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Christ’s resurrection is not an event of the past; it contains a vital power which has permeated this world. Where all seems to be dead, signs of resurrection suddenly spring up. It is an irresistible force. Often it seems that God does not exist: all around us we see persistent injustice, evil, indifference and cruelty. But it is also true that in the midst of darkness something new always springs to life and sooner or later produces fruit…

However dark things are, goodness always re-emerges and spreads. Each day in our world beauty is born anew, it rises transformed through the storms of history. Values always tend to reappear under new guises, and human beings have arisen time after time from situations that seemed doomed.

Such is the power of the resurrection, and all who evangelize are instruments of that power.

There are several sentences from our readings that each of us might take time to ponder: “Say to those whose hearts are frightened, be strong, fear not. Here is your God”, “Show no partiality”, and “He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

These sentences clearly show that God makes a difference both in our world and in our lives. God wants us to live peacefully and we see from the example of Jesus that this is not easy. Jesus encountered both acceptance by many but hostility by many. Our individual relationship with God can help us soften the rough edges of our personalities and help us to be at peace in a world where it is difficult to be at peace. Take time this week and spend some time with these Scriptures. It will be good for you.

There still is time to join our RCIA Program if you are interested in becoming Catholic or are an adult and never received the First Communion or Confirmation. Contact Joe Nuzzi (jnuzzi@stfrancisnyc.org) for an interview.

Finally, more reports have come out regarding Archbishop Viganò and facts that he neglected to mention in his report. It is sad that he came forth at this time to discredit Pope Francis. It has been said that all of this came about because he was never given the “red hat”; that is, he was never named a Cardinal. Unfortunately, these things do happen in our church. They need to be dealt with. We have to remember that like Jesus, we are here “not to be served but to serve.”

-Fr. Andrew Reitz, O.F.M

Some people do not commit themselves to mission because they think that nothing will change and that it is useless to make the effort… This attitude makes it impossible to be a missionary…  It is a self-destructive attitude, for “man cannot live without hope: life would become meaningless and unbearable.”

If we think that things are not going to change, we need to recall that Jesus Christ has triumphed over sin and death and is now almighty. Jesus Christ truly lives. Put another way, “if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain.”

The gospel tells us that when the first disciples went forth to preach, “the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message.”

The same thing happens today. We are invited to discover this, to experience it. Christ, risen and glorified, is the wellspring of our hope, and he will not deprive us of the help we need to carry out the mission which he has entrusted to us.