Why Easter Matters - St. Mary’s Haddington Road
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Contacts:Fr Fachtna McCarthy, Administrator, Fr Patrick Claffey svd C.C., Fr Michael Collins C.C.. Tel 01-6600075 Streaming and Website www.stmaryshaddingtonroad.ie email: [email protected] Child Protecon: hp://www.stmaryshaddingtonroad.ie/ministries/child-protecon/ also www.csps.dublindiocese.ie Streaming also at www.churchservices.tv/haddingtonroad Funded by Living the Joy of the Gospel Campaign St Mary ’ s Parish Haddington Road Serving the Community Serving the City Why Easter Matters Johann Christoph Arnold The Easter story is the most important story in the history of the world. And it does not belong only to Christians; it is for everyone. Easter celebrates Jesus’ resurrection from the dead three days after he was executed. What was his crime? He healed the sick, raised the dead, and preached the coming of God’s kingdom of justice, peace, and forgiveness. After Jesus was crucified his body was taken down from the cross and buried in a tomb, which was then sealed with a huge stone so that no one could steal the body. But on Easter morning an angel came and rolled the stone away. Jesus rose from the dead and appeared first to Mary Magdalene and then to his disciples. The disciples were afraid. They did not want to be associated with Jesus, because he had just been condemned and executed. They had experienced this personally, and were terrified. So even though they knew that Jesus had risen, they met secretly behind locked doors. But Jesus suddenly appeared among them, saying, “Peace be with you.” Like the disciples, many people today are afraid. Even though, in most countries, we now have the freedom to believe in Jesus, we hide our faith behind closed doors. Like the disciples, we also long for peace without knowing where to find it. Jesus offers this peace to us, a peace that will take away all our burdens and sins. May this peace excite us and fill us with hope and love. This peace is the answer to all our po- litical and social problems. We live in a fractured society, where everybody is divided from everybody else, and simple joy in life is often squeezed out of us. This particularly affects chil- dren. When we take God away from them, and don’t let them come to Jesus, they are afraid. The battle between good and evil has been raging since the beginning of time, but today it is impossible to ignore. Warfare is everywhere. In the impoverished nations of Africa there is war over water and other resources. Millions of people are dying because they do not have ac- cess to the basic neces- sities of life. Every day we hear of more atroci- ties occurring all over the world. Jesus came to end all suffering and human need. He loved us so much that he was willing to die for us. As the apostle John writes, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear.” This is the gift that Jesus offers us. When we celebrate Easter this year, let ’s remember that Jesus was victorious over death and over fear. We can claim this same victory and receive his gift of life and peace. Shortly before Easter 2015, my daughter Margrit died of cancer. Many times during her last days and hours my wife and I, together with her own family, gathered around her bed and thought of the Easter story. The following words of scripture, which my son Heinrich later put to music, became a trumpet call of victory for us: Now we see through a glass dimly, but then face to face, now I know in part, just as I am also known, but then I shall be known, as I am known. Blessed be the God, father of our Jesus Christ who comforts us in trials. He will still deliver us! For I know that my Redeemer lives, And he shall stand at the end upon the earth. And though the worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God! Martha called Jesus to Lazarus, but yet did he die; when she heard he came, then she said un- to her Lord, “If thou had’st been here my brother had not died.” Jesus said, “I am the resurrec- tion and the life, whoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die! ” Behold, I tell to you a mystery: We shall all be changed. At the last trumpet the dead shall all be raised, and we shall be changed, shall all be changed. Thanks be to God, death has been swallowed up, he gives the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ! Yes, Jesus lives, and we can all live with him. Johann Christoph Arnold was a noted speaker and writer on marriage, parenting, and end-of-life issues, Arnold was a senior pastor of the Bruderhof, a movement of Christian communities. He passed away on 15 April 2017 Like the disciples, many people today are afraid. Like the disciples, we also long for peace without knowing where to find it. Jesus was victorious over death and over fear. We can claim this same victory and receive his gift of life and peace.
