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Father Muench Says...

The Resurrection: it changes everything!

April 30, 2014

Everything changed with the Resurrection of Jesus.  The apostles, frightened and disturbed by the crucifixion of Jesus, now discovered new life through Christ’s Resurrection. The apostles found hope and confidence – the readiness and willingness to continue all that Jesus had begun. 

On the Pentecost, the Holy Spirit will give them the power they will need to speak and teach boldly.  Through the Resurrection of Jesus they will find the life, the new life to accomplish it all.

The apostles had suffered so much as they witnessed the sufferings and crucifixion of Jesus.  They were certainly confused and disappointed.  I suspect they experienced some despair.  Everything seemed to be falling apart.  Then came the resurrection of Jesus and everything changed.  They were then filled with hope and confidence.
This is our story.  Each Easter – as we remember and celebrate Christ’s Resurrection – we should go through a real conversion.  Like the apostles, many of us need new hope and confidence in our Church and in the spirit and message of Jesus. 

Our Church needs that new life, that new spirit, that enthusiasm that can demonstrate the love and concern for all that Jesus brought to this world.  

Have you lost some of your enthusiasm for your faith?  Turn to the Lord in his resurrection this Easter Time; hear his call to your importance in making the Catholic Church more alive. 

May our enthusiasm reach those who have lost faith in the Catholic Church – may they return to their home.
This year, we, Catholics, have a new example to follow in the enthusiastic character of our Holy Father, Pope Francis.  There is no doubt that he is bringing a very new spirit of hope and confidence to our Catholic Church.  Pope Francis presents the world an outstanding example of simplicity and dedication in the spirit of Our Savior. 

His spirit is a call to all of us Catholics to have the confidence in God that we can make a difference.  I pray often that God will grant a long life to Pope Francis.

Pope Francis speaks often, challenging us all, priests and people, to bring this new life into our parishes.  In his homily, at this year’s Chrism Mass at the Vatican, Pope Francis urged the priests of the world to be more dedicated and to bring Christ’s message of love and concern to all with enthusiasm. He urged all priests to use their ministry to bring new life to our Church. 

Pope Francis challenged us priests to live out our ordination by the way we live our lives – personally.  We must be like Pope Francis: a model to the people of our parishes, a model of love and concern  in union with the Church and with our Pope. 

As the People of God, all of you, lay men and lay women, baptized into the Catholic Church are also called to discover your new life in the spirit of Our Risen Lord.  May you realize all that you can bring and do for your parish and for the Church Universal.   So, as we again celebrate Christ’s resurrection, I pray that you will find new hope and confidence in your ability to bring new spirit and new life to your parish. 

The Resurrection of Jesus should bring that new hope to us all.  May you also be touched deeply by the enthusiasm and spirit of Our Holy Father, Pope Francis, and find the confidence that you can make your parish a better place and make our Catholic Church all that it can be to be a powerful influence on our world.

It all starts with Baptism.  Baptism brings us the gift of faith and also the gift of hope.  That virtue of hope makes a person desire eternal life, that is, the heavenly vision of God.

This Hope gives the confidence of receiving the grace necessary to reach Heaven.  Hope is the desire for all that is good – for all that can bring us to God.  Hope brings us all the good things that can help us in our road to becoming a saint.

Hope must become a habit and desire for us in our effort to live a good Christian life in the spirit of Our Savior.  Hope is the virtue that can give to us all – priests and people – the ability to become an enthusiastic group of believers that will have a profound influence on the future of our Church.

I urge you all to join me in prayer that our Church, you and I, will be overwhelmed by the hope and confidence that will fill us with the enthusiasm to bring this new life into our Catholic Church.

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