, from God's perspective, the very work we engage in on a daily basis can be an expression of our Christian love.
Working hard, if our heart is in the right place, is one of the most basic ways that we can love God. Working long hours purely out of self-centered ambition or greed is not showing love for God. But pouring our time and energy into improving the world and making a living for ourselves and our loved ones is a beautiful form of self-giving.
Jesus did that for almost thirty years, as he worked in the carpenter's shop in Nazareth, sweating and exhausting himself day after day. Mary did it for even longer, as she took care of the household, cooking and cleaning and reaching out to her neighbors.
We don't have to enter a monastery to become experts in Christian love. We just have to exercise our faith, so that God's idea of love becomes our idea of love. That's the path to true wisdom and lasting joy.
Today, as Jesus renews his commitment to us in this Mass, let's promise that we will let him give this meaning to our labors this week, by doing our very best in all we do, for God's sake.
Jesus came as a Shepherd. He came to care for us and to lead us gently, as a shepherd leads His sheep. He is our Good Shepherd. He is the Shepherd for each of us. He came to lead us to life. He came to call us by name. He came to bring us home to eternal pastures.
If Jesus is my Shepherd, then I am a sheep in the flock of Jesus. Jesus knows me. He calls me by name. I know His voice. Jesus seeks me out when I am lost. Jesus places me tenderly on His shoulders. Jesus invites me back to the flock when I go astray. Jesus guides me gently to where is best for me. He wants to carry us gently and lead us lovingly, that we may have life. He tells us, "A thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it more abundantly" (John 10:10).
Having life more abundantly is not about having more glamorous clothes or taking expensive vacations. It is not about having a more stylish house or a greater variety of entertainment. Having life and having it more abundantly is truly living. It is living deeply. It is living to the full. It is seeking the things that bring us life and that bring life to other people. It is knowing God's love for me and loving others in return. This is eternal life. This is heaven. Totally receiving God's love and sharing this love with all of humanity. Jesus gives us this life. It begins already, here and now, as members of the flock of the Good Shepherd.
Jesus not only gathers each of us as individuals, He gathers us together as a flock. Jesus does not save us individually, one-by-one. He saves us together. He comes to give us life together. He not only relates to each of us personally, He is also in the midst of us, uniting us as one, bringing us together, and leading us forward together. Life in abundance is not just each of us enjoying him or herself in the comfort of his or her own solitude. Life in abundance is not just being left unbothered by my neighbor. Life in abundance means coming together as brothers and sisters. It means sharing with others the life that we receive. It means rejoicing in one another. It means seeing each other as a gift. It is taking the time to encounter one another, even in little ways. Taking a moment for an unexpected conversation instead of wishing you were left undisturbed. Smiling at someone who looks down. Writing to a family member or friend. Volunteering to help people in need. All of these bring us together as a flock. All of these show us that we are not alone. Even through simple gestures, we can show others that they are not alone either.
Jesus continues His work of being our Good Shepherd through His Church. This is an important but often difficult message in our world today. It does not mean that the Church shepherds us perfectly. Jesus alone is the Good Shepherd. But He uses His Church to try and lead us through life in this world. He does not save us individually but together. We do not live our faith in isolation. Jesus does not just relate to us individually in a vacuum. We are not lone sheep in the world. We are members of a flock. We belong to one another, and together we belong to Christ. We are sometimes scattered, divided, but Jesus seeks to bring us together, to unite us in one fold. He wants to bring all of humanity together and He uses us as instruments of this peace and unity.
Jesus' image of the Good Shepherd reveals to us who He is, for each of us and for all of us together. It also shows us how He is at work in the world, bringing us to Himself and uniting us together. Through this beautiful image that He gives us, may we see how Jesus brings us close to Himself, and learn from Him how to come closer together with our fellow sheep, as members of His fold.
Prayer: Lord, I thank You for Your unwavering support of me as my Shepherd. And I thank You for those who act as Your instruments of this deep love and commitment. Help me to fulfill my role of shepherding Your people, the people You have placed in my life. May I never run from the glorious responsibility You have called me to. Jesus, I trust in You. Amen.
Fr. Antonius David Tristianto, O.Carm.
