Dear Brothers and Sisters of Assumption Parish:

As I write this letter to you, the sky has become cloudy and we are looking to have more rain at this beginning of Spring. All around the church property I've noticed that the plants, which have lain dormant, are beginning to blossom; and I can see the new growth beginning to sprout. I've always liked this time of year because of the visible signs that things that once looked dead are coming to life again. It is no coincidence that we Christians celebrate the Resurrection of Christ at this time of new life.

"He is risen." In that short sentence is the reason for our faith. We see the gift of Jesus in the Eucharist and our call to service. We see Jesus' self-giving on the cross. But we see the "rest of the story" in the Resurrection of the Lord, the Giver of Life, whom neither sin nor death, nor all of humankind's scheming could destroy.

At the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday night, the new fire is kindled; the new waters are blessed; the Liturgy breaks into light and music and rejoicing, for Christ lives. He lives in each one of us, for He lives in the Church, and we are that Church. If we let Him, He will live with us and transform us.

I think that this is especially important because in these current days we have seen the visible effects of being so rooted in this world that it is easy to leave behind those important Christian values: the love of God, the love of neighbor by our acts of charity and justice, and the appropriate love of ourselves. I believe firmly that what Jesus has to offer gives life, and life to the full. We need to try more and more to connect in this way, the law of love, because what we are now doing as a society isn't working.

To the left you will find the schedule for these important celebrations of our faith. I urge you and your family to make Holy Week and the Easter Triduum (The Great Three Days) of Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Great Vigil in the Holy Night of Easter on Saturday, a very special "time out" to connect to the real meaning of life, death, and resurrection. Celebrate our reason for being here in Jesus' name. Invite your neighbors and friends to celebrate that Jesus lives!

We will keep the Easter Festival for fifty days; it's that important. At the end of those fifty days we will celebrate the feast of Pentecost and the gifts we have received from the Holy Spirit for bringing about the reign of God. On Pentecost weekend (May 30-31) we will hold a ministry fair. You'll hear more about this during the Easter season, but I want to alert you to start thinking about how you will give of your time and talent to work for God's presence in this part of the world.

I hope that our celebrations of Jesus' life and presence to us, His saving death, and His glorious resurrection will give each of us the strength to follow Him.

On behalf of our Pastoral Staff I want to wish all of you a very Happy Easter!

Sincerely,
The Rev. Vincent J. Scott
Pastor