Buddy Remembered
Over two years ago I lost my long-time dog and friend, Buddy, a Shepherd/Collie cross. It was the same day actor Heath Ledger died. Over the past years I have often spoke and written about death and the fact that it comes to us all. On that fateful day of Tuesday January 22, 2008 my 10-year best friend and loyal companion, Buddy, died while lying on my bed as I was beginning my morning routine and getting ready for the day. It seems he had a sudden and massive heart attack and left his life with me and Bear, my Irish Wolfhound/Shepherd dog who was lying next to him on the bed, behind.
I remember the grief and the profound sadness I felt that was not so much for Buddy – for he had a far better life than many of the human beings who people this planet and he was cared for and loved while so many the world over have no one who loves them – but the grief was really for myself. My grief was co-mingled with the many memoires I had of this great dog and the suddenness of death that really nothing prepares us for and certainly had found my preparedness for his departure from this life wanting.
I remember that in the days following Buddy’s death I had the most difficulty in my regular routine because Buddy had been such an integral part of my life – even my priesthood. It seemed that everyone knew him and Bear as he spent his days in the parish office and greeted everyone as they came for appointments, Mass cards and ministry work. I used to say that people greeted the dogs before they greeted me. I remember that whenever I was counseling someone in my office and they had become emotional, Buddy would go over to them and lean against them and the visitors’ response would immediately be to pet him. He sensed their emotion and their pain.
I remember that whenever I was disgruntled over a jammed printer or was verbally expressing my frustration over something that was bothering me, Buddy would come over and lay his head on my lap, perhaps because he thought I was mad at him. It always brought me to my senses, gave me a sense of calm as I reassured him that he had done nothing wrong.
I got Buddy on February 2nd, 1998 as he was on a list of available dogs through the SPCA and was living on a farm near Wyevale, near Midland, Ont. He had been abandoned on a county road as a pup and as God’s way would have it, I ended up with a dog I was sort of related to! Let me explain.
You see, when I picked up Buddy on the farm that Feb. 2nd, I didn’t even have a collar and leash for him, so I asked the farmer if I could borrow the chain and collar that was on him with the promise that I would return them once I bought him new ones. So, a few days later I called the farm and said I would be dropping off the borrowed items. As I neared the farm on Woods Road I noticed that the neighbouring farms mailbox read “FORGET”. Once at the farm I was invited in for coffee and I inquired of Mrs. Woods about her neighbour next door who shared my same last name. “Oh”, she said, “that was Henry and Madelaine’s place”. I replied, “Henry and Madelaine Forget? Henry was my dad’s uncle and I had presided at Madelaine’s funeral at St. Margaret’s Church just last month!” “Well”, she responded, “isn’t that strange because that’s where we got your dog, Buddy!” She went on to explain that the previous spring she and her husband were visiting the Forget farm next door and were sitting out in front of the house having coffee when this little lost dog came wandering down their driveway and right to where they were sitting. They figured the pup was too small to have wandered off by itself and were only too used to seeing people drop off unwanted pets along the country road. When she and her husband left to return to their farm next door, the pup followed them home, so they kept him and he was tied to a chain beside the barn with a doghouse that was nestled into the ground. For a year of his life Buddy was tied up and lived in an old dog house that had served as the doghouse for many previous farm dogs. I had often thought about Buddy’s solitary life back then spending his days and nights all alone. Sure, farm dogs are used to being outside and some tied up, but to know Buddy’s warm and friendly personality was to know that this wasn’t the life for him – he was definitely a people dog.
Looking back I had a few frightful moments, like the time Buddy fell through the ice on Lake Joseph in 1996 but managed to pull himself out to safety. And there were the times when he got lose and put a scare in me because he wasn’t car-smart and would walk right across a busy street without looking.