Transcript of Why Easter Matters - St. Mary’s Haddington Road
Contacts:Fr Fachtna McCarthy, Administrator, Fr Patrick Claffey svd C.C., Fr Michael Collins C.C.. Tel 01-6600075 Streaming and Website www.stmaryshaddingtonroad.ie email: [email protected]
Child Protection: http://www.stmaryshaddingtonroad.ie/ministries/child-protection/ also www.csps.dublindiocese.ie
Streaming also at www.churchservices.tv/haddingtonroad Funded by Living the Joy of the Gospel Campaign
St Mary’s Parish
Haddington Road
Serving
the Community
Serving
the City
Why Easter Matters Johann Christoph Arnold
The Easter story is the most important story in the history of the world. And it does not belong only to Christians; it is for everyone.
Easter celebrates Jesus’ resurrection from the dead three days after he was executed. What was his crime? He healed the sick, raised the dead, and preached the coming of God’s kingdom of justice, peace, and forgiveness.
After Jesus was crucified his body was taken down from the cross and buried in a tomb, which was then sealed with a huge stone so that no one could steal the body. But on Easter morning
an angel came and rolled the stone away. Jesus rose from the dead and appeared first to Mary Magdalene and then to his disciples.
The disciples were afraid. They did not want to be associated with Jesus, because he had just been condemned and executed. They had experienced this personally, and were terrified. So even though they knew that Jesus had risen, they met secretly behind locked doors. But Jesus suddenly appeared among them, saying, “Peace be with you.”
Like the disciples, many people today are afraid. Even though, in most countries, we now have the freedom to believe in Jesus, we hide our faith behind closed doors. Like the disciples, we also long for peace without knowing where to find it. Jesus offers this peace to us, a peace that will take away all our burdens and sins.
May this peace excite us and fill us with hope and love. This peace is the answer to all our po-litical and social problems. We live in a fractured society, where everybody is divided from everybody else, and simple joy in life is often squeezed out of us. This particularly affects chil-dren. When we take God away from them, and don’t let them come to Jesus, they are afraid.
The battle between good and evil has been raging since the beginning of time, but today it is impossible to ignore. Warfare is everywhere. In the impoverished nations of Africa there is war over water and other resources. Millions of people are dying because they do not have ac-
cess to the basic neces-sities of life. Every day we hear of more atroci-ties occurring all over the world.
Jesus came to end all suffering and human need. He loved us so much that he was willing to die for us. As the apostle John writes, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear.” This is the gift that Jesus offers us. When we celebrate Easter this year, let’s remember that Jesus was victorious over death and over fear. We can claim this same victory and receive his gift of life and peace.
Shortly before Easter 2015, my daughter Margrit died of cancer. Many times during her last days and hours my wife and I, together with her own family, gathered around her bed and thought of the Easter story. The following words of scripture, which my son Heinrich later put to music, became a trumpet call of victory for us:
Now we see through a glass dimly, but then face to face, now I know in part, just as I am also known, but then I shall be known, as I am known. Blessed be the God, father of our Jesus Christ who comforts us in trials. He will still deliver us!
For I know that my Redeemer lives, And he shall stand at the end upon the earth. And though the worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God!
Martha called Jesus to Lazarus, but yet did he die; when she heard he came, then she said un-to her Lord, “If thou had’st been here my brother had not died.” Jesus said, “I am the resurrec-tion and the life, whoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die!”
Behold, I tell to you a mystery: We shall all be changed. At the last trumpet the dead shall all be raised, and we shall be changed, shall all be changed. Thanks be to God, death has been swallowed up, he gives the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!
Yes, Jesus lives, and we can all live with him.
Johann Christoph Arnold was a noted speaker and writer on marriage, parenting, and end-of-life issues, Arnold was a senior pastor of the Bruderhof, a movement of Christian communities. He passed away on 15 April 2017
Like the disciples, many people today are afraid. Like the disciples, we also long for peace without knowing where to find it.
Jesus was victorious over death and over fear. We can claim this same victory and receive his gift of life and peace.