The aim of the music ministry is to offer music as a form of worship and prayer for all parishioners, as well as for choir members ourselves. If you like music, you will enjoy being a member of this ministry.
We welcome all vocalists and instrumentalists, including children and teenagers, and we especially need more keyboard and guitar accompanists.
There are several groups/times to choose from - Saturday evening 6pm, 8:45 Sunday, and 11:15 Sunday. Or you can join us to sing at special occasions such as Christmas, Easter, St. Anne's Feast Day, or the First Holy Communion and Confirmation ceremonies. Rehearsals generally take place one hour before mass.
If you are interested to find out more, come talk with one of the choir members after mass, or e-mail Peggie at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
All of us are here today because we love Jesus Christ and we want to follow him more and more closely. In other words, there is still a gap between the kind of Catholic we would like to be, and the kind of Catholic we actually are.
We know that a follower of Christ should be patient, self-controlled, faithful, generous, and kind. And we also know that although we follow that recipe sometimes, many other times we don't. In the face of this contrast between the desire of our hearts and the reality of our daily lives, we can be tempted to frustration.
But today the Church is giving us an antidote to that frustration in the example of St Paul. In today's First Reading, St Paul shows up in Jerusalem three years after his dramatic conversion on the road to Damascus. He has been believing in and following Christ for three years already. And yet, he arrives in Jerusalem, and what happens?
His bold and abrasive personality gets him in trouble right away. He shows up full of faith and love for Christ, overflowing with zeal and sincerity. But his old violent and intimidating temperament hasn't gone away.
In a matter of days, he instills deep fear in the Christians, and he infuriates the Jews so much that they start plotting to kill him! Things are so bad, in fact, that he has to be sent away to Tarsus, his home town, 500 miles away! And notice what happens as soon as he's gone; St Luke writes: "The Church throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria was at peace."
The great St Paul didn't become a saint overnight - it took time for God's grace to transform him, and it takes time for God's grace to transform us, too.
Doing Our Part through Daily Prayer
We are all like St Paul, full of rough edges that God is gradually polishing down. If we become impatient, we will only get in his way, and we may even give up on him altogether. But being patient doesn't mean we just sit around and twiddle our thumbs.
Jesus makes it clear in today's Gospel that we have to do our part in order for our lives to bear the fruit he wants them to bear. And one key way to do that is prayer.
Prayer is a great privilege. The Lord of the universe, our Creator and Redeemer, is online 24/7, always watching over us and listening for when we call out to him. Whenever we send him a message, he reads it right away and answers by sending an attachment of grace into our hearts.
Daily, personal prayer is the bridge that turns our Catholic talk into a powerful Catholic walk. Daily, personal prayer is the heart of our relationship with Christ, a bridge that links our knowledge of Jesus with our day-to-day actions. Jesus passionately wants us to become mature men and women of prayer.
This is really what he means when he says in today's Gospel: "I am the vine and you are the branches... Remain in me... because without me you can do nothing."
Today, let's ask ourselves what we can do to improve our prayer life this week: Maybe it's taking a few minutes to pray a decade or two of the Rosary while we're driving to work. Maybe it's getting up ten minutes earlier so as to be able to spend some quiet time alone with God before the hustle and bustle sweeps us away.
During this Mass, through the sacrifice of the Eucharist, Jesus, the vine, will renew his commitment to transform our lives, as he transformed St Paul's. When he does, let's renew our commitment to be faithful branches, by making prayer a real priority.
A living encounter with the Risen Christ, is the encounter which gives life a new horizon. This new horizon, the life of communion with God, that is opened up by faith. Therefore, it is God himself who opens the door of faith. St John's gospel adds an essential element to this: the door is not only opened by God but by the Good Shepherd, who is recognized because he comes through the door, and is himself the door (cf. Jn 10:2-10). From this viewpoint, Christ is the Door because he leads us to the full, eternal life that is given by God the Father. Faith commits and involves life precisely because it gives life, a life that will never end. This is why to enter through that door is to set out on a journey that lasts a lifetime. Faith to be a recovery of the strong connection between faith and life. Faith is not alive today because people no longer realize that it is essential to life; they do not recognize it as a meaningful factor in their own lives.
