Dear Parishioners,

The idea of stretching has been in my mind this week. There is physical stretching, as in loosening up one’s muscles, and metaphorical stretching, as in loosening up one’s heart and mind. We see both in all the events of this Sacred Triduum. The apostles are stretched when Jesus washes their feet on Holy Thursday, when he predicts they will betray and abandon him, and when he calls them to stay awake with him in the Garden. Pilate’s integrity is stretched (and ruptured) when he’s pressured into crucifying Jesus. Simon of Cyrene’s comfort is stretched (and holds) when he’s pressured into helping who he thinks is a criminal. Jesus’ arms are obviously stretched out on the cross. Nicodemus, who had once struggled in his faith when he approached Jesus in the night, is stretched to now make an incredible act of faith by taking Jesus’ body down from the cross and anointing it. Mary Magdalene is stretched outside the empty tomb on Easter Sunday morning. Stretched and limber, she is able to run to the apostles to tell them the good news of the Resurrection. She transfers her flexibility to Peter and John, as they, in turn, run to the tomb and believe.

These few days, and the whole season of Lent, were a time of stretching. We’ve been warming up for Easter Sunday. Easter is the beginning of the race. We might think it’s the end, as Lent is over and the stretching of Lent with fasting is at an end. But it’s not so. Now we go. We go with stretched and expanded hearts. We are now able to love more fully.

If you’re like me and getting older, you need to stretch before you do some physical activity. If not, you’ll pull a muscle or strain yourself. But it’s also wise to stretch after the exercise. We don’t have to abandon all the good spiritual routines we developed in the season of Lent. Maintaining some of them may help us to love even more in this Easter joy. 

    

I pray that you all fully experience the passion of Christ’s love for you and the joy of the resurrection. Thank you for your faith and for your commitment to Our Lady of Ransom. The entire staff and myself are deeply grateful for your generosity in helping our parish. May God be glorified by all of our stretched souls. A blessed Good Friday and Easter Sunday to you and your loved ones.

Yours in Christ,

Fr. James Wallace

Paul and 1 cantor -- who gets to sing Erisa & Dylan's saints in the Litany of Saints as they are called to baptism on Saturday night -- know which saints they have chosen...have you guessed? We're down to 4 options: Isidore the Worker, Tutilo of Ireland, Francis deSales, and Teresa of Kolkata...listen for the saint names sung near the end of the litany as Erisa & Dylan make their way with their sponsors towards the baptismal font Saturday night :)

Give some thought to how this season of Lent has gone for you -- how has your practice of fasting, prayer, and almsgiving helped make you ready to receive, celebrate and welcome Erisa and Dylan fully to the family and the table ion Saturday night??!! So -- let's consider our own example and what Jesus is calling us to -- where does Jesus desire deeper intimacy, deeper relationship, and deeper conversion to Him -- and how does Erisa's and Dylan's journey tell us something about our own?

Let's keep praying earnestly for these 2 special people and their families and friends -- as they draw near to encountering Jesus in the sacraments!