People often wonder what happens to dogs and cats and all sundry animals when they die, and so do I. Humans and dogs and in fact all things that have life on the earth possess a soul which brings life to their bodies. While Jesus came to save sinful humanity and to die on the Cross in order that we might be saved from ourselves, the animal world is not capable of sin and, therefore, is not subject to the same need for salvation as we humans are. However, a close reading of Sacred Scripture and the liturgy of the Church would suggest that all creation has been effected by Christ’s redeeming love. In the story of Noah, the animals are included in being saved from the flood and after the waters receded God makes a covenant “with all living creatures” and not just the humans. When Jonah proclaimed that because of its sins, Nineveh would be destroyed, the king of Nineveh called for a fast which included not only humans but animals as well: “No man or beast, herd or flock, is to taste food, to graze or to drink water. They are to clothe themselves with sackcloth and call on God with all their might.” (Jonah 3:7-8)
Even the liturgy of the Church shares this idea that all creation is involved in God’s saving plan. In Euch. Prayer III we begin by praying: “Father, you are holy indeed, and all creation rightly gives you praise…”.
And to St. Francis, the humble founder of the largest Religious Order in the world, his vision of the world was centered on the Incarnation – which sent shock waves through the whole fabric of creation. To St. Francis, the Divine Word not only became human, but the Word of God became flesh, entering not only the whole family of humanity, but the whole family of creation, becoming one with the very dust of which all things are made.
I think we can make a good case for the hope embedded in each human heart, namely, that the whole of creation will someday share in the fullness of salvation won by Christ – and for humans for those who have lived for and in the hope of being saved.
God has a wonderful sense of humour. As I was tearfully walking Bear through the woods, after dropping Buddy’s body off at the vets for cremation, I recalled the words to a poem I have always loved:
Is there a leaf on a tree the Father does not see?
Leaves fall, so do we all; fall to earth to sod.
Sparrows and kings and all manner of things,
Fall, fall into the hands of the living God.
As I thought about those lines and walked with Bear, I suddenly heard a snapping of branches behind me and turned to see the strange and unexpected spectacle of a squirrel falling some distance out of a tree onto the soft snow beneath. “Falling into the hands of God…”. Amidst my tears and newfound grief, God winked at me… and so did Buddy! (Fr. Charles)
MAKING A DIFFERENCE
When I used to live in Barrie in my former parish of St. John Vianney, several times a day I would walk my dogs through the woods just across the street from the rectory on Baldwin Lane. Winter, spring, summer and fall I would walk the dogs through the small forest that made one feel as though they weren’t in a city at all. One day while walking the dogs I encountered a woman strolling down the street towards me, Jigs and Bear, and as she drew nearer she suddenly veered off of the sidewalk and across the boulevard towards the curb of the road. I asked her if she was afraid of the dogs thinking that she might be avoiding them, but she simply answered with a broad smile and a rich Scottish accent, “Ah, no, I was just picking up this water bottle someone discarded here”, and with that she picked up the tossed bottle and placed it in a bag she was carrying. We got to talking and she told me that when she goes out for a walk she always brings a bag and fills it with the litter tossed away by careless motorists and pedestrians. What struck me as we talked was the fact that she didn’t really seem to judge these people who throw garbage around but rather that she was glad she could do some small thing to help clean it up and reverse what had been done.
I’ve often thought of that women and her lone mission to keep fit while picking up the garbage others drop and the difference she is able to make in the areas she travels. She was not concerned about being noticed or thanked or about being considered strange; she did it because she wanted to do her part.
As people in a Universal Church which celebrates Christ’s rising from death to new life, we can easily feel sometimes that the work we do doesn’t really make that much of a difference to others or the big picture of life – but it does. Christ has gifted the individuals of the earth and of the Church to use the gifts given them to make a difference in the life of others and even the world. Doing our small part in changing the garbage of everyday life into the beautiful landscape God intended is part and parcel of those who are baptized.
There’s a story I once heard about a little girl who was walking with her father along the seaside at the waters edge. She saw many starfish strewn all along the beach, washed up on the shore and unable to get back to the water. There were so many starfish, literally thousands of them. The little girl picked up a starfish and threw it back into the water, followed by another, then another, and another until she was throwing many back into the waves. Her father, seeing what she was trying to do, told her that she shouldn’t bother because there were too many starfish to throw back, so what difference would it make? The girl replied as she tossed another starfish back into the sea, “Well, it makes a difference to that one!”
