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| Dear Friends, The details of the move to Sheffield continue to unfold and people have been very helpful. You will note that the ‘heading’ now contains the correct address. Two people came up with solutions to the original problem and so I have been able to make progress. I am most grateful for the assistance and have every confidence that any future problem will be solved by my army of helpers!! EASTER. THE RESURRECTION OF THE LORD Jesus was put to death at Passover, and ever since, this season has been celebrated by Christians in his memory and at his command. Like the Jewish feast, Easter incorporates past, present and future. The past into which we are drawn extends back through the Old Testament history to the deliverance from Egypt and beyond. The salvation from sin which the exodus prefigured was won for us by Christ on the Cross, but is still being worked out, and will only be complete at the end of time. This Divine plan is massive in scope, embracing as it does the whole world. A concentrated overview allows each generation to relive the past and anticipate the future: it goes by the awkward name of the Paschal Mystery.
At first, Christians celebrated all these aspects of the Paschal Mystery in one great single feast – Exodus, Christ’s death and resurrection, his ascension and the sending of the Holy Spirit. They even expected his second coming during the night of Easter. From the fourth century onwards, starting from the great pilgrimage centre of Jerusalem, the original feast was split up into separate celebrations of Holy Week, Ascension, Whitsun and even Advent. This certainly allows us to enter more dramatically into the various phases of Christ’s work, particularly the final moments of his earthly life. We need time to ponder the many facets presented on the successive days of Holy Week… In Lent we might be tempted to think that we are doing all the work. Holy Week and Whitsun remind us that the initiative rests firmly with God. It is in this frame of mind that we ponder on the successive aspects of his creative and redemptive love, and then renew our baptismal promises in a mood of grateful joy for Christ’s resurrection and ours.
Robin Duckworth SM "This is the Year of the Lord. The Year of Luke C"
SWANWICK CONFERENCE Please make a note in your diary – Friday 17th / Sunday 19th September 2010, Sr Monica SM, a Marist Sister, will be the keynote speaker for the conference "The Marist Message for Today" Cost will be £150.00 per person. Booking forms are now available. If you have not booked – NOW IS THE TIME!! This will be a very important occasion and we will need your support. MARIST PILGRIMAGES Next May seems a long time away but it is surprising how quickly time passes. The Marist Lourdes Pilgrimage will depart by coach on Saturday 29th May and return Saturday 5th June. The cost will be around £10 more than last year, which were – Hotel Padoue £510.00 and Hotel Esplanade £380.00. This includes coach travel, full board and travel insurance. Booking forms now available. Maristway.org is our Website. The website continues to do well and the number of ‘hits’ continues to increase: in 2007 there were 11,070 whilst in 2009 there were 20,177. This is a very valuable means of bringing the Marist Way to other people. Please continue to visit the site and encourage others to do likewise. Many thanks to Paul, our webmaster, for all the hours spent on the internet.YOUR CHARITABLE PRAYERS Are requested for all who have died recently and especially for: Dr Donnelly (nee Jennings) Liverpool; and two people who died suddenly – Anthony Clark (Hull) and Ellie Leadbeater (Cleethorpes). May they rest in Peace. Amen. Marist Liturgical Calendar and Mass Intentions 2010
M. Coleman SM, Marist Way Regional Animator FLORIDA COURT SETS ATHEIST HOLY DAYIn Florida an atheist created a case against the upcoming Easter and Passover Holy days. He hired an attorney to bring a discrimination case against Christians and Jews and observances of their holy days.... The argument was that it was unfair that atheists had no such recognized days. The case was brought before a judge. After listening to the passionate presentation by the lawyer, the judge banged his gavel declaring, "Case dismissed!" The lawyer immediately stood objecting to the ruling saying, "Your honor,How can you possibly dismiss this case? The Christians have Christmas, Easter and others. The Jews have Passover, Yom Kippur and Hanukkah, yet my client and all other atheists have no such holidays". The judge leaned forward in his chair saying, "But you do. Your client, counsel, is woefully ignorant." The lawyer said, "Your Honor, we are unaware of any special observance or holiday for atheists." The judge said, "The calendar says April 1st is April Fools Day. Psalm 14:1 states, 'The fool says in his heart, there is no God.' Thus, it is the opinion of this court, that, if your client says there is no God, then he is a fool. Therefore, April 1st is his day. Court is adjourned." You gotta love a Judge that knows his scripture! |
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