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Easter and divine mercy... these are sacred partners in the practice of our faith, and this time of crisis is a moment to recall the power of both gifts in our lives.Easter is God’s promise that through the Cross we are inheritors of the Kingdom—if we share Christ’s mercy with the world. That’s the plan! So today, we celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday, an observance started by St. Pope John Paul II who often preached about mercy at Easter time. That’s because of his spiritual closeness with Faustina Kowalska, a Catholic nun and mystic, whom he declared a saint of the Church in 2000.During her brief lifetime, Faustina received revelations from Our Lord who asked her to record her experiences. Known today as the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska, this is the saint’s message that touches me the most: “Humanity will never find peace until it turns with trust to Divine Mercy.”Today, in her honor and with St. Faustina as our model, we celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday, knowing that God’s mercy and forgiveness are beyond our imagination. Beyond understanding. But not beyond imitating in our own human way. A good meditation on mercy is to recall a time someone forgave you for a pain that you caused. Do you remember how it felt to be forgiven? God’s mercy is all that—multiplied infinitely. There is always a path to forgiveness no matter what we have done or failed to do. That path begins with mercy and finds its fulfillment in the Resurrection of Our Lord.Friend, the next time Jesus is at your door, let him in, knowing that you are also welcoming mercy into your life. Accept the gift. Then pass it on and experience your own Resurrection.

“Exult, let them exult, the hosts of heaven, exult, let Angel ministers of God exult, let the trumpet of salvation sound aloud our mighty King's triumph!”~ The Exsultet: The Proclamation of EasterFriend,Even as we wait for our prayers for healing from COVID-19 to be answered, we know that Christ our Savior has risen from the dead and the promise of eternal life is ours to celebrate!The joy of Easter is almost beyond our comprehension. God turns everything we know upside down with his victory over the Cross. Death passes over to life, sorrow becomes exultation and joy, and darkness becomes light. God will even transform the spread of the coronavirus. Today we are filled with the grace of salvation and the hope that in Christ we are destined for eternal life.These are gifts to treasure and share... and they are sustaining us when we pass through moments of darkness and suffering ourselves. Faith teaches us that death is never the last word. The Resurrection is. Easter is the experience of new life that is even more sustaining in difficult moments.Easter Sunday always brings back a flood of fond memories for me. Years ago, when I served the people of the Altiplano in Peru, the faithful would get up well before sunrise and walk to the edge of town to their chapel... a procession of parents, grandparents, kids, friends and relatives, too. People sat still with their lit candles and hearts full of anticipation. When the sun rose, I began Easter Sunday Mass, and the celebration would last almost two hours followed by music, dancing, food, and endless conversation! Their faith was total. Their joy was complete. So was mine.Friend, as we confront the spread of coronavirus, Easter tells us that the sun will rise again. May the promise of Easter increase your hope on this greatest of Christian holy days. I wish you and your loved ones a blessed Easter.

“Hosanna to the Son of David; blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord; hosanna in the highest.”~ Matthew 21:9It happened 2,000 years ago: the triumphal entrance of Our Lord into Jerusalem, so quickly followed by the way of the cross. It’s the day we remember as Palm Sunday and the start of Holy Week when faith triumphs over all suffering, including death itself.The enduring majesty of the message invites our remembering—and reflection—for in the midst of this pandemic we are on the most important journey of faith we will ever take: the journey to salvation through death to resurrection in Our Savior, Jesus Christ. This is the week we experience the very core of our faith. And it’s a time to take stock. How are we living our faith during these moments of crisis? Are we modeling our lives on the life of Christ? Are we able to pass from joy to suffering with hope, knowing that the promise of Easter is our ultimate reward?Palm Sunday begins our many reflections, ones we will think about all week long. During this Lent weighed down by the spread of the coronavirus we prepared ourselves to receive the Risen Lord. With the grace of God, the past 40 days or so have helped deepen our faith. The preparation is done. Today we are in a sacred place wherever we are. With Christ we give ourselves over to God.As you begin the traditional observances of Holy Week, here’s a suggestion: Identify the moments when you feel most united with Christ. My guess is they will be the times you went out of your way to care for someone. Whenever we bring the message of hope to other people, we draw closer to Our Lord and Savior. The more we do in Christ’s name, the more our reward.Friend, today’s Gospel reminds us: “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.” Fellow missioner, those words refer to you and me, too. This is the week to share the promise of our faith with a world in need though prayer...