Faith, to show the world that all this is not just ceremonies and words, but a divine reality, by presenting to mankind the testimony of an ordinary life which is made holy, in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and of holy Mary. Sanctifying daily life is possible precisely because of faith, and it means the same as living by faith and having a living faith, with explicit reference to St Paul's teaching in Gal 3:11 – "the just man lives by faith."
In other words, to live, one must have some kind of faith, because one inevitably chooses to give a meaning to one's life. Christianity cannot be limited to deeds; nor can man achieve salvation by human virtue or his own effort. It is clearly stated that the act of belief is not limited to the intellect, to the simple acceptance of a number of truths that have little to do with life; on the contrary, the act of belief is shown in the believer's very life, because faith bestows supernatural life and enables us to think according to "the logic of God" – God's way of reasoning. We then connect everything to Christ and establish a personal relationship with him. You don't have living faith if you aren't giving yourself to Jesus here and now.
When faith is really alive in the soul, one discovers instead that to follow Christ one does not have to step aside from the ordinary pattern of everyday life, and also that the great holiness which God expects of us is to be found here and now in the little things of each day.
The solemn proclamation of the universal call to holiness is seen, then, as a deepening in the faith as a new criterion of understanding and action that changes the whole of man's life, since it is born of our encounter with Christ in everyday life. The reduction of the faith to a mere sociological tradition, separating it from real life, goes hand in hand with a reduction of its remit to the sphere of extraordinary, abnormal things. By contrast, accepting the universal call to holiness means giving new life to our own faith in order to open ourselves up to God who is close at hand. Though we do not perceive him with our senses, his existence is far more true than any of the realities which we touch and see. God is here with us, really present, living. He sees and hears us, he guides us, and knows our smallest deeds, our most hidden intentions.
Faith needs to be something alive, because Christ is not a figure from the past, a memory, or a tradition. He is alive today and now. And living by faith means, essentially, being on intimate terms with him, talking to him as a friend, developing a personal relationship with him. This teaching links our faith directly to man's deepest desires. It does not deny or suppress but satisfies the inmost secrets of the heart. Our faith does not ignore anything on this earth that is beautiful, noble, and authentically human.
Practice your faith cheerfully, keeping very close to Jesus Christ. Really love him – but really, really love him! – and you will take part in a great Adventure of Love, because you will be more in love each day. The human heart asks for a real forever. Nietzsche wrote that "all joy wants eternity." But it is doomed to disillusion unless, in the loves of this earth, in the desires of his heart, man can recognize a path leading, like a river to its source, to God's Love, to Christ, the Love of loves.
Men lie when they say 'for ever' about things on earth. The only true, totally true 'for ever' is that which we say with reference to God. This is how you ought to live your life, with a faith that will help you to taste the honey, the sweetness of heaven whenever you think about eternal life which is indeed 'for ever'.
Faith was of something that speaks to life, to people's loves. The universal call to holiness is based on the conviction of God's nearness to our individual lives, where our hopes and desires are. Passionately loving the world is possible by means of faith, by deepening in our faith.
Fr. Antonius David Tristianto, O.Carm.
Jesus Christ was sent to the Jewish people, to be their Messiah in accordance with God's ancient promises to his Chosen People.
Yet, God was not satisfied to save only one people; he wants his blessing to reach all nations, every corner of the earth. This is why Jesus says, "I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold; these also I must lead..." Christ the Savior, then, has received lordship not only over the little flock of Israel and Judah, but over all the flocks of the earth.
In him we all come under one lordship, that of the good shepherd, who is the one pastor of the one flock. The effect of the wolf, the devil, is to catch and scatter the sheep; Christ frees and unites us.
And even if the wolf attacks the shepherd himself, as he did in Christ's passion, the shepherd has the power both to lay down and raise up his life, so the one flock will never perish. Because Christ the good shepherd is our Lord, the Church, the one flock, will never fail. Our membership in this flock is perhaps the greatest gift we have received from the Lord after the gift of life itself.
