Before we moved here to the new mission complex, many had asked us if the same kids would be coming to us. Well the joy of the Lord never ceases to amaze us. We have been gradually starting up our programs again, in between the workers finishing up some things on the site. Today, there was so much life in our midst, as children came for the computer lab, the after-school activities, and choir practice.
We have been having heavy rains everyday. It is really helping our plants to grow.
It even brings brother spider and sister frog, as well as all the other bugs.
But we have been blessed with someone who gave us a liquid that is for bugs. So, thank God for Fritz who sprayed around every building on the complex.
Let all creatures of the Lord, bless the Lord. Praise and exalt Him forever.
Blessings this holy Easter Day! Every morning, as the sun rises, this is what we see outside our gate. In our hearts, we hear the risen Lord say: “Awake, O sleeper, and rise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.” Everyday we are promised new life in Christ and are sent to be about His mission.
New life requires new ways of living. One of the options for the second reading in the Easter readings shares this awareness. “Clean out the old yeast,” St. Paul tells the Corinthians. “Become a fresh batch of dough.”
Although God’s kingdom appeared quickly, awareness took time. Mark shows this in the amazement of the women, who needed time to understand what had happened. As the other optional Lectionary reading reveals, Christians took years to realize how much had changed. “Seek what is above,” St. Paul chides the Colossians decades later. Faith in the resurrection requires believers to let go of their attachments and take a step back to see the eternal life they have in Christ.
Finally, Mark shows that sometimes we have to move elsewhere to find Jesus. The young man at the tomb tells the women to assemble the rest of the disciples in Galilee. “There you will see him, as he told you.” This is not the case in the other Gospels, which have accounts of post-resurrection appearances in and around Jerusalem. Mark gets the disciples out of Jerusalem, which in his Gospel is a place of only agony and rejection. Mark knows that eyes not adapted to God’s kingdom will miss sight of the risen Lord, and that this awareness requires a complete shift in perspective.
Today’s feast reminds us that we still live in that time when heaven has drawn near to earth. Like the first Christians, we, too, need to see with new eyes. Lent gave us the opportunity to clear our vision. Starting today, our mission is to catch sight of the risen Christ. We must rummage through our hearts to remember those places Jesus told us to find Him, and then we must go there, seeking with new eyes the face of our beloved Lord, whose presence brings heaven to earth.
We see Jesus here everywhere. From our home in Haiti to your home, we wish you a blessed Easter and a holy living faith. Where will Jesus tell you to meet him?
The very liturgy of the Easter Vigil ushered us into the mystery of the new creation. A new fire was kindled, and a new Paschal candle was lit.
We, the Church, moved from darkness to light as we lit our individual candles from the one flame.
We listened to our story of salvation and faith proclaimed.
New holy water was blessed and, with it, new members were brought into the Church. Yes, Jesus is making all things new! Rosemarie, one of our young adults, was receive into the Catholic Church.
This newness extends to our lives. Jesus has re-created and He restored a world that was disordered by sin. And he re-creates each one of us. He who spoke the universe into existence now speaks healing and wholeness into our lives.
Let us sing the alleluias for Christ is Risen, He is truly Risen!
“I am your God, who for your sake have become your son. Out of love for you and for your descendants I now by my own authority command all who are held in bondage to come forth, all who are in darkness to be enlightened, all who are sleeping to arise. I order you, O sleeper, to awake. I did not create you to be held a prisoner in hell. Rise from the dead, for I am the life of the dead. Rise up, work of my hands, you who were created in my image. Rise, let us leave this place, for you are in me and I am in you; together we form only one person and we cannot be separated.” (An ancient homily on Holy Saturday)
Fr. Valcin blesses our Easter food.
Every year on Good Friday in Jacmel, all Christians, led by the Catholic Church, gather together to walk and pray the Way of the Cross, Chemen Kwa! Babies, children, teenagers, and adults of all ages gather and walk together through the city of Jacmel. This year, Sr. Marilyn was privileged to read the Word of God at the ninth station.
Each day, we try to prepare the Mission for our people so they can feel this is a place of peace and holy ground. Today, Sr. Inga, together with some helpers, planted some vegetables and flowers. Meanwhile, Sr. Marilyn and Jean Philip put up a tent for the kids to have a place to do their homework in peace.
