April 18: Third Sunday in Easter

Readings for Sunday, April 18

Reading I: Acts 3:13-15, 17-19
Responsorial Psalm 4:2, 4, 7-8, 9
Reading II: 1 John 2:1-5a
Gospel: Luke 24:35-48

A heaviness of heart is not what Fr. George would want us to have. He would want an upbeat attitude as he is where he wants to be, in the arms of our gracious God. He often said he thought he would die young and young he is, forever 66. You remember his homilies filled with self-deprecating confessions of his imperfections. One homily last summer almost convinced us we could taste what he made in his new Instant pot! His enthusiasm caused people to shop and check out a wondrous appliance that would indeed cook anything! I wonder what he would say this weekend as he humbly applied the scriptures to his own life and invited us to not be hard on ourselves as we tried to apply them to our life.

In today’s Gospel, we are reminded that Jesus “opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.” We are grateful to Fr. George for his every effort to do that for us. Jesus asked, “Why are you troubled?” Fr. George would ask that same thing of us. In each apparition after he rose from the dead, Jesus helped his followers grasp their calling to be witnesses of Jesus’ suffering, death, and rising. He urged their and our repentance. He has the utmost confidence in us forgiving one another and changing the world. We are to seek justice, be charitable, and spread the good word, building peace and unity. Jesus promised to send us his Holy Spirit who fills us with potential for good to benefit humanity.

Please pray this weekend’s Psalm 4:2,4,7-9 with Fr. George and in gratitude for all who have gone before us, all the saints in heaven. Knowing Fr. George died in his favorite chair with his cat in his lap is reassuring to us all. Seems an answer to the psalm, “I fall peacefully asleep, for you alone, O Lord, bring security…..”

Deni Mack, DMin, Pastoral Associate Emerita