Ever wonder what it is like to be a pastor during Holy Week? How about life as a Pastor in a pandemic? On this Palm Sunday, Tara Smith and Jerry Wutkowski from the Diocesan Office of Communications, sat down with Fr. Abraham Orapankal, Pastor of St. Matthias Parish, Somerset, to discuss the lessons of the year and how implementing communications tools have become the gifts in sharing the Gospel Message. Listen to the podcast by clicking here.
Author: Nathalie Godet
Second Sunday of Easter
Dear Friends,
By now it is well known that the Sunday after Easter is celebrated as Divine Mercy Sunday. St. Faustina, a poorly educated daughter of a humble Polish family, kept a 600-page diary of the apparitions she had of Jesus for years. Her entries focus on God’s mercy, the call to accept God’s mercy and to be merciful, the need for conversion, and the call to trust in Jesus. It had been Jesus’ own wish, she wrote, to establish a feast day: “I [Jesus] desire that the Feast of Mercy be a refuge and shelter for all souls. . . . I am giving them the last hope of salvation; that is, the Feast of My Mercy.” When St. John Paul II canonized her in 2000, he proclaimed the Second Sunday of Easter as Divine Mercy Sunday, thereby widely promoting the devotional practices associated with Faustina’s visions, already popular in many communities.
Some have asked me: “Father, are we bound to believe in such revelations to individuals like St. Faustina?” Let me answer with a quote from the most authoritative document of the Church, Catechism of the Catholic Church: “Throughout the ages, there have been so-called ‘private’ revelations, some of which have been recognized by the authority of the Church. They do not belong, however, to the deposit of faith. It is not their role to improve or complete Christ’s definitive Revelation, but to help live more fully by it in a certain period of history” (#67).
Thus the Church is very clear that the revelations experienced by Saint Faustina were of a private nature, which are not essential to anyone’s acceptance of the Catholic faith. Yet, the Church promotes this popular devotion because God’s loving mercy, the focus of Divine Mercy Sunday, is the very heart of the gospel. The devotion to Divine Mercy fosters the virtue of trust in God’s mercy that finds its fulfillment in the liturgy of Reconciliation and the Holy Eucharist.
We know Pope Francis has been an ardent promoter of divine mercy. His first book as pope is titled: The Name of God is Mercy. This year is the 90th anniversary (1931-2021) of the first apparition to St. Faustina. The Pope used this occasion to exhort all to “pass on the fire of Jesus’ merciful love.”
And yet, today’s gospel is about doubting the resurrection of Jesus by one of his own disciples! Presenting the famous profession of Faith from Thomas, “My Lord and my God,” the Gospel illustrates how Jesus showed his mercy to this doubting apostle and emphasizes the importance of faith and surrender. We are invited to be liberated from doubts and reservations about our faith, first by verbalizing our doubts and trying to get answers from those who know, and second by surrendering our lives to the Risen Lord of Mercy.
Your brother in Christ,
Fr. Abraham Orapankal
Easter Message
Dear Friends,
Does the ongoing challenging situation make a difference in the way we say “Happy Easter!” this year? Do we heave a sigh of relief, “Lent is over, Alleluia!” or exclaim with a heartfelt joy, “He is Risen, Alleluia!”? Our pandemic experience was aptly described by Pope Francis: “This disease has not only deprived us of human closeness, but also of the possibility of receiving in person the consolation that flows from the sacraments, particularly the Eucharist and Reconciliation. In many countries, it has not been possible to approach them, but the Lord has not left us alone! United in our prayer, we are convinced that he has laid his hand upon us (cf. Ps 138:5), firmly reassuring us: Do not be afraid, “I have risen and I am with you still!”
We have been very fortunate to offer all the Church services both in person and online – thanks to our St. Matthias YouTube channel. Easter brings so many promises of God to us: life is stronger than death, love can overcome hate, goodness ultimately triumphs over evil, and eternal glory with God in Heaven is our destiny. Yes, we celebrate Easter with heartfelt joy.
The historical evidence for Jesus of Nazareth is both long-established and widespread. Besides the New Testament references, Jesus is mentioned by Jewish and Roman historians, as well as by dozens of Christian writings. These establish the historicity of Jesus beyond doubt. Compare that with, for example, King Arthur, who supposedly lived around AD 500. The major historical source for events of that time does not even mention Arthur, and he is first mentioned some 300 or 400 years after he is supposed to have lived. The evidence for Jesus is not limited to later folklore, as are accounts of Arthur. Hence any challenge to the reality of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus is not entertained in educated circles.
But the resurrection of Jesus from the dead is not simply a fact of history to be retold at Easter. The retelling we had these past days of Holy Week is meant to remind us that this happy mystery is to be lived everyday. How?
Like the first disciples, we, too, know that Jesus is not found among the dead but among the living. He lives among us whenever we gather in His name: not only for the Eucharist or for Lenten small groups, but also when we come together for every association or ministry meeting and whenever we organize any parish event – both of which are in abundance here at St. Matthias. He is present in our homes when we gather as a family not only for meals or prayer, but also for any family event. When we reach out to the less fortunate with help, we lift up the hand of Jesus. In these and many other ways, we give witness to the mystery of Jesus living among us. Indeed, we become the Body of Christ for the world.
Let us experience more of that Easter Joy!
Easter Blessings to you and to your dear ones!
Your brother in Christ,
Fr. Abraham Orapankal