As baptized believers we are supposed to make a difference to others, perhaps even just one. The kind word, the opened door, the courtesy shown in traffic or the little things that make a big difference in someone else’s day – these all collectively change the world one person at a time. It’s easy to think that common decency, common courtesy, common sense aren’t common anymore, and perhaps they’re not. But why give up because you think the attempt to make a difference is useless and meaningless or won’t amount to much? Mother Teresa once said that “we are to do small things with great love”, and she was so right because looking at her life we know she did just that and yet we consider her great because of her tremendous love and for the overall big difference she made in the world.
No Christian, no believer is without a keen sense of just how difficult it is to keep going in the mission given by Christ. As a priest I often feel that I’m trying to sell something that few seem to want to buy. This is especially visible in the sacramental life when, let’s face it, most of the parents and children we are working with don’t go to church at any time nor do they intend to do so even after a sacrament like Baptism, First Reconciliation, First Communion or Confirmation has been celebrated. And while that is a true poverty and evidence of a lack of understanding about the real things Christ offers – most especially His relationship and His desire that we live in relationship with Him – it cannot be the cause for us to give up because surely Christ has not given up on them or us. It’s not easy.
We are living in some pretty strange and challenging times. Part of the challenge is to push forward in making a difference against all odds, especially if we are tempted to think that it won’t make a difference. One of the biggest challenges for church-goers is to share with others what makes you keep coming back to Christ and the Church each week. It doesn’t mean you have to preach to them or talk them into going to Mass on Sunday, in fact, you may not need to say anything initially. It can be as simple as someone asking you why you go to church and the answer you are able to give. If we recognize that all people, even and especially if they don’t know it, are looking for God. That which drives us all to look and find more and get more out of life is really a search for the only One who can satisfy that longing and desire – the Living God in Jesus Christ.
What it comes down to is personal mission. That’s right, personal. God has created you for His purposes and desires that the light of truth He has given you is meant to be shared with others and known. Your efforts accomplished in your desire to serve the Lord according to your baptismal calling as priest, prophet and king, small as they might seem, can make all the difference in the world.
(Fr. Charles)
NEXT WEEK’S HOMILY – “IT’S ALL ABOUT ME!”
Actually, it’s not all about me, but I will be sharing my vocation story in the homily at all of the Masses next weekend. I think it is important to do this so that you, the parishioners, may come to know a bit more about me than being just another guy who went through the priest factory.
OUR THANKS GOES TO… the many people in our parish who contributed through the offering of their services or their work in ministry which enhanced our parish’s celebration of the Easter mysteries during Holy Week. Thank you to our 3 Music Ministries; our Ushers; Money Counters; Extraordinary Eucharistic Ministers; Lectors; Altar Servers, and in particular all those leaders in these above ministries. Also, we recognize the teaching gifts and living witness of our parish catechist, Mr. Patrick Sullivan who led those who received the sacraments of Initiation at the Easter Vigil through the RCIA process. Thank you also to parishioners and owners of Hotner’s Greenhouses who contributed the flowers adorning the sanctuary area. Special appreciation to Bob and Patrick Mott and Kim Chasse, who assisted me in setting up the church for Easter and to John Forget (my dad) who made the three stands which held the cross on Good Friday during the veneration. On behalf of a grateful parish we thank all of you! (Fr. C.)
First Holy Communion – Celebration Date
First Holy Communion will be celebrated this Sunday, April 18, 2010 at 2:00 p.m. Mass for St. Bridget Catholic School Candidates and Public School Candidates.
Confirmation Class
There is one class remaining of the four (4) mandatory classes to prepare your child for Confirmation. You are asked to drop your child off before 2:00 pm at the Parish Hall (entrance off Carson St.) Parents who wish to stay are asked to wait in the church and pray for the children. The remaining mandatory class is:
#4 – Saturday, April 24, 2010 at 2:00 p.m. (1 hr.)