This is one of the most compelling reasons behind the Church's missionary mandate. We are all called to spread the good news of Christ, and to "make disciples of all nations" (Matthew 28:19), bringing everyone into this one flock. Only the Catholic Church has been given the divine guarantee that it will never fail, never be permanently scattered and destroyed by wolves.
Other Churches and other religions may have sincere believers and parts of the truth, but only Christ's one flock gathered around his visible shepherd's staff - the pope - is guaranteed never to fail.
Three Ways to Increase the Flock
There are three things we can do to help increase the size of Christ's one flock, to help other lost sheep come under the care of the one good shepherd. They are the three Ways.
First, the way we treat other people. We are sons and daughters of Christ the King. And so, our manner, our way of holding ourselves, should be full of dignity, generosity, openness, elegance, and joy.
If we let God's grace work in our hearts, it will shine through our eyes, our words, our gestures, and we will become living advertisements for our eternal good shepherd.
Second, our work. Whatever we do - job, study, hobby, housework, sports - we, as followers of Christ, should stand out for our responsibility, dependability, and commitment to excellence and integrity.
We are children of God! We are ambassadors of the Creator of the universe! How could we ever let sloppiness, laziness, and indifference contaminate our daily activities?
Third, our words. Like Peter in today's First Reading, we should always be ready to use our words to spread truth, hope, and encouragement, to light or feed the fire of faith in the hearts of those around us. As Catholics, there is no room in our lives for gossip, useless tale-bearing, or biting and wounding criticism.
In the Eucharist, we receive Jesus Christ himself in our mouths; what a tragic, painful irony it would be if that same mouth were to go out and spit poison at those around us!
We are graced to be members of Christ's one flock, his Catholic Church. As Jesus renews his commitment to us in this holy Mass, let's thank him for that grace, and let's promise that this week we'll try not to hog it all to ourselves.
Carmelites are devoted to Mary, seeking the Face of God, through prayer, fraternity, and ministry.
Carmelite Charism
The Carmelites' official name in the Church is the Brothers of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel. It is a long name, and the only Order in the Church named after a historically significant mountain range, Mount Carmel. The brothers who were living on Mount Carmel knew that it was known to be the land that Elijah proclaimed the one true God. The God who brought them out of the desert and gave them a home.
As a religious order in the Catholic Church, the Carmelite friars follow Christ and look to live out a life of allegiance to God by offering God a pure heart and a stout conscience. Jesus, the son of God, is our Lord and example of how to live in this world with our fellow brothers and sisters. It is Jesus we owe our allegiance, and Elijah and Mary that provide us wonderful examples of people who heard the voice of God and responded generously. The official words that describe the relationship we have with Elijah and Mary can be found in the Carmelite Constitutions of 1995.
A Call to Prayer
A vocation to Carmel also includes the call to prayer and contemplation, to seek Christ in solitude, and to discover him in each brother and sister, in each event of one's daily life. Like the prophet Elijah, the Carmelite strives to live each moment in the presence of the living God. Like the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Carmelite aims always to keep God's word, pondering it in his heart. Like St. Teresa of Jesus, he sees prayer as "an intimate sharing between friends," as "taking time frequently to be alone with Him who we know loves us."When God gives the gift of a vocation, this gift comes with a mission. The mission of the Discalced Carmelite friar has several aspects.
The first responsibility of the Carmelite is to give witness to God who is experienced in the silence and solitude of prayer. As St. Teresa of Jesus states: This is the reason for prayer…. the birth always of good works, good works. St. Teresa also urges Carmelites to teach by works rather than by words.
Could You, Too, Find a Home in Carmel?
Christians believe that God calls all people to a life of holiness, that is, a life in relationship with God and with others. This 'vocation' or calling can take different forms. Some are called to religious life and possibly also the priesthood. Others are called to marriage or some other form of commitment. Others still are called to the single life. Some people are called by God to join religious families, such as the Carmelite Family, as either religious (friars, nuns, sisters, hermits) or as lay people.
To learn more about vocations to Lay Carmel please visit https://www.ocarm.org/en/ or https://carmelite.org/laycarmel. For other vocations, including nuns and sisters, please visit https://www.carmelitefriars.org or https://carmelnet.org/
Fr. Antonius David Tristianto, O.Carm.