Contacts:Fr Fachtna McCarthy, Administrator, Fr Patrick Claffey svd C.C., Fr Michael Collins C.C.. Tel 01-6600075 Streaming and Website www.stmaryshaddingtonroad.ie email: [email protected]
Child Protection: http://www.stmaryshaddingtonroad.ie/ministries/child-protection/ also www.csps.dublindiocese.ie
Streaming also at www.churchservices.tv/haddingtonroad Funded by Living the Joy of the Gospel Campaign
In Memoriam
23rd April 2017. 11am, Jack Sharpe (Anniversary)
Masses on 29th/30th April 2017 6pm, Margaret Kearney (Anniversary)
11am, Charles and Nora Daly Bill and Sheila O’Leary
5pm, Elizabeth McDonagh (Anniversary)
Masses and Confession Sundays: Vigil, 6pm (Saturday), 9.30am, 11am, 5pm
Normal mass times resume Weekdays 8am, 10am & 12.40 -Rosary daily after 10am mass
Confession Tuesday, Saturday after 10am mass Adoration Blessed Sacrament, Weds 10.30-12.40
Church Collections W/e: 16th April 2017
1stCollection: €1,420 Share Collection: €965 Weekday collections
In the 1965, Declaration on the Church’s relationship with
the non-Christian religions, Nostra aetate, Paul VI wrote:
“In our time, when day by day mankind is being drawn
closer together, and the ties between different peoples
are becoming stronger, the Church examines more closely
her relationship to non-Christian religions. In her task of
promoting unity and love among men, indeed among na-
tions, she considers above all in this declaration what men
have in common and what draws them to fellowship
One is the community of all peoples, one their origin, for
God made the whole human race to live over the face of
the earth. One also is their final goal, God. His providence,
His manifestations of goodness, His saving design extend
to all men, until that time when the elect will be united in
the Holy City, the city ablaze with the glory of God, where
the nations will walk in His light.’
Looking specifically of Islam, he wrote: ’The Church re-
gards with esteem […] the Moslems. They adore the one
God, living and subsisting in Himself; merciful and all-
powerful, the Creator of heaven and earth, who has spo-
ken to men; they take pains to submit wholeheartedly to
even His inscrutable decrees, just as Abraham, with whom
the faith of Islam takes pleasure in linking itself, submitted
to God. Though they do not acknowledge Jesus as God,
they revere Him as a prophet. They also honour Mary, His
virgin Mother; at times they even call on her with devo-
tion. In addition, they await the day of judgment when
God will render their deserts to all those who have been
raised up from the dead. Finally, they value the moral life
and worship God especially through prayer, almsgiving
and fasting.’
He goes on to acknowledge the historical difficulties,
which still make themselves felt. However, he emphasises
the great importance of dialogues and understanding .
This lecture, the final one in the present Patrick Finn se-
ries, seeks to advance our knowledge and our understand-
ing in challenging times for all faiths as we become a multi
-faith society..
Alpha Course Follow-up From October to December last year, we ran a very successful Al-pha Course at the Catherine McAuley Centre in Herbert St. The response in the evaluations from the regular 25-30 people who fol-
lowed the course, over ten Thursday evenings, were very positive and encouraging.
Many of the participants expressed a desire to see some kind of follow-up that would encourage further renewal and a deepening of faith in our community. The question is ‘what kind of follow-up’ as there is no Alpha 2 or no Beta course! However, that does not mean there cannot be fur-ther reflection. A number of ideas have been floated around and the first step is to discuss the and see where we might go. We are inviting the participants in last autumn’s course to an evening at the same Catherine McAuley Cen-tre in Herbert St. on May 4, 6.30pm, starting with the usu-al collation, followed by a Nicky Gumble lecture from the Alpha series and a discussion on the theme ‘Where do we go from here?’
Come along to Purcell House, Room PG01, DCU All Hallows Campus, Grace Park Rd, Drumcondra, Dublin 9 on Monday, May 8th, 6.30 – 8.00pm to learn about our MA Theology Courses & BA Theology and Lifelong Education The Infor-mation Evening will provide an opportunity to meet with lecturers to talk about the following academic courses, which provide evening modules to accommodate those who work during the day.
There is no need to register, just turn up! Info please con-tact: Dr Joseph Rivera, Ph (01) 700 7053, [email protected] We welcome all prospective students
