St. Mary is on Facebook

April 2002

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Christ is in our midst! He is and ever shall be!

Come unto me all ye that labor
and are weighed down with burdens,
and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me
for I am gentle and humble of heart
and you shall find rest for your souls.
For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

We are issued an invitation to enter into the gracious life of God by the One who has the power to share it. God does not so much issue commands as He invites. The Incarnation, suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ show us concretely who God is and what He desires for us. He did not send a mere man to die on the Cross, He came Himself. He did not choose a righteous man among many to suffer the torment of the Cross. He came Himself to bear the sins and death that afflict His beloved creation by laying His life down for us all. That is why we know that God is love. If you love someone, then you will bear their sorrows with them and even for them if possible. A god who keeps himself aloof from his creation is not a loving god. A hidden god who sends divine proclamations from an ivory tower is not a loving god. We do not serve a selfish and disinterested deity. We serve the God who was born for our sake, lived for our sake, suffered and died for our sake and was raised again on the third day for our sake because His love knows no bounds.

How can our hearts and minds grasp this great mystery? We certainly cannot figure it out with our limited human reason, but we can experience its power all the same. So, He calls to us, "Come unto me..." All that remains is that we accept His invitation.

As Holy Pascha draws near and Great Lent fades away, let us all reexamine our lives in the light of the Truth of God's infinite love. "Take my yoke upon you and learn from me..." Listen, pray, listen! "Draw near to God while He is near." Take the risk of believing, lay down your burdens and come close. Allow God to enter your daily existence and, like yeast in a loaf, your whole existence will begin to be transformed.

May the Unoriginate Father, the Co-Eternal Son, and the All-Holy, Good and Lifegiving Spirit lead you and guide you to everlasting life, now and ever and unto all ages. Amen.

Yours in Christ,

Fr. Antony

Archives of Fr Antony's Monthly Notes

2011
   Summer 2011
   May 2011
   April 2011
   March 2011
   February 2011
   January 2011

2010
   November 2010
   October 2010
   September 2010
   August 2010
   June 2010
   May 2010
   March 2010

2009
   December 2009
   November 2009
   October 2009
   September 2009
   June 2009
   May 2009
   April 2009
   March 2009
   February 2009
   January 2009

2008
   December 2008
   November 2008
   October 2008
   September 2008
   August 2008
   June 2008
   May 2008
   April 2008
   March 2008
   February 2008
   January 2008

2007
   December 2007
   November 2007
   October 2007
   September 2007
   Summer 2007
   May 2007
   May 2007
   March 2007
   February 2007
   January 2007

2006
   December 2006
   November 2006
   October 2006
   September 2006
   August 2006
   June 2006
   May 2006
   April 2006
   March 2006
   February 2006
   January 2006

2005
   December 2005
   November 2005
   October 2005
   September 2005
   August 2005
   June 2005
   May 2005
   April 2005
   March 2005
   February 2005
   January 2005

2004
   December 2004
   November 2004
   October 2004
   September 2004
   July 2004
   June 2004
   May 2004
   April 2004
   March 2004
   February 2004
   January 2004

2003
   December 2003
   November 2003
   October 2003
   September 2003
   June 2003
   May 2003
   April 2003
   March 2003

2002
   May 2002
   April 2002
   March 2002
   February 2002
   January 2002

2001
   November 2001
   October 2001
   May 2001
   April 2001

   Website Message