Jesus' favorite word after his resurrection is "peace." It is almost always the first word on his lips when he appears to his apostles, as in the passage we just listened to: "Peace be with you."
Every time we celebrate Mass, we hear these same words, spoken to us in the here-and-now of our lives, right before we receive the living, resurrected body and blood of our Lord in Holy Communion: "Lord Jesus Christ," the priest says, "you said to your apostles: I leave you peace, my peace I give you."
He didn't give this peace before his resurrection, but afterwards he does give it, and he gives it because we need it. Christ's peace is the antidote to most endemic diseases of modern, secular society: stress, depression, and anxiety.
We have all been affected by those diseases. As our friendship with the resurrected Lord grows deeper, we are gradually healed of those diseases, because he brings us his three-fold peace.
First, peace for our mind. When we look at his wounds, which he still bears in his glorified body, we know for certain that his forgiveness is everlasting; once he forgives our sins, we are truly forgiven; our conscience can be at rest.
Second, peace for our heart. When we see the spike marks in his hands and feet, we know for certain that we are loved with an undying, unconditional, personal, determined love - Christ's love.
Third, peace for our soul. Christ is alive, and he is ruling and expanding an everlasting Kingdom, and he has invited each one of us to help him do that by building up the Church. We have work to do that matters, that is worthwhile, that will satisfy our thirst for meaning.
The peace of the resurrected Christ is what we really need. The Psalmist put it well: "As soon as I lie down, I fall peacefully asleep, for you alone, O LORD, bring security to my dwelling.
Removing the Main Obstacle to Peace
We all want to experience this peace more deeply - peace of mind, heart, and soul. And Christ wants the same thing - that's why he suffered, died, and rose.
But if that's so, why do we still find ourselves so easily overrun by stress, anxiety, and discouragement? Many obstacles can inhibit the flow of Christ's peace in our lives.
The most obvious one is sin. Sometimes we fall into sin out of weakness. Those falls are easy to confess and repent of.
But other times we allow subtle habits of sin to take root in our lives. For example, we refuse to accept some part of Church teaching on faith or morals - like Christ's real presence in the Eucharist, abortion, or gay marriage.
Sure, we find plenty of reasons to justify this resistance - all the arguments we hear on the news, for instance. But at heart, to reject official Church teaching on these issues (which we find in the Catechism), is to reject Christ's saving truth. It's like telling God that we trust him a little bit, in some things, but we trust social media more in other things.
Subtle habits of sin can also take other forms: like slacking off in our life responsibilities - just doing enough to get by, but not really giving our best; or wasting inordinate amounts of time on hobbies, entertainment, or gossip.
Sinful habits can also take not-so-subtle forms, as financial corruption and pornography statistics make clear.
If we are not experiencing the peace of Christ's resurrected life a little bit more each season, maybe we need to do some spring cleaning in our souls.
For that, the best disinfectant is confession. As Christ renews his hope in us during this Mass, let's renew our hope in him too, and ask for the grace to receive his peace.
The Church has frequently proclaimed her faith in the resurrection of the dead at the end of time. It forms, as it were, the "continuation" o f the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, the firstborn of many brethren (Rom 8:29), extended to all men and women, living and dead, just and sinners, that will take place when He comes at the end of time. At death the soul is separated from the body; with the resurrection, body and soul are reunited again for ever (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 997). The dogma of the resurrection of the dead refers to the fullness of immortality to which mankind is destined, but at the same time it is a vivid reminder of our dignity, and in particular of the dignity of the body. It speaks to us of the goodness of the world, of the body, of the value of a life lived out day by day, of the eternal vocation of matter. That is why in the second century when writing against the Gnostics, the phrase resurrection "of the flesh" was used—that is to say, human life in its most material aspect, temporal, changeable, apparently fleeting.
St Thomas Aquinas considered the doctrine of the resurrection to be natural in respect to its final cause (because the soul is made to be united to the body and vice versa), but supernatural in respect to its efficient cause (that is, God). [1]
The risen body will be real and material, but not earthly or mortal. St Paul rejected the idea of resurrection as a transformation happening within human history, and spoke of the resurrected body as "glorious" (cf. Phil 3:21) and "spiritual" (cf. Col 15:44). The resurrection of every man and woman, as happened with Christ, will take place after death.
