Dear Parishioners,

There is nothing more important in the world than faith in Our Lord Jesus Christ. Faith lifts our minds to God and invites us to live in right relationship with Him. We cannot choose what is in our faith because it is given to us by God who knows us better than we know ourselves. If we take one part out of context of the rest, it can appear to be silly or misinformed and therefore denied. But, as a whole our faith is more powerful, beautiful and all-encompassing than any human mode of thought. For the faith is not invented by human beings but comes from God.

The Resurrection is the linchpin of everything else we believe because it proves that everything Jesus promised it real. It is the culmination of thousands of years of human history. It is the climax of the great story of salvation. Yet, if we do not understand this story, we cannot understand the context of our Lord’s Resurrection. We cannot see how it affects us or why it is so important. So, that is why it is so important that all Catholics learn more about their faith and allow it to change their lives. It is good that you are here today to worship in Church. The fact that you are here shows that you have some faith and that’s a wonderful thing. But, if you’re only coming once or twice a year, you’re doing yourself a great disservice. God wants so much more for you than for you just to visit Him a couple times a year. The story of Christianity is God coming down to us as a human to meet us, and this encounter is extended through time through the Church Jesus founded. By casually missing Mass, we are denying ourselves the means of knowing and loving God. Your salvation itself depends on that relationship. Christ has changed the world. He has conquered death and the world has no power over Him. As His followers, we have no reason to fear the world either because the life He brings extends far beyond this life into eternity. Even many of the values that people just assume are true come from the teachings of Jesus Christ. So, listen to Him, learn from Him and live in Him. I’ll be praying for you all and if you have any questions, feel free to contact me.

God bless and Happy Easter!

Father Carter