Pitch-in Brooklin
On April 24 from 9 to 11 am everyone is invited to “Pitch In” at a local Brooklin park to clean up the grounds. This is all part of National Pitch-in Week and International Earth Week. Park Captains will be there to provide garbage bags and gloves. For more info. you can contact Michael_argue@hotmail.com.
E-Waste Collection is something new this year. Any computers and peripherals in good working order will be taken by the Rotary Club of Whitby Sunrise and donated to the Heritage Skills Development Centre. All non-working equipment will be reasonably recycled by MTC of Whitby. The collection site for this is at St. Leo the Great Parish back parking lot. The list of acceptable materials includes computers, monitors, computer peripherals, TVs, fax machines, printers, cell phones, digital cameras, VCRs and audio equipment. For a more complete list you can visit www.pitchin-brooklin.org.
Development & Peace will be selling Fair Trade products this Weekend after all the masses.
The St. Leo’s Knights of Columbus wishes to thank everyone who attended the St. Patrick’s Dance on March 19th with a special thanks to Jill Czuczman, Brigid Frank and Jennifer Feeley for their hard work. Funds from the dance were donated to pay for 3 ciboria for host distribution at Mass.
Mother’s Day Raffle
Tickets $2.00 or 3/$5.00
Sponsored by St. Leo’s Parish C.W.L.
ST. LEO’S EUCHRE CARD PARTY
St. Leo the Great Church Hall
(Entrance on Carson Street)
The next Euchre Card Party is Friday, April 30, 2010. Doors open at 6:15 p.m. (parking available behind church) $10.00 per person. 15 Games start at 7:00 p.m. SHARP. Please enter hall by Carson Street.
Mass Intentions – Week of April 18, 2010
Sunday - 9:00 a.m. – For the intentions of our
Parish Community
- 11:00 a.m. – Mary Lewis+
Tuesday - 8:30 a.m. – NO MASS
Wednesday - 7:00 p.m. - Jim Rankin+
Thursday - 8:45 a.m. – St. Leo School Mass
Friday - 8:30 a.m. – For the intentions of
George & Margaret Hodgkinson
Saturday - 5:00 p.m. – Ben deBoer+
DAUGHTERS OF ISABELLA PASTA NIGHT
Date: April 23, 2010 & Time: 6:00 p.m.
Holy Family Catholic Church
91 Ribblesdale Drive, Whitby
Adult Ticket – $6.00
Child under 10 Ticket – $2.00
For tickets call Barbara Regimbal at (905)404-2694
Life Jesus Higher Rally 2010
Saturday, April 24, 2010, 8:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Metro Toronto Convention Centre, North Building,
255 Front Street West, Toronto.
A grace-filled day with:
The Archbishop of Toronto, Thomas Collins
Marcus Grodi, Teresa Tomeo (EWTN)
Ralph Martin, Sr. Ann Shields and Peter Herbeck
Testimony of a Documented Miraculous Healing
Divine Mercy Celebration, Uplifting Music
Eucharistic Healing Procession
Confession and Holy Mass
Separate Youth Event
For tickets and information, please check www.lift-jesus-higher-rally.org or call (416) 251-4255 or (905) 270-2510.
Coffee Sunday is next Sunday. Coffee and refreshments will be served after the 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. Masses.
The Cherub’s Cupboard Catholic Book & Gift Store will be in our Parish Hall next Sunday, April 25th with a display of Confirmation gifts and many other religious items.
The next C.W.L. meeting is on Tuesday,
April 27 at 7:30 p.m. and at 8:30 p.m. a presentation “Fraud and Scams” sponsored by C.W.L. All are welcome.
The St. Vincent de Paul Society is looking for new members. Husband and wife teams are encouraged to join. Please call the Parish Office to apply.
The next Leo’s Lunch is on Wednesday, April 28th at 12:30 p.m. Please purchase your tickets in the church vestibule next weekend after all the masses.
