FROM THE PASTOR’S DESK
My Dear Parishioners
As we continue basking in Easter joy, our diocese also celebrates the hundreds of people who joined the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil. By all accounts, this was a banner year for the Diocese of Paterson and for most every diocese in the country when it comes to conversions. Church after Church shared stories of hope and confidence this Easter season. The news from Europe is just as encouraging, as many countries saw a surge in interest in the Church after years of decline.
While short term trends are not guarantors of long-term goals, it is well worth attempting to learn some lessons from this surge in Catholic interest. Various theories have been placed forward… the Washington Post even suggested it might be a way for young men to find dates… at the end of the day the answer is simple: Jesus Christ.
The Apostles are clearly confused in our Gospel, feeling that Jesus is being too vague in explaining how the future will work. Thomas doesn’t know where Jesus is going, so he doesn’t know how they will get there. Philip wants to see the Father, but he isn’t sure how that would work. They have desires in their heart, but they aren’t quite sure how they will be fulfilled.
These are fair questions, and they are questions that we ask in one way or another. Where am I going? What is it that I want? Give me this one thing, and that will be all I need. They are the same questions those who entered the Church this past Easter were asking? Is there anything out there that could answer the deep questions of my heart?
The modern world has provided us with an immense amount of junk that has masqueraded as the answer to these questions. Whether is social media, sexuality, alcohol, money, or so much else, people have tired of all the fake and damaging substitutes that modern man has been sold. Raising depression and anxiety, broken families, and misguided priorities have left us with a sad population. As St. Augustine knew so well so long ago, “You have made us for yourself O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you”.
In response to Thomas and Philip’s questions, Jesus gives two related answers. ‘How can we know the way? I am the way and the truth and the life! Show us the Father, and that will be enough for us. Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. One thing is clear; the answer to every question we have ever asked is Jesus Christ.
More than anything else… more than dates or trends or the intellectual life… this is what explains the rise in converts this past Easter. People have questions, and Jesus Christ is the answer. He is, indeed, the way, the truth, and the life. I am made in the image and likeness of God, and Jesus Christ died on a Cross and rose from the dead to save me from sin and death, so everything in my life comes back to Him, and I will be restless and sad until I return to Him.
Two practical’s come to mind as we celebrate this great truth. The first is that when I think about my own life, Jesus Christ is the answer to the great questions of my life, and I must frame every decision I make with that truth. Of course, that doesn’t explicitly tell me what I should do for a job or vocation or anything like that, but unless life in Christ is the foundation for all of my decisions, everything will come up short. Does Christ control my decision making? Or will I keep doing my own thing, and remaining restless and frustrated?
Secondly, Jesus Christ is the answer to the questions and desires in the hearts of everyone else around me. How often we are anxious and nervous about talking about Christianity or Jesus Christ, but the truth is that the Lord is something that everyone wants, whether they know it or not. May we be bolder in proclaiming Christ and presenting people with the real answer to their desires.
Jesus Christ is truly the way, the truth, and the life, and to see Him is to see the Father. May He change everything about how we see the world, and may we be bold in offering this Answer to everyone in our lives.
Peace,
Fr. Monteleone
To read the complete bulletin click here
