Jesus has Risen!  He is truly Risen! Alleluia!!

Happy Easter to all of you, our St. John's family, we miss you!  We've journeyed through Lent and Holy Week, with the culmination of Easter, at a time like no other.  It's difficult to compare the time we are presently living in with anything that has previously occurred in our history.  I think of the Spanish Flu epidemic of 1918, but the world didn't shut down.  Is this like our present day version of Pearl Harbor?  I think of the anxieties and fears that we lived through during the Cold War years, Y2K, the fear of the grid crashing and of the world shutting down - but not the fear of a deadly virus on top of it.  There is much anxiety, stress and fear in our world todayand as the saying goes - the only constant- is change.  Every day is different.  We are bombarded with information, sometimes very different from the day before - indeed our only constant is our faith, and Jesus Christ.

Many of you know I am a Respiratory Therapist with Kaleida Health where my responsibilities are with Children's Hospital and Buffalo General.  I've worked as a Respiratory Therapist for mor than 40 years and I've never experienced or worked through anything like this.  I've worked through the AIDS/HIV epidemic, H1N1/SARS, Ebola and various years where we've had a particularly bad flu season - but nothing like this.  I also have not worked so hard for such a sustained period of time without a real end in sight.  I think this is what caused our anxiety - when will this end, when can we get back to "normal", whatever "normal" is.  Either way, I think our world will be quite different when we come out of this, and we will come out of this.

I must say that my own personal Lent was a good one.  Del and I have a good routine of daily prayer - and in times such as these, daily routines are very helpful and keep us grounded.  We've been continuing to pray our daily Rosary and I've been able to for the most part keep my routine (that I learned from Matthew Kelly), to read at least 5 pages of something spiritual (at least when I haven't fallen asleep reading), it's not been quantity, but quality of time.

To take a step back - how many times have we said over the years, "I wish my life would slow down, I wish I didn't have so many obligations."  Be careful what you ask for.  Now the question is, because life has slowed down for most, what are we to do?  I've heard many are very stressed and they're basically walking in circles and can't get anything accomplished because they can't focus.  Some are really getting into spring cleaning, cleaning out basements and rooms that have been neglected and there was never any time to do it before.  Some are catching up on sewing projects, including sewing masks for others to be protected when going out when needed.  Some are checking on their older relatives, their neighbors, their friends, and if able, shopping for them, and calling those who have been on your mind but you never got around to making the call.  Some parents are in the unfamiliar and uncomfortable position of schooling their children from home, some of you are out of work - having solid jobs and not previously having to consifer that you could abruptly be out of work - so many stresses, and yet so much good work from good people.

On top of this, most of us are concerned about ourselves and our family and friends getting sick - many of us know someone who is, or has been sick, and possible have died.  It doesn't matter who you are or your background, we are all vulnerable - some more than others.

My own experience that I've come to especially treasure more than ever over the past month is going for walks with Del - just catching up, bike rides, seeing the crocuses and daffodils coming up, the forsythias coming into bloom, having more sunshine and sometimes even some warmer, longer days of light - life goes on.

We continue our journey without the opportunity to get together for Mass, but there are so many opportunities through the wonders of technology that enable us to worship and in many ways - worship very deeply.  In our own situation at St. John's many thanks must go out to Debbie, Dan, Father Jim Walter, Deacon Peter, Kathy Sutter and Del for putting together some excellent worship aids online.  We will continue to do what we can to fulfill what we may have  previously taken for granted - Church was always there, I could choose what Mass to go to, what worship program I wanted to attend.

It may be helpful to remember that Church began in people's homes in the early days of the church.  In some ways, we are participating in something that is very ancient and rooted in tradition.

We know our Redeemer lives. Even in these extraordinary and challenging (unprecedented) times; we give thanks for what Jesus Christ has done for us by his life, death, and resurrection.  We know how precious each one of us is in the eyes of God. 

God bless you and Happy Easte!!  May Jesus continue to live in your hearts! Please stay healthy and safe, our prayers continue for you.

Jesus, I trust in you!

Deacon Marc and Delphine

Meditation (excerpt) we read Saturday morning from 'Jesus Calling',  "The best way to handle unwanted situations is to thank Me for them.  This act of faith frees you from resentment and frees Me to work My ways into the situation, so that good emerges from it."