Loading...Dear Friends in Christ,
Happy Easter!! We are now in Holy Week moving quickly toward the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Easter is a glorious day as we worship God as the risen Lord. Of course every time we celebrate the Holy Eucharist, we are celebrating Jesus’ Resurrection. As we should, for only through His death and resurrection do we look forward to eternal life. No one else can promise us that. Not me, not you, not any other god, only Jesus can.
On Holy Thursday, we celebrate the institution of what we call the Lord’s Supper or the Last Supper in which Jesus blessed the bread and wine and gave it to His disciples. He said it was His body and blood, so that He became a part of them. He asked them and us to do this in remembrance of Him until His coming again.
When I became priest of the Cluster, I began foot washing at each parish as part of the Maundy Thursday service. It was very meaningful for me as I got to experience that act of being a servant as Jesus did in that room so many centuries ago. It was humbling. However, attendance at the Maundy Thursday services dropped off significantly so we don’t do that anymore. Our loss. We do continue with the celebration of Jesus’ institution of Holy Eucharist remembering that Eucharist means Thanksgiving. We have so much to be thankful for in Jesus’ life, death and resurrection.
On Friday, the Tazewell Rotary Club comes to Stras Memorial to observe Good Friday. This is a long standing tradition and is a blessing to us all. Last year we began doing the Stations of the Cross outside at St. Mary’s as a Cluster service. Again it is a very moving service as we walk the steps Jesus took from condemnation to burial. It is not a celebration, but an observance, because the Son of God has been crucified and buried. The celebration comes on Sunday morning.
The Easter Season continues until the Day of Pentecost on May 24. Pentecost is the feast commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and other followers of Jesus Christ, as described in the Acts of the Apostles. For this reason, Pentecost is described by Christians today as the "Birthday of the Church." This could be the most important day in Christendom. Pentecost gets its name from the fifty days from Easter to Pentecost.
Because as Christians we are to become like Christ, we should observe and celebrate these important days in the life of the church. Again and again, we must remember that only, only, through God do we attain eternal life, thanks to the death and resurrection of Jesus. So we are to love like Him, unconditionally; serve like Him, God first, others second, and self last; and He asks us not be judgmental. It is difficult to be like Christ and God knows it, which is why He only expects us to try, but to try and try again and again. Love others, serve others, and love God with all your heart, all your mind, and all your soul.
I hope you are blessed this Easter season and that you are a blessing to others. Praise be to God.
In Christ’s Love,
Father Russ
