HE IS RISEN!

At the Easter Vigil this past Saturday night, 11 Catholics received the sacrament of Confirmation, 8 baptized Christians were welcomed into full communion with the Catholic Church (receiving Confirmation and Eucharist), and 8 others were baptized into Christ that night and then added to those graces through the sacraments of Confirmation and Eucharist.  Teeming with Easter joy in the glorious resurrection of our Lord, witnessing the graces of these three sacraments upon those who received them was a true living memorial of Christ's presence in the world through His Catholic Church and an echo of the words of the 3rd century Church Father, Tertullian:

“The flesh is washed so that the soul may be purified
The flesh is anointed so that the soul may be consecrated;
The sign of the cross marks the flesh so that the soul may be strengthened;
The imposition of hands overshadows the flesh so that the
soul may be enlightened by the Holy Spirit;
The flesh is nourished by the body and blood of Christ so
That the soul may grow strong, fed on God.”

In the joy of those who received the graces of Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist, the entire community present had displayed before them the active power of Christ's resurrection and the sublime peace and consolation of those sacraments that infuse into the soul the resurrected life of Jesus Christ.  Indeed, the US Conference of Catholic Bishops likens Easter to a "new springtime" for the Church, saying, "Every year, in dioceses big and small, people seeking baptism (catechumens) or to be brought into full communion with the Church (candidates) signal a new springtime at Easter and are a reminder of the power of the Gospel to transform lives."
 
If you have been considering becoming Catholic, are Catholic but never received the sacrament of Confirmation, or simply are curious about what might be Good, True, and Beautiful in the Catholic faith, please contact Shawn Reeves, Director of Religious Education at St. John's, at shawn.reeves@sjcnc.org .
 
Happy Easter to all - drink in the blessings of this season, and cherish the graces of the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist!


"We know that Christ, raised from the dead, dies no more;
death no longer has power over him.
As to his death, he died to sin once and for all;
as to his life, he lives for God.
Consequently, you too must think of yourselves
as being dead to sin
and living for God in Christ Jesus."
(Romans 6:9-11)