At the Mass of Chrism held on Tuesday of Holy Week at St. Michael’s Cathedral in Toronto, Archbishop Thomas Collins gave the homily which addressed the reason for the Chrism Mass recalling that Christ Himself instituted the Eucharist and the Priesthood. In his reflections on priesthood the Archbishop also spoke to the current situation in the Church as she deals with the sins of the past where some priests have abused their privileged call and used it for their own grave purposes namely in the abuse of children. He also touched on the issue of those leaders in the Church who made seriously poor choices in dealing with these cases. The following is an excerpt from the Archbishop’s homily.
“Ordination is not employment; it is consecration. We are consecrated, anointed with the Oil of Chrism. The priesthood is not what we do, it is who we are. Although common sense, humility, and the instructions from the manufacturer in Genesis Chapter one all dictate that priests need to be sure that there is appropriate Sabbath in their lives – there is one Messiah and it is not you or me nonetheless, we never, ever, take a break from being a priest. Our whole life is consecrated to Our Lord. That is why we need to be attentive to four pillars of priestly life: daily Mass, daily celebration of the Divine Office, daily time in prayerful adoration, and frequent confession. We are all vessels of clay, but we are consecrated to priestly holiness in the service of Jesus, our great High Priest, and to the people whom He entrusts to our pastoral care. That is what celibacy is all about: consecrated virginity in the service of Christ the King. We are called to give our whole life to consecrated service, to marry the mission.
Each of us here present can think of the faithful priests who were used by God to inspire us with the call to the priesthood. Their example of lifelong joyful priestly service speaks more than words can do of the significance of being consecrated as a priest. After Mass we will gather to celebrate the priestly service of those ordained 25, 50, and 60 years. This day we give thanks to God for their fidelity. In May we will celebrate the ordination of five more new priests, whom we welcome into the presbyterate of this Archdiocese.
We learn about the real meaning of the priesthood at ordinations, when we experience the beginning of the joy of the consecration to the priestly mission, at anniversaries, when we celebrate milestones of priestly service, and finally at the funeral of a priest, when we gather to give thanks to God for a life of faithful service.
People expect that one who is consecrated with the holy oil of Chrism, will act in an exemplary manner, and never betray the trust which people know they should be able to place in a Catholic priest. At his ordination we pray: “Bless this chosen man, and set him apart for his sacred duties”. And yet to our shame some have used the awesome gift of the holy priesthood for base, personal gratification, betraying the innocent and devastating their lives. When that happens, our first concern must be for those innocent young people who have been abused, to help them overcome their suffering, and to resolve to take whatever steps are needed to be as sure as is possible that this does not happen again. We have all had to learn through failures and mistakes and that is especially true of bishops, who have sometimes failed in their responsibility to act effectively.
For this diocese, (the Archdiocese of Toronto), anyone who looks at our website can see the policies that are in place to help us act rightly, but we must never be satisfied.
We cannot escape the horror of this by pointing out that almost all priests serve faithfully, though that fact is a grace that gives joy to the Catholic people, whose love and prayerful support sustains us all. But even one priest gone wrong causes immense harm, and throughout the world priests have done unspeakable evil.
We should be grateful for the attention which the media devotes to the sins of Catholic clergy, even if constant repetition may give the false impression that Catholic clergy are particularly sinful. That attention is a profound tribute to the priesthood which we celebrate at this Mass of the Chrism. People instinctively expect holiness in a Catholic priest, and are especially appalled when he does evil.
As we look to the continuing painful purification of the Church, we all need in a particular way to give thanks to God for the leadership of Joseph Ratzinger, as Cardinal and Pope, who has acted decisively, fairly, consistently, and courageously to purify the priesthood and to make the Church a safe place for everyone. Anyone with any knowledge of this terrible reality realizes that Pope Benedict has led the way in confronting this evil.
As this day we celebrate the Mass of the Chrism, and are reminded once more of the profound consecration to Christ that is at the heart of the priesthood, this year we celebrate the year of the priest. We call to mind the faithful priests who inspired us to respond to the call to the priesthood. We resolve to live each day as faithful priests, in joyful service of Our Lord.”
