My brothers and sisters in Christ, Happy Easter! Jesus lives!



 I woke up on Easter Monday recalling the glorious celebrations of the  Easter Triduum (Holy Thursday, Good Friday and the Easter   Vigil  on  Saturday) at Saints Peter and Paul. Those were followed by our glorious proclamation of the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus,   early on Easter  Sunday. However, only minutes into the day I was confronted with the news of the death of our Holy Father, Pope   Francis. As I sat down to write this week’s reflection it was with mixed  emotions. I was struck with the contrast of the two; sort of a   Divine “Irony” or “Contradiction”. This seemed almost a  reversal of the original Easter, when the Apostles’ pain of losing their Rabboni,   great Teacher and Master, was replaced with the joy in the knowledge that He rose.

 In a short time thinking about this irony, I came to a quick conclusion. There’s a lot of irony in a Christian’s life and faith both during   the time of Jesus and today. Heaven and Hell, Virtue and Vice, Good and Evil. Thinking past these current events:

    · Isn’t it ironic that the Messiah, the Chosen one of God that Israel waited centuries to come, was born a poor  helpless infant in the          place where animals fed?

    · Isn’t it ironic that we have a God who would create us, His treasured creatures, and then send His only begotten Son into this world        to serve us.

    · Isn’t it ironic that a man who has gone down in history as “Doubting Thomas” gives us one of the clearest and  simplest                     

     confessions of faith in Jesus. I hope those five words Thomas spoke in the 28th verse of John’s gospel, “My Lord and my God!” is the

     confession of all of us, after being strengthened in the knowledge of His resurrection.

 I always feel a little sympathy for Thomas and I am also thankful to him. If this incident had not been recorded, Thomas would almost

 be anonymous, or an Apostle we know less about. But these 10 verses have made him infamous as the one disciple who could not 

 believe that Jesus had risen. Thomas was asked to believe, simply because he heard the good news from the others. Thomas didn’t.   He was no different than many people today who simply cannot accept the impossible and many times ironic and mystical aspects   of Christianity.

 Thomas shows us that God conquers unbelief. Jesus came and showed him those nail marks in His hands. He let Thomas put his   hand into his side. Jesus did not hold Thomas’ doubt against him. He allowed him to question. Jesus works just as hard for you and   for me, to bring about the same confession. The only reason that anyone believes in  Jesus, is that God reaches into their hearts of   those struggling to believe, through the Gospel and the true, real  testimony of missionary disciples like us, and changes them.

 Our now dearly departed Holy Father, Francis, reflected on this Gospel, just a few months after his election, on the Feast of St Thomas   the Apostle, and this enabled Pope Francis to return to a concept dear to him: placing our hands in the flesh of Jesus. The Pope   reflected on the disciples differing reactions “when Jesus made himself visible after the  Resurrection”. Some rejoiced, others were filled with doubt. Thomas, to whom the Lord only showed himself eight days after he had   shown himself to the others, was even incredulous. “The Lord”, the Pope said, “knows when and how to do things”. He granted   Thomas eight days; and he wanted the wounds still to be visible on his body, although they were “clean, very beautiful, filled with   light”, because the Apostle had said he would not believe unless he put his finger in them. “He was stubborn! But the Lord”, the Pope   remarked, “wanted a pig-headed man in order to explain something greater. Thomas placed his fingers in the Lord’s wounds.

 But Thomas did NOT say: “it’s true, the Lord is risen”. He went further; he said: “My Lord and my God”. Starting with his disbelief, the Lord

 led him to profess not only his belief in the Resurrection, but above all, his belief in the divinity of the Lord. The Holy Father then posed   a rhetorical question, “How can I find the wounds of Jesus today? I cannot see them as Thomas saw them. I find them in doing works   of mercy, in giving to the body - to the body and to the soul, but I stress the body - of your injured brethren, for they are hungry,   thirsty, naked, humiliated, slaves, in prison, in hospital. These are the wounds of Jesus in our day”. Mere philanthropic actions do not   suffice, the Pope added. “We must touch the wounds of Jesus, caress them. We must heal the wounds of Jesus with tenderness. We   must literally kiss the wounds of Jesus”...“What Jesus asks us to do with our works of mercy”, the Pope concluded, “is what Thomas   asked: to enter his wounds”.

 We need to be modern day Thomases, for Jesus calls us, as those who have not seen Him and yet believe, as blessed. Being so   blessed may we always be ready to confess the Gospel message that Thomas confessed, to all we encounter and help those whom   still doubt, who He is...that He is Jesus the Christ and My Lord and My God.

God Bless You,  Deacon Frank 

2025 APPEAL

This year’s theme: “Our Journey United in Hope,” is inspired by the theme of the Jubilee Year, “Pilgrims of Hope.”

 It reflects our collective commitment to walk on the path together with the hope Christ has provided us.

It invites us to be renewed in hope by bringing hope to others through individual gifts. Through our various ministries across the diocese your gift is shared and brings comfort, relief, encouragement and support to many.

Next weekend, February 8^th & 9^th, we will be holding our Catholic Ministries Appeal In-Pew Weekend. In preparation, you should receive a mailing from Bishop Sullivan that will include the 2025 South Jersey Catholic Ministries Appeal materials. I ask that you please consider donating to this year’s campaign. It is important that we come together to support our ministries. They need the resources necessary to continue serving those in need.

By supporting the Catholic Ministries Appeal, you are supporting those who comprise the programs and ministries of the Diocese of Camden. These ministries serve the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of the hungry and challenged. When we support the Catholic Ministries Appeal, we can bring the light of hope to those in the Catholic community of South Jersey.

Please prayerfully consider joining us once again.