Happy Easter!

Have faith in Jesus. Love. Be not afraid. May what Jesus suffered to save you assure you of the Heart of your God.

Here is truly good news, explosive news, life-changing news.

Christ is Risen! He is Risen indeed!

Couldn’t make it to every part of the Triduum liturgy?

Want to watch a powerful moment again? You can view all of our Holy Week homilies, recordings, and pictures below.

Holy Thursday | Took. Blessed. Broke. Gave.
As we spend time with Jesus in these most pivotal days, Father Michael invites us to contemplate what it means for the Lord to take you, to bless you, to break you, and to give you to others. Hear how Jesus won Father Michael over in the same manner by taking him, blessing him, and especially breaking him. May Father Michael’s encounter, just like the apostles’ encounter with Jesus, move us to go deeper into stepping into our identity as Eucharistic People.
Holy Thursday Liturgy
Holy Thursday Picture Recap

Good Friday | Embodied Love
Jesus came to testify to the truth. What is this truth? Well, He shows us in an embodied way—a human way—who God truly is. When we look to the cross, may we not see our shame but our glory! For “by His stripes, we are healed…”
Good Friday Liturgy
Good Friday Picture Recap

Easter Vigil | Intimacy With You
Father Michael on his first Easter Vigil homily breaks open 1 of the 7 beautiful scripture readings, the biblical meaning of 4+3=7, and sheds light on the answer to the following questions that we may have. What is the Bible all about? What is this whole story about Christ? What are the reasons for the Sacraments? What are we celebrating at the Easter Vigil? What does it mean to be Catholic?
Easter Vigil Liturgy
Easter Vigil Picture Recap

Easter Sunday | There Is More
If Christianity had a slogan, what would it be? Well, if God is infinite, and we are finite, then there’s an infinity of what God is in store for those who receive Him. Let’s surrender ourselves once again to the God of resurrection and mercy this Easter so we can embrace “the more” that is perpetually on offer from our heavenly Father.
Easter Sunday Liturgy
Easter Sunday Picture Recap

What now? …. Catholics definitely know how to feast!

Did you know that the Easter season lasts for 50 days and it begins with the “Easter Octave.” The Easter Octave starts Easter Sunday through Divine Mercy Sunday with every day in between being a “little Easter”. Here are suggestions to celebrate the Octave of Easter and these Easter days and a reflection to guide you.

Attend daily Mass or read the “propers” for each day’s Mass at home. The Propers of the Mass are liturgical texts that vary from day to day according to the calendar: the Introit, the Gradual, the Responsorial Psalm, the Alleluia Verse, the Offertory Chant, and the Communion Antiphon.
Feast daily! Visit or go out with that friend you haven’t seen in a while. Go for that extra ice-cream scoop these are celebratory days. Rejoice and be glad, for Our Lord is risen!
Visit the sick and homebound and share the joy of Christ.
Read “Paschal Tide” from Gueranger’s The Liturgical Year
Watch “The Stations of the Resurrection” Via Lucis on FORMED or on the Amen App.
Be accompanied by the Blessed Mother whom the apostles sought and relied on during those days, by taking part in the 33 Days to Morning Glory, sign up now that starts on Thursday 4/27th.
Attend the Feast of Divine Mercy on Sunday, April 23rd at 2pm.
Take part in any of the gatherings and offerings that Our Lady of Mercy has below (scroll down).

Limit screen time and make more time for prayer.
Spread the joy of Easter: chalk your sidewalk, decorate your front yard, and put up our Our Lady of Mercy Easter graphic in your home windows or share on social media.
Use the traditional Easter greeting in your interactions with others during this day (one person says “He is risen” and the other person responds “He has truly risen!”)   * Decorate your home with streamers and flowers and anything else that makes it festive.
Spend some time reading the Resurrection accounts from all four Gospels (Matthew 28:1-10; Mark 16:1-8; Luke 24:1-9; John 20:1-10)
Pray the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary
Reflect on the “Easter Sequence.” This is an ancient poem describing the joys of Easter morning which is proclaimed before the Gospel on Easter day. Praying with this could be a beautiful way to begin each morning of this Easter week. He is truly risen! Check out “Sequence, Victimae paschali laudes” on YouTube to hear a beautiful chant like this one https://youtu.be/Vfcp19WpXxU

When Easter joy bursts upon us, we might well think of this great feast as a triumphant conclusion. Lenten penances are over, and somber liturgy is replaced by joyful celebration as the ‘Gloria’ once again sounds and the light of Easter Vigil candles is passed from person to person. The Easter liturgy speaks gloriously of fulfillment, proclaiming that Jesus’ suffering is past and His sacrifice as the Lamb of God redeems our sins. Our ancient enemy, death, was arrested and our true life has begun.

Even the created world testifies that “Lo, the winter is past!” (cf. Song 2:11). Fourth century Byzantine church father Saint John Chrysostom acknowledged this harmony, connecting the resurrection and the new “roses, violets, and other flowers” as mutually reinforcing signs of God’s ever-renewing love.

Yet the readings for the Easter season demonstrate that instead of inviting Jesus’ followers to relax into a sense of completion, the original Easter Sunday confronted them with a serious, “Okay, what now?” moment. The resurrection shook pre-existing conditions and assumptions and comfortable paradigms, so it’s no wonder that Jesus’ followers initially responded with doubt and fear, confusion and debate. How could this be true? What did it mean? How were they to live their lives now? With whom were they supposed to share this good news? (To experience this in your own way, we encourage you to take part in being accompanied by the Blessed Mother to whom the apostles and disciples leaned on during those days; take part in the 33 Days to Morning Glory, sign up now.)

More than 2,ooo years later, we have the wisdom of saints, theologians, mystics, and teachers to inform our faith. But all who seek to live the Easter mystery today will find the same timeless questions. Jesus still asks each of us to this very day, “Who do you say that I am?” (Mark 8:20), and we still entreat, “What are we to do….?” (Acts 2:37). Fears, doubts, and trials haven’t disappeared-in point of fact, these days have become more perilous for people. Fear, stress, anxiety have been at its highest and are on a continual rise. These days we live in offer new challenges which resonate with those the apostles faced in their time.

The Easter readings take us right into the heart of the ever-evolving process of becoming true disciples. Their narrative covers about 30 years, beginning with the resurrection, through the forty days when Jesus appeared to the apostles, to His ascension and the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, through the earliest persecutions and martyrdoms, to Paul’s conversion and missionary journeys, and ending with Paul’s house arrest in Rome around 60 CE. That is A LOT of church history to grasp in just a few weeks!

Yet… the sheer reality of these events and the perennial relevance of the readings’ themes draw us in, inviting us to claim kinship with Saints Peter, Stephen, Paul, and others as we marvel at their incredible fortitude and braveness. As we walk this sacred path in our imaginations each spring (Holy Week – Easter days), we’re encouraged to grow a little wiser every year, to consider ever-more-deeply the key questions about calling, about forgiveness and grace, about community with one another and relationship with our trinitarian God, about persistence and courage, and about the calling to be sent out on mission.

We pray these suggestions will enhance this year’s Easter journey for you, helping you use this precious season as a time not just for rejoicing but also for exploration, opening, and renewed commitment to your own apostolic calling.

A very Happy & Blessed Easter to you and your loved ones! We rejoice with great joy at Jesus’ victory over sin and death: His victory is our victory. We have hope and joy in our lives because of the wonder of Christ’s love conquering our sin and His life overcoming our death. He is risen! He is risen indeed!