Easter, Resurrection and New Birth

Another rainy day today (Monday), and the branches on the trees are pretty bare, but Easter is upon us and spring is in the air. All of this annoying rain is softening the soil and getting us ready for a burst of green – on our lawns, on our trees, in our gardens. We don’t see it yet, but we know it’s coming.

This has been a traumatic year for the entire Catholic community in Fitchburg. Changes, long anticipated, have finally been announced. For many, this will be the last Holy Week celebrated in a beloved church building. It is impossible not to grieve over such a loss. All of us have to acknowledge the pain our brothers and sisters are experiencing. Now is the time to be supportive and understanding.

The closing of a building does not mean the end of a church any more than moving from one house to another means the end of the family.

The sorrow of Good Friday is not the end of the story. With the early disciples, we have to push on to Easter. Our journey of faith does not end with the limp and lifeless body of Jesus suspended from the cross. Our journey takes us to the empty tomb and beyond. It takes time and patience, the willingness to listen and the willingness to change. It will probably be a year or so before everything is sorted out, but the longest journey begins with a single step.

This Easter, as we celebrate the Resurrection of the Lord, let us recommit ourselves to be partners with one another, believers of the promise and doers of the Word of New Birth and New Life.

Fr. Bob Bruso