“Did I not tell you that if you believe you will see the glory of God?”John chapter 11, verse 40John’s Gospel is a consolation, particularly for today as we confront the suffering, pain and death brought on by the current pandemic.Like Martha and Mary, we may have our doubts—and our understandable fears. But our common faith in Christ provides the assurance that God is always with us, even as we pass through the valley of the shadow of death. Martha and Mary learned that lesson after Jesus brought their brother Lazarus back from the dead. We have the benefit of the Gospel and our personal faith experience that make God’s presence a tangible reality in our lives.As we come into the final week of Lent, let’s focus on the opportunities we still have to change those parts of our lives that have left us less than alive. In faith we are called to new life. Things that hurt us can be overcome. It takes work as we well know. But being open to God’s grace—believing in new life —is the first step we need to take each and every day. Renewal and new life is what we will celebrate come Easter Sunday... the resurrection of Our Lord, his victory over death, and the promise of eternal life for you and me.Friend, these are challenging times. But God is present even when we might not feel that presence. Take the time now to think of all the ways in the past that God has opened your heart and brought you back to life. That is the promise of Faith and the hope and joy of Easter. Stay strong because God’s final word is not death but life.

Brothers and sisters: You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light.”~ Ephesians 5:8“Dear Friend,St. Paul says we should live as children of light. I think that’s really good advice.You have to admit: we just don’t do well in the dark. We hurt ourselves... we bump into things... we get lost. Today’s reading tells us what we know in our hearts: that by welcoming the light of Christ into our lives, we leave the darkness behind. For us that means relationship problems, disappointments, the setbacks and the hurts. In Christ we can see as the blind man in today’s readings was able to see. Jesus anointed his eyes with clay and then told him to go and wash in the pool of Siloam. At once his eyes were opened and he gave praise.This parable is a great lesson. Once we realize the power of Christ’s message, we not only see the light. We become the light.We’re now less than a month away from Holy Week and Easter Sunday. Think how you can be the light of Christ for someone close to you: a parent or sibling, a spouse, a child, a friend, a neighbor. See how you can be more light to them than darkness.Adam, here’s the Good News: all the things that bring light are yours to give: solace and comfort, kindness and encouragement, forgiveness and hope. Be generous in the giving and you will be blessed as St. Paul’s child of light.Sincerely yours in Christ,Father Raymond J. Finch, M.M.

“If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.”~ Psalm 95:7Friend,This is hard work. It’s the third week of Lent and what we started with every good intention is starting to feel weighty—maybe even burdensome. What exactly did we start anyway?Listen to the reading today from Exodus. The Israelites said the same thing to Moses when they left Egypt: “Why did you make us leave, only to die of thirst in the desert?” Worried for his people, Moses prayed with all his might; then he followed God’s command. He struck a rock and water flowed.How does that apply to me, you ask?We know what God wants for us: joy in giving witness to the compassion of Our Lord and, one day, a welcome home with the gift of eternal life. I understand... sometimes we feel like we’re stuck in a personal desert without a lifeline. This is where prayer helps—and sharing our feelings with people we know who are on the same journey.The halfway mark of Lent is a good time to ask ourselves what really matters. If we want change and transformation, what are we willing to do to deepen our relationship with God? Only you can answer that question. But in my personal mission experience, I have found God’s presence at the most unexpected moments... an Aymara mother who had trouble feeding her children offering me a meal; an aggrieved young man forgiving the person who hurt him... a young seminarian choosing to work with at-risk children.Friend, take just 10 minutes now to realize that you are in God’s presence, and in the prayers of the Maryknoll family. Ask for the help you need. Renew the process that you began just two weeks ago. And be restored for the final weeks of Lent. I am praying with you.

The second week of Lent... and transformation is definitely the message of today’s Gospel. Are you up to the challenge?In the company of his disciples—Peter, James and John his brother—Jesus revealed his divinity. At that moment, Matthew says “his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light.” What Jesus is telling us by example is that we can be changed, too.Lent is the time for a quiet transformation of our spiritual lives, a time to shine our light and proclaim through prayer and good works salvation in Christ. The best way I know to be transformed is to give ourselves over to God so that each day we are a new creation, reflecting in some way an expression of infinite love and endless compassion.With the words of a humble missioner, let’s ask God to transform us today. Here’s a suggestion: Stop for a moment and think about the things in your life that may be going in the wrong direction. Pick just one thing you want to change, and place your intentions in God’s hands. Pray over it. Then be open to the Spirit and let yourself be transformed.Friend, we can be comforted knowing that the goodness we do as God’s children will not only change us, but every life we touch. In this second week of Lent, I’ll be working on my own transformation right beside you. Let’s pray for each other and place our trust in God. God never fails.

“Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness; in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense. Thoroughly wash me from my guilt and of my sin cleanse me.”Psalm Chapter 51, verses 3-4Friend,Today is the first Sunday of Lent... and as some poets might say, the first day of the rest of our lives. Time to get on with the work of personal reckoning—acknowledging our sins and shortcomings, and seeking forgiveness. But it’s work of the most rewarding kind.Because we are missioners, each of us has a great desire to connect with God and be renewed in the compassion of Our Lord. So the first thing we can do in our Lenten journey is acknowledge our limitations. Even our flaws. And definitely our sins. Lent gives us the mental space to do that—and the comfort of knowing that the faithful person next door—and believers all over the world—are seeking a deeper relationship with God, too.When we take these first few steps toward renewal, the world changes. We change! We don’t just seek forgiveness. We give it as well and that’s when healing replaces pain. Take a minute now to think how it would feel to be free of some burden in your life just by saying, “I’m sorry...” or “I forgive you.”Friend, when we seek forgiveness from God, it’s a good idea to be forgiving in our own lives. And don’t forget: that even means being able to forgive yourself. Make room for God this Lent in all the ways that are meaningful to you and I know the blessings of renewal will follow. That is the gift of Lent.