The Church in the name of Christian faith does not promise us a successful life on this earth. She does not talk of a "utopia," since our earthly life will always be marked by the Cross. However, through the reception of Baptism and the Eucharist, the process of resurrection has is some way already begun (cf. CCC, 1000). According to St Thomas, at the resurrection the soul will inform the body so deeply that it will reflect the soul's moral and spiritual qualities. [2] Thus the final resurrection, which will take place when Christ comes in glory, will make possible the definitive judgement of the living and the dead.
With respect to the doctrine of the resurrection four points can be made:
—the doctrine of the final resurrection excludes theories of reincarnation, according to which the human soul after death migrates to another body, repeatedly if necessary, until it is finally purified. In this regard, Vatican Council II referred to "the one life we live," [3] for it is established that men die only once (Heb 9:27);
—the veneration of relics of the saints is a clear manifestation of the Church's faith in the resurrection of the body;
— although cremation of the human body is not illicit, unless it has been chosen for reasons that go against faith (cf. CCC, 1176), the Church strongly advises maintaining the pious custom of burying the dead. "The bodies of the dead must be treated with respect and charity, in the faith and hope of the resurrection. The burial of the dead is a corporal work of mercy: it honors the children of God, who are temples of the Holy Spirit." (CCC 2300);
— the resurrection of the dead accords with what Holy Scripture calls the coming of "the new heavens and the new earth" (cf. CCC, 1042; 2 Pet 3:13; Rev 21:1) Not only will mankind attain glory, but the entire cosmos in which we live and move will be transformed. "The Church to which all have been called in Christ Jesus and in which, by the grace of God, we achieve sanctity," we read in Lumen Gentium (no. 48), "will not achieve its full perfection until 'the time comes for the restoration of all things' (Acts 3:21), and when along with human kind the whole universe, so intimately united with man and through him achieving its end, will be perfectly renewed." There will certainly be continuity between this world and the new world, but also an important discontinuity. The hope of the definitive installation of Christ's kingdom shouldn't weaken but rather strengthen, with the theological virtue of hope, our effort to achieve progress on earth (CCC 1049).
https://opusdei.org/en/article/topic-16-i-believe-in-the-resurrection-of-the-body-and-life-everlasting/
Fr. Antonius David Tristianto, O.Carm.
Eight days ago, we and all the rest of the 1.3 billion Catholics throughout the world gazed with wonder and gratitude on the Resurrection of our Lord.
Today, we turn our eyes back to the little group of Apostles who, eight days after Easter Sunday, were gathered once again in the upper room. And Jesus appears to them, once again, in the glory of his resurrected body, effortlessly passing through their locked doors and their hidden fears.
The first thing he does is go after the one lost sheep whose heart is astray: he lets doubting St Thomas touch his glorious wounds, mercifully removing all doubts that had separated him from the rest of the tiny church.
And then he looks into the eyes of his Apostles, breathes on them, and gives them the power and task to forgive sins in his name. This was the start of the sacrament of confession, which ever since then has been bringing other stray sheep back into the Good Shepherd's merciful care.
Almost 20 centuries after that encounter between Christ and his Apostles, in the year 2000, Pope John Paul II established this first Sunday after Easter as a universal Feast of the Church in honor of that Divine Mercy.
In so doing, he was fulfilling a request our Lord himself made in his appearances to the Polish nun, St Faustina Kowalska.
Just the thought of Christ's mercy fills us with confidence and hope. But it should also fill us with humility. If Christ is so eager to spread the news about his boundless mercy, it's because we need that mercy.
It's because sin is a reality in our lives and in our world, and sin causes real damage that only Christ can repair. This is the tough side of God's mercy - the reality of sin.
Being Images of Christ's Mercy
In the revelations of his Divine Mercy, Jesus asked St Faustina to commission a painting. The painting would show Jesus standing, dressed in a white alb, with his right hand raised in blessing and his left hand opening his heart.