First Holy Communion – Celebration Dates
First Holy Communion will be celebrated this Sunday and next Sunday in the season of Easter
At St. Leo the Great Church at 2:00 p.m. Mass
SUNDAY, APRIL 11, 2010
For St. Leo Catholic School Candidates
SUNDAY, APRIL 18, 2010
For St. Bridget Catholic School Candidates and Public School Candidates
Confirmation Class
There is one class remaining of the four (4) mandatory classes to prepare your child for Confirmation. You are asked to drop your child off before 2:00 p.m. Parents who wish to stay are asked to wait in the church and pray for the children. The two remaining mandatory classes are as follows:
#4 – Saturday, April 24, 2010 at 2:00 p.m. (1 hr.)
SHARELIFE COMMUNITY CHALLENGE -
MAKE DOUBLE THE DIFFERENCE
Renew your commitment with twice the impact!
If you have made a contribution to ShareLife in the past but weren’t able to do so last year, you can double the effect of your gift this year!
Through the ShareLife Community Challenge, a generous donor has pledged to match all new and increased gifts to the 2010 ShareLife campaign, up to a total of $500,000. As a lapsed donor, your gift to ShareLife will also be matched dollar-for-dollar this year. For example, your $60 donation will result in a $60 matching gift, resulting in a $120 contribution to ShareLife agencies. Please help us sustain the good work of ShareLife-funded agencies – last year more than 225,000 people were touched by ShareLife funding here at home, and countless more received assistance around the world. For more information, visit www.sharelife.org Please give generously. You can work WONDERS!
The St. Vincent de Paul Society is looking for new members. Husband and wife teams are encouraged to join. Please call the Parish Office to apply.
PRAISE – WORSHIP – PRAYER
SPIRITUAL GROWTH & FELLOWSHIP
Every Thursday at 7:15 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
In the Chapel. ALL ARE WELCOME.
Development & Peace will be selling Fair Trade products next Weekend after all the masses.
Annual One Day Retreat For Spiritual Renewal
at St. Joseph the Worker Church
on Saturday, April 17th – Registration 9 a.m.
Please see the poster on the Church Bulletin Board for detailed information.
Mother’s Day Raffle
Tickets $2.00 or 3/$5.00
Sponsored by St. Leo’s Parish C.W.L.
Mass Intentions – Week of April 11, 2010
Sunday - 9:00 a.m. – For the intentions of
Ashlyn Hodgkinson
- 11:00 a.m. – Giovanni Volpe+
Tuesday - 8:30 a.m. – Harold Forbes+
Wednesday - 8:30 a.m. – Elizabeth Ansell+
Thursday - 8:30 a.m. – St.Bridget School Mass
Friday - 8:30 a.m. – Robert St. Denis+
Saturday - 5:00 p.m. – Marie-Rose Lagace+
DAUGHTERS OF ISABELLA – CIRCLE #1408
PASTA NIGHT
Date: April 23, 2010 & Time: 6:00 p.m.
Holy Family Catholic Church
91 Ribblesdale Drive, Whitby
Adult Ticket – $6.00
Child under 10 Ticket – $2.00
For tickets contact Barbara Regimbal at (905)404-2694
Life Jesus Higher Rally 2010
Saturday, April 24, 2010
8:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Metro Toronto Convention Centre, North Building,
255 Front Street West, Toronto.
A grace-filled day with:
The Archbishop of Toronto, Thomas Collins
Marcus Grodi, Teresa Tomeo (EWTN)
Ralph Martin, Sr. Ann Shields and Peter Herbeck
Testimony of a Documented Miraculous Healing
Divine Mercy Celebration, Uplifting Music
Eucharistic Healing Procession
Confession and Holy Mass
Separate Youth Event
For tickets and information, please check www.lift-jesus-higher-rally.org or call (416) 251-4255 or (905) 270-2510.