Reaching the fullness of life... isn’t that what we all want? Not in a material sense but in a deeply spiritual way—by relieving a hurt, eliminating some past guilt, or just finding a new direction that’s centered on doing good and witnessing God’s love. Fortunately, we have a way. It’s called Lent and the possibility of second chances.This Wednesday we observe the ritual of the ashes and the beginning of Lent. We know the ashes are a reminder of our mortality, and Lent a time of denial. But I prefer to think of these sacred traditions as something more... a chance to start over and realize our full potential as sons and daughters of the Lord destined for eternal life.So rather than focus on giving something up, how about focusing on something you can affirm—perhaps a relationship that means a lot to you but needs a little work. Is there some small thing you can say or do? An act of kindness that could help?Lent is an opportunity to witness the Gospel with conviction because we are preparing to spend all eternity with our God. It’s a time to lighten our burdens and find comfort in our faith.Friend, I will be praying for you during the 40 days of Lent as we prepare to receive the Risen Lord on Easter Sunday. The best way I know to find God is to remember that the good we do now is our pathway to heaven. May your personal Lent this year be the second chance you have longed for.

Today’s Gospel is a lesson in wisdom. There is God’s way—the mysteries we may never understand in this life. And then there is our way—the very human tendency to rely on our own instincts and see just what we want to see.Figuring out the difference doesn’t come from living longer or believing we’re smarter. It comes from knowing that God’s way is beyond us, and that trust in God is the way we draw closer to the mystery of our faith.Jesus is asking us to seek wisdom with the eyes of the innocent—the children, the marginalized, the vulnerable—the people who do not hold positions that society regards as important. But we know that each person is valuable in God’s eyes because each is a unique expression of life worthy of inheriting the Kingdom. These are the exact messages I hear from our Maryknoll missioners serving overseas... that ministering to the sick, the mentally ill, and the poor is how the Gospel gets lived today, allowing God’s presence to be the wind beneath our wings.Friend, as missioners we know that God’s ways are always better than our own. That’s because each person is destined for eternity though salvation in Christ. May the wisdom of our faith be the gift you share with confidence—and joy.

“Who is this king of glory? The Lord of hosts; he is the king of glory.”~ Psalm 24:8~ Psalm 24:8Today the psalmist is asking us to open our portals wide and let the king of glory enter our hearts. Not just when we hear Mass or say the rosary. But all the time. Sometimes we have the impression that to find God we need to get outside of daily living. Not so. In fact, just the opposite. God is present everywhere... amidst struggles and joys, with family and at the office, when we’re on the phone or catching the bus. Each interaction is a chance to witness God’s presence and share a sign of peace.Today’s Gospel, recounting the Presentation of the Christ Child in the temple, is an apt lesson in stewardship of the soul. Simeon was a devout man who throughout his long life had worshipped often at the temple. He was known among the people for his righteousness and love of the Lord. That is how he lived his life. According to Luke, the Holy Spirit visited Simeon and told this man of God that he would not see death before his eyes had seen the Christ of the Lord. When Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the temple as was the custom, Simeon took the child into his arms and exclaimed, “Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace… for my eyes have seen your salvation.”Simeon recognized the Lord because he practiced his faith every day. His heart was open to the Spirit so his eyes could see.Friend, finding Christ today isn’t hard. It’s just a matter of opening our hearts to God’s Word and being the missioner of goodness and compassion that we were called to be. And that’s something we can do every day… seeing with open hearts.

“They were in a boat, with their father Zebedee, mending their nets. He called them, and immediately they left their boat and their father and followed him.”Matthew Chapter 4, verse 21How spontaneous are you? Do you look for challenges? We can only admire the apostles James and John who had the heart-stopping courage to leave their comfort zone as fishermen and take up a new calling. “Come after me,” said the preacher from Galilee, “and I will make you fishers of men.”Today’s Gospel is a remarkable lesson in commitment and renewal. I know, it’s only the fourth Sunday of a new year and resolutions are still fresh in our minds. But it’s still a good time for us to ask: What are we willing to commit ourselves to as believers? And do we believe we can live up to our commitments?When James and John left their nets to follow Jesus, they modeled a kind of radical shift that not only changed their thinking, but the way they lived. In fact, their zeal was so great, Jesus gave them the nickname of Boanerges, meaning “Sons of Thunder.”Friend, we don’t have to announce our faith to the world with rolling thunder. But Jesus is asking us to leave our nets behind—our personal comfort zone—and live our call to mission with courage and deep faith. We have the Gospel; we have each other. That’s all we need to make our light shine for the world.