Out of his heart there were to be streaming two beams of light - one white and the other red. He explained what those rays symbolized:
Today Jesus is reminding us of the power and abundance of his mercy. We should be full of joy and confidence at this reminder. But what about all of our brothers and sisters who aren't with us? What about all our neighbors, colleagues, and classmates who have never experienced Christ's mercy or never heard about it?
Jesus died for them too. And he is sending us to be messengers of his mercy to them. By our kind, truthful words, avoiding all gossip and useless criticism, we shine forth the white light of Christ's mercy.
And by our selfless acts of service to others, seeking no reward except the joy of following Christ, we become extensions of the red ray of Christ's very own life, given up for us on the cross.
Today, as Christ feeds us once again from the very fountain of mercy, Holy Communion, let's ask him for the grace to be living images, living paintings, of his mercy in this world so wounded by sin.
History of the Message and Devotion to Divine Mercy
The Message of the Divine Mercy that Sr. Faustina received from the Lord was not only directed toward her personal growth in faith but also toward the good of the people. With the command of our Lord to paint an image according to the pattern that Sr. Faustina had seen, came also a request to have this image venerated, first in the Sisters' chapel, and then throughout the world. The same is true with the revelations of the Chaplet. The Lord requested that this Chaplet be said not only by Sr. Faustina, but by others: "Encourage souls to say the Chaplet that I have given you."
The same is true of the revelation of the Feast of Mercy. "The Feast of Mercy emerged from my very depths of tenderness. It is my desire that it solemnly be celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter. Mankind will not have peace until it turns to the fount of My Mercy."
These requests of the Lord given to Sr. Faustina between 1931 and 1938 can be considered the beginning of the Divine Mercy Message and Devotion in the new forms.
Through the efforts of Sr. Faustina's spiritual directors, Fr. Michael Sopocko, and Fr. Joseph Andrasz, SJ, and others — including the Marians of the Immaculate Conception — this message began to spread throughout the world.
However, it is important to remember that this message of The Divine Mercy, revealed to St. Faustina and to our present generation is not new. It is a powerful reminder of who God is and has been from the very beginning. This truth that God is in His very nature Love and Mercy Itself, is given to us by our Judeo-Christian faith and God's self-revelation. The veil that has hidden the mystery of God from eternity was lifted by God Himself. In His goodness and love God chose to reveal Himself to us, His creatures, and to make known His eternal plan of salvation. This He had done partly through the Old Testament Patriarchs, Moses and the Prophets, and fully through His only Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. In the person of Jesus Christ, conceived through power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, the unseen God was made visible.
Jesus reveals God as Merciful Father
The Old Testament speaks frequently and with great tenderness about God's mercy. Yet, it was Jesus, who through His words and actions, revealed to us in an extraordinary way, God as a loving Father, rich in mercy and abounding in great kindness and love. In Jesus' merciful love and care for the poor, the oppressed, the sick and the sinful, and especially in His freely choosing to take upon Himself the punishment for our sins (a truly horrible suffering and death on the Cross), so that all may be freed from destructive consequences and death, He manifested in a superabundant and radical way the greatness of God's love and mercy for humanity. In His person as God-Man, one in being with the Father, Jesus both reveals and is God's Love and Mercy Itself.
The message of God's Love and Mercy is especially made known by the Gospels.
The good news revealed through Jesus Christ is that God's love for each person knows no bounds, and no sin or infidelity, no matter how horrible, will separate us from God and His love when we turn to Him in confidence, and seek his mercy. God's will is our salvation. He has done all on our behalf, but since He made us free, He invites us to choose Him and partake of His divine life. We become partakers of His divine life when we believe in His revealed truth and trust Him, when we love Him and remain true to His word, when we honor Him and seek His Kingdom, when we receive Him in Communion and turn away from sin; when we are mutually caring and forgiving.
https://www.thedivinemercy.org/message/history
Fr. Antonius David Tristianto, O.Carm.
On the first day of the week, the third day of his Passion, Jesus Christ rose from the dead. Today is his day.
Many great historical figures have led exemplary lives, taught wise doctrines, and even died for the truth. But only one has risen again. Among the vast array of humanity's greatest heroes, only about Jesus Christ can we say: "He rose again on the third day, in fulfillment of the scriptures."