BLESSED EASTER
Throughout the days that followed the Resurrection of Jesus Our Lord, those closest to Him, scandalized by the brutal death of their teacher and friend and in fear of their own lives as known followers of the One crucified, must have felt they had no place to go, no one to turn to, and were left only to consider how they might find some sense of normalcy for their lives now that everything had changed. What were they to do? As followers of Jesus, they could no longer go to the temple. They had left their former lives and occupations only to follow this One whose very words seemed to be heard like no others in their own ears and, as radical and mysterious as they were for their time, had filled them with a hunger and an excitement for what they thought Jesus would eventually do.
They had expected great things from their friend, Jesus. To be close friends and companions with a leader like Him was cause enough to somehow feel that you too will be granted special status when the pinnacle of what He hoped to fulfill and accomplish comes to pass.
Instead, Jesus had sent confusion through their minds as their hopes for special position were commingled with His strange words about Himself. The horrible passion and death of Jesus was too fresh in their minds for them to remember His other words about dying and rising. All they knew was that some of them had abandoned Him in His last hours, some went so far as to betray Him. One of them still alive was Peter, who had wept bitterly as he recalled Jesus’ own words to him, that “before the cock crows you will have denied me three times”. And three times Peter had vehemently stated about the One he had built his life around: “I DON’T KNOW HIM.” The other betrayer, Judas, could have been forgiven had he only trusted in the love and forgiveness of Jesus who had called him, but he instead turned inward as everything in God’s creation and the voice of the Devil in his head seemed to be accusing him as traitor. Sadly, he took his own life.
God knows the sorrowful heart and soul of a human being, even and especially when it goes wrong. We leave Judas to the hands of God and His judgment for God’s love and will is perfect and we can only speculate at best at the ways of God in the areas of human life that are beyond our comprehension. The tragedy for Judas was that he had, like the other disciples, been called by the Lord to be a disciple and that he, even with his sin and betrayal, could have been called St. Judas.
There was no widespread expectation in those disciples and friends of Jesus that He would come back to them again. It was over and their friend and leader was now dead, buried, end of story.
Yet, one by one Jesus would appear to them. To Mary Magdalene He would only need to speak her name and she would instantly recognize the voice of her Master. He would instruct her not to embrace Him but go and tell the others what she had seen and heard – that He was alive!
Later, Jesus would appear to the disciples who were locked away in a room, filled with fear. He would appear and satisfy the need of those who doubt in Thomas who protested that he could not believe Jesus was risen until he could actually, physically touch Him.
And Jesus would walk with the two sad disciples on the road to Emmaus, though they like Mary earlier would not recognize this stranger who talked with them. Mary didn’t recognize the Risen Lord as He stood before her and neither did these two sad men on the road to Emmaus. Jesus walked with them and inquired (as if He didn’t know) as to why they were so sad. They expressed their sadness about their Lord and Master who had died and how their hopes were dashed with His death. They related to this Stranger who walked with them how “we had hoped….”. Then Jesus opened the scriptures to them which revealed that the Messiah would have to first suffer and then enter His glory. Finally, they invited this fellow traveler to stay with them as they stopped at an inn by the roadside, and with them, He blessed and broke bread and immediately they recognized Him. Two thousand years later we too recognize Jesus in the breaking of bread in the Eucharist which He gave to His disciples.
Jesus would appear to all of the disciples in the time after His Resurrection until He gave them the Holy Spirit (Pentecost) and commissioned them to “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you.” (Matt. 28:19-20a)
In our own lives we come to know Jesus and His real power and meaning for our lives through the influence of the scriptures, the sacramental life of the Church and most magnificently through others. Jesus can be encountered alone but His clear desire has always been that we not live a life of faith alone. Even those who devote their lives in monasteries and cloisters to a life of prayer and silence, live among and with others who are doing the same. In the weeks to come we will encounter Christ speaking to us through those who at first did not believe that which was truly unbelievable – that Jesus Christ had risen from the dead and He was Alive! (Happy Easter. Fr. Charles)