Easter Message

My dear family of Our Lady of Lourdes,

Jesus Christ is risen!

His victory over death is our hope and our promise. He has rebuilt the temple destroyed by sin, this temple is us, the human family. In Jesus, we are freed from all that oppresses us, both from within and without. What a difference life makes - joyful and free - when our eyes truly see, our ears truly hear, and we come to understand and believe that sin and death have lost their power over us because - Jesus Christ is risen!

I was blessed during my studies in Rome to have had the opportunity to visit the Holy Land once during Holy Week. There, the story of our salvation comes to life. You cannot stay long in the Holy Land without the reality of Jesus - that God became man and walked among us, that He loved us and taught us and ultimately gave His life for us, that death could not contain Him and that He is risen and has ascended to the Father promising to send the Holy Spirit so that where He is now we might also be – clearly imprinted in every fiber of your being. YOU KNOW that Jesus has lived. YOU KNOW that He lives still.

This confirmation in faith is the Easter gift I pray the Lord for each one of us. Living in the Resurrection of Christ frees us from worry, fear, and selfishness that drain the life of a person and inspires that generous and hopeful love that not only blesses the beloved but also the loving.

Why? Because Christ is risen. He is truly risen.

Happy Easter!

Msgr. Schwanger