Only in Christ's resurrection do goodness and power finally unite. The good guy wins! Only in Christ's resurrection does love prove that it is stronger than death.
In Christ and in his resurrection, a new - a wildly new - hope dawns for all mankind, the hope that if we stay united to him through faith and grace, we will rise with him, rise from our very tombs, and live with him forever in the never-ending adventure of heaven.
No one else offers such a hope, because no one else has risen from the dead to be able to offer it - only the Lord.
The Resurrection is the definitive watershed in the history of religions; it makes Christianity absolutely unique. In the Resurrection, reality becomes more wonderful than myth.
Only the reality of the Resurrection can explain the reality of the history of the Church: A few weak, non-influential, and uneducated fishermen from Galilee, frightened out of their wits when Jesus was arrested and executed, suddenly become world travelers, phenomenally successful preachers, and valiant martyrs.
And the Church they spread continues to spread after they die, holding fast to the exact same doctrine they preached, century after century, in nation after nation. Only the abiding presence of the Lord can explain this, and only the resurrection explains the abiding presence of the Lord. This is what makes us, as Christians, different.
Happy Easter, may the resurrect Jesus always lives among you.
Not surprisingly, early Christians used candles in their liturgies. Initially this was done for practical purposes (especially when praying in the catacombs), but the light coming from the candles quickly became symbolic.
The candle-lit ceremonies reminded Christians of Jesus' words in the Gospel of John, "I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life" (John 8:12). For this reason, candles became a central part of Christian worship and were associated with the light of Christ.
Besides using multiples candles for practical illumination purposes, there began a tradition where a single candle was used as a direct symbol of Jesus. According to Fr. Edward McNamara, "The most likely origin [of the Easter candle] is that it derived from the Lucernarium, the evening office with which early Christians began the vigil for every Sunday and especially that of Easter. In turn, this rite is probably inspired by the Jewish custom of lighting a lamp at the conclusion of the Sabbath. The rite therefore has its roots in the very beginning of Christianity. In the Lucernarium rite the light destined to dispel the darkness of night was offered to Christ as the splendor of the Father and indefectible light. This Sunday rite was logically carried out with greater solemnity during the Easter Vigil."
Over time the Easter candle was given greater prominence and was decorated to further expound on the Paschal mystery. Below is a brief guide to the Easter candle along with the corresponding symbolism.
Wax Candle
According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, "The pure wax extracted by bees from flowers symbolizes the pure flesh of Christ received from His Virgin Mother, the wick signifies the soul of Christ, and the flame represents His divinity."
Light
The Roman Missal summarizes this symbolism perfectly, "May the light of Christ rising in glory dispel the darkness of our hearts and minds." This connects the Easter candle to Jesus, "light of the world," as he describes himself in the Gospel of John.
From the Easter candle are lit all the other candles in the church, showing how Jesus is the source of our light.
Flame
The flame is reminiscent of the "pillar of fire" that led the people of Israel and protected them as they escaped the slavery of the Egyptians. The Exsultet refers to this symbolism when it states, "This is the night that with a pillar of fire banished the darkness of sin."
Cross
The cross is the supreme symbol of Jesus and the instrument through which he saved the world from sin and death.
Alpha and Omega
It is common in Christian art to find two Greek letters: the alpha (Α) and omega (Ω). These two letters have an ancient history in Christianity and are rooted in the book of Revelation, where Jesus says, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give water without price from the fountain of the water of life. He who conquers shall have this heritage, and I will be his God and he shall be my son" (Revelation 21:6-7).
Year
As the priest traces the year on the Easter candle, he prays, "All time belongs to him, and all the ages." This reminds us that God is here with us today and is constantly guiding all creation to himself.
Grains of incense
Five grains of incense are inserted into the candle on top of the cross, symbolizing the five "holy and glorious wounds" of Jesus Christ.
https://aleteia.org/2018/04/10/heres-everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-easter-candle/
Fr. Antonius David Tristianto, O.Carm.
St. Anne's Church
1 Tung Tau Wan Road
Stanley, Hong Kong
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