Home
Bulletin Letter
St. Paul Home
Calendar
Bulletins
Bulletin Letters
Mar. 23, '08
Mar. 16, '08
Mar. 9, '08
Mar. 2, '08
Fec. 24, '08
Fe. 17, '08
Feb. 10, '08
Feb. 3, '08
Jan. 27, '08
Jan. 20, '08
Jan. 13, '08
Jan. 6, '08
Dec. 23, '07
Dec. 16, '07
Dec. 9, '07
Dec. 2, '07
Nov. 25, '07
Nov. 18, '07
Nov. 11, '07
Nov. 4, '07
Oct. 28, '07
Oct. 21, '07
Oct. 14, '07
Oct. 7, '07
Sept. 30, '07
Sept. 23, '07
Sept. 16, '07
Sept. 9, '07
Sept. 2, '07
Aug. 26, '07
Aug. 19, '07
Aug. 12, '07
Aug. 5, '07
July 29, '07
July 22, '07
July 15, '07
July 8, '07
July 1, '07
June 24, '07
June 17, '07
June 10,  '07
June 3, 2007
May 27, 2007
May 20, 2007
May 13, 2007
May 6, 2007
April 29, 2007
April 22, 2007
April 15, 2007
April 8, 2007
April 1, 2007
Mar. 25, 2007
Mar. 18, 2007
Mar. 11, 2007
Mar. 4, 2007
Feb. 25, 2007
Feb. 18, 2007
Feb. 11, 2007
Feb. 4, 2007
Jan. 21, 2007
Jan 14, 2007
Jan. 7, 2007
Dec. 31, 2006
Dec. 24, 2006
Dec. 17, 2006
Dec. 10, 2006
Dec. 3, 2006
Nov. 26, 2006
Nov. 19, 2006
Nov. 12, 2006
Nov. 5, 2006
Oct. 29, 2006
Oct. 22, 2006
Oct. 15, 2006
Oct. 8, 2006
Oct. 1, 2006
Sept. 24, 2006
Sept. 17, 2006
Sept. 10, 2006
Sept. 3, 2006
Aug. 27, 2006
Aug. 20, 2006
Aug. 13, 2006
Aug. 6, 2006
July 30, 2006
July 23, 2006
July 16, 2006
July 9, 2006
July 2, 2006
June 25, 2006
June 18, 2006
June 11, 2006
June 4, 2006
May 28, 2006
May 21, 2006
May 14, 2006
May 7, 2006
Apr. 30, 2006
Apr. 23, 2006
Apr. 16, 2006
Apr. 9, 2006
Apr. 2, 2006
Mar. 26, 2006
Mar. 19, 2006
Mar. 12, 2006
Mar. 5, 2006
Feb. 26, 2006
Feb. 19, 2006
Feb. 12, 2006
Feb. 5, 2006
Jan. 29, 2006
Jan. 22, 2006
Jan. 15, 2006
Jan. 8, 2006
Jan. 1, 2006
Dec. 25, 2005
Dec. 18, 2005
Dec. 11, 2005
Dec. 4, 2005
Nov. 27, 2005
Nov. 20, 2005
Nov. 13, 2005
Nov. 6, 2005
Oct. 30, 2005
Oct. 23, 2005
Oct. 16, 2005
Oct. 9, 2005
Oct. 2, 2005
Sept. 25, 2005
Sept. 18, 2005
Sept. 11, 2005
Aug. 28, 2005
Aug. 21, 2005
Aug. 14, 2005
Aug. 7, 2005
July 31, 2005
July 24, 2005
June 26, 2005
June 19, 2005
June 12, 2005
June 5, 2005
May 29, 2005
May 22, 2005
May 15, 2005
May 8, 2005
May 1, 2005
April 24, 2005
April 17, 2005
April 10, 2005
April 3, 2005
March 27, 2005
March 20, 2005
March 13, 2005
March 6, 2005
Feb. 27, 2005
Feb. 20, 2005
Feb. 13, 2005
Feb. 6, 2005
Jan. 30, 2005
Jan. 23, 2005
Jan 16, 2005
Jan. 9, 2005

Pointing at the bulletin letter's date (link) at left will display it's title.
March 30, 2008

Our Personal Easter Experience

      The octave of Easter is a full week of solemn celebration for the entire Christian world.  The days of the Octave are so solemn that all the ordinary feasts are displaced and give way to the Easter celebration.  Even the feast of the Annunciation which we ordinarily celebrate on March 25 was pushed to the 31st  this year.  All our energies are directed to the Resurrection.  What does that mean to us in our daily experience?  Do the events of that first Easter have any bearing on our lives?  They should and will if we only give them a chance.

    Let’s begin with Mary Magdelene.  On that first day of the week Mary begins her day by seeking the Lord.  When she sees he is nowhere to be found she begins to cry, possibly because she is sad but also because she no longer sees any reason for hope.  How are we like Mary?  How often have we had the experience of needing God in our lives and looking for him in places such as prayer of Sunday worship or even in our daily activities and seemingly not “finding” him?  We become distraught like Mary and we get discouraged.  What can we learn from the story of Easter?  Simply that Jesus was there all along.  Mary simply did not recognize him because she had a preconceived notion of what she was to see.  Don’t we often react in the same manner?  God is there all along and we don’t see him.

    Another example is the story of Jesus on the road to Emmaus.  There are two men who are walking toward the small town of Emmaus.  They spend their time discussing the events of the passion and the missing body.  They remember all the good things he did while he was alive but now they are confused because they no longer see him or know where he is.  Their lives have been turned upside down.  What are they supposed to think and feel?  Do we see ourselves in these two men?  How often are we guilty of losing sight of God’s wisdom and power when things go wrong in our lives.  We become afraid and are unable to see or recognize the work of God in our lives because he has changed the scene a little and we become disoriented. Jesus is right there with them and they fail to notice.  Are we guilty of that same blindness?

    A very popular Easter personage is the Apostle Thomas.  We all know Thomas as the Doubter.  Thomas had known Jesus for some years now. He was also a close friend of the other Aposltes.  When Jesus appears to them and Thomas is missing he does not believe them.  He must see for himself.  Isn’t this a familiar tune?  How often are we up against events that cause us to doubt the reality of the existence of our God?  No matter what others tell us we dig in our heels and insist on proof before we break down and believe.  It is strange that we see Thomas for who and what he is but we do not recognize our own behavior for what it truly is. Perhaps we can learn something from Thomas.

    Perhaps the most difficult lesson to learn is the one all the Apostles had to learn.  Jesus appears to them and scolds them for being hard of heart.  They refused to believe those who had come back to them and reported the fact that Jesus was no longer dead. They argued and ridiculed the barrers of the message.  They simply were not open to the possibility of Resurrection even when Jesus had told them that it would happen?  Are we ever closed to the word of God in our lives?  Do we refuse to listen and believe?  Why? Can we learn something from the Easter story?

                                Lorette P. Nault