Dear Brothers and Sisters of Our Lady of Mount Carmel,
Fr. Richard Supple, O.Carm.
In the language of the Church’s liturgy, Easter is the great “feast of joy” that celebrates the newness of life that bursts forth for all believers in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Church proclaims the good news for all to hear: “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad!” In fact, we celebrate this great feast not just on this day, but for the whole week! We call this “the octave of Easter,” and during the coming week, we will listen to some of the most beautiful Scripture readings in the New Testament. The central message of these readings is that Jesus is indeed alive and risen from the dead, and we, his disciples, are invited to look at our lives from a completely new perspective. We, too, are raised from the depths of sin which caused spiritual death and called to live this new life as witnesses to our belief in the resurrection.
On behalf of Fr. Anthony, Fr. Emmett, Sr. Regina, and all of the staff of OLMC Parish, I want to wish you a very happy Easter! May the promise of new life with Jesus move you today to hear his desire for you, his thirst for you. May you be moved to look deeply into the eyes of those you meet this day and see the Christ, not a stranger, but the Christ who comes to us today in the people we meet. May you have a true encounter with the risen one as did those early disciples. And may you know his deep desire for you and share that joy with all whom you encounter.
May God bless you always,
Fr. Richard