MY DEAR PARISHIONERS IN THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY,

April 11, 2009

The Easter story begins in sadness.  Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and found it empty; she feared they have stolen or taken the Lord’s body and she wept; wept, because she longed to see him, to be with him, to feel loved, understood, forgiven.  This was very much the feeling of the disciples, as well.  Peter had denied him and all but John had abandoned him; they, too, had reason to be sad and to seek the Lord’s forgiveness.           

After she saw the Lord and went to tell his companions that the Lord was risen, she found them mourning and weeping, but they did not believe her.  The disciples from Emmaus ran back to tell their story and those gathered in the Upper Room remained in disbelief.   When Peter and John ran to inspect the tomb and found it empty, John saw and believed.  Finally, Jesus appeared to the Eleven while they were at table…  There was excitement and exhilaration!  The words “Jesus is alive” and “We have seen the Lord” elicited tremendous joy and hope in the hearts of his devoted followers.  Faith was reinstated in the Words that Jesus had spoken to them in Galilee, in Capernaum, around the Sea of Galilee and in Jerusalem.  They now certainly must have remembered what had happened on Mt. Tabor and his command to tell no one about his Transfiguration, until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.

When Jesus had been taken prisoner and then crucified, fear and doubt overcame the disciples; this moved them to deny and abandon Jesus and to seek safe harbor in the Upper Room.  The glory of the resurrection elicited great joy, commitment and conversion.  They now would remain faithful to the life and to the mission that Jesus entrusted to them.

Today, we join the Eleven of that first Easter morning.  With them, we hear the words, “Jesus is alive!” and we join their ALLELUIA song.  Just as the resurrection brought about a conversion in them, it must now bring a conversion in each one of us.

In our country today, we are facing an economic crisis that brings back dire memories of the Great Depression in the minds of those who experienced it and a sense of fear for the future in the minds of all.  What must we do to allay our fears and turn our economy around?  Certainly, although it may be necessary at the moment, to inject the economy with trillions of bailout and stimulus dollars, we must do more.  As disciples of the Risen Savior, we must call for a conversion in the minds and hearts of all, away from the greed and unrestrained consumerism that created the crisis, toward the spiritual riches promised to those who make up the body of Christ.

Each one of us must assess his or her own need for conversion and take the steps necessary to totally embrace the Gospel of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ who suffered, died and rose that we might enjoy the fullness of life in him.  For now, let us concentrate on the conversion that will benefit our economy.

To alleviate the present need, let us do three things:

1. Not allow the acquiring of wealth and material things to become the end all of our existence.
2. Limit our spending to things that we really need and not want to have every new fashion, electronic gadget or entertainment that is placed on the market.
3. Be conscious of each other’s needs and especially of the needs of the poor and generous in assisting them.

As we rejoice in the resurrection of our Savior, let us pray for a true and real conversion in our own heart and in the hearts of all.  Let us pray, as well, for the change of heart that will help mend our economy and for the guidance of the Holy Spirit for those in our government that they may do all that is necessary for the promotion and protection of the human dignity of every person, and for the advancement of the common good and prosperity for all.

May the risen Christ fill our hearts with joy on this Easter day and may he grant us a future full of hope.

+Bishop Raymundo J. Peña

last updated 09-Jun-2010 10:44 sitemap