Resurrection Magazine Easter 2024 Vol 5:1

THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE CHURCH OF THE RESURRECTION | LANSING, MICHIGAN

RE SU RRE C TI O N MA G AZINE EASTER 2024 VOL 5:1

IN THIS ISSUE

MINISTRY AT THE MICROPHONE

Resurrection Life Podcast celebrates three years & strives to keep God's people engaged post-COVID

JOINING THE HEAVENLY CHOIRS Our musicians seek to give us a foretaste of the life of heaven through their ministry

AN ENCOUNTER WITH THE HEALING LORD

Sr. Irenaeus, OP shares her testimony about Jesus healing her in body, mind and spirit

RESURRECTION MAGAZINE EASTER 2024 VOL 5:1 PASTOR FR. STEVE MATTSON EDITOR SEAN O'NEILL MANAGING EDITOR MARY GATES ART DIRECTOR SARAH FINK

WE'RE ALSO ONLINE! Visit our website to read all previous issues of Resurrection Magazine!

CORLANSING.ORG/MAGAZINE

IN THIS

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Located in the heart of the city of Lansing, the Church of the Resurrection exists to help everyone in our parish family live in the light and hope of the resurrection.

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ISSUE

LIFE THROUGH DEATH FR. STEVE MATTSON

AN ENCOUNTER WITH THE HEALING LORD SISTER IRENAEUS, O.P.

LIFE ON THE FRONT LINES CHRIS VENEKLASE

FORMING DISCIPLES OF JESUS CHRIST JACOB POYNTER

JOINING THE HEAVENLY CHOIRS MOLLY KILPATRICK

MINISTRY AT THE MICROPHONE RICH BUDD

TASTE THE HIDDEN SWEETNESS KELLY WILCOX

CHRIST JESUS VICTOR! | AN ART MEDITATION

MARY GATES

THE BREAK OF DAWN ON EASTER DAY | A POEM LUKE HANSEN

Welcome to Resurrection Magazine!

We have created this magazine to bear witness to what the Lord is doing in our midst. Our Risen Lord is blessing us richly, and we want to take this opportunity to share some of those blessings with you. Read and learn more about our parish and our rich Catholic faith! Please visit our website to read our past issues.

ON THE COVER Maerten de Vos's The Resurrection of Christ (c. 1564), oil painting. For a meditation on the painting, see page 15.

FROM THE

EDITOR

Christ is risen! A Happy Easter to all of our readers!

This beautiful season of the Church’s year reminds us that the death and resurrection of Jesus was the culmination of a war that had been going on for millennia. This war between the forces of good and evil ended in the decisive defeat of Satan and his minions and the ushering in of a whole new way of life. The freedom that Jesus won for us is there for the taking, if we only respond to his call to holiness and conform our minds and hearts to His narrow way.

Fr. Steve picks up this theme in his pastor’s article on the next page. As he points out, the mystery and glory of the resurrection causes us to rejoice, even in the midst of suffering and the cross. On page 5, Sister Irenaeus Schluttenhofer testifies to one of the victories in that battle, as she recounts how she received healing at one of our bi-monthly Healing Encounters.

One of the main battlegrounds of the spiritual war lies in combating the devastation that the enemy has wreaked through the evil of abortion. So, on pages 6 and 7, Chris Venkelase, a seasoned pro-life campaigner, gives an account of his involvement in “40 Days for Life” and tells how a visit to Auschwitz concentration camp solidified his commitment to the pro-life cause.

Yet, while we engage in the spiritual battle, we also take time to nourish ourselves with the word of God

and render to Him the worship He is due. During Advent last year, the parish presented a Women’s Retreat that focused on the life and inspiration of Saint Clare of Assisi. On page 14, Kelly Wilcox explains the impact that the retreat had on her and the other women who attended the event.

That sense of nurturing and nourishing plays a large part in the ethos of our school, and on page 8 and 9, Jacob Poynter describes how the school is partnering with parents to form young disciples for the Lord.

One way in which the parish strengthens the resolve of our members and opens us to the grace of the sacraments is through the Eucharist. The music at Mass plays a huge role in allowing us to enter into communion with Jesus through His sacrifice. On page 10, Molly Kilpatrick witnesses to the exuberant joy and beauty of being involved in the music ensembles of the parish.

To mark the third anniversary of the parish podcast, Rich Budd gives us a short trip down memory lane as he describes the origins and development of Resurrection Life Podcast.

And lastly, Mary Gates gives us, once again, a beautiful meditation, this time on the cover image of the resurrection, by the 16th-century Flemish artist, Maerten de Vos.

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FR. STEVE MATTSON

LIFE THROUGH DEATH OUR PASTOR REFLECTS ON THE RESURRECTION & ANTICIPATES RENOVATIONS OF OUR SANCTUARY THIS EASTER SEASON

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hrist is risen! He is risen indeed!

Together with all who believe, we rejoice that Jesus has risen from the dead. Here at the Church of the Resurrection, we celebrate our Patronal Feast Day for an Octave and more. Death has died, and those of us who are configured to Jesus Christ through our baptism have died as well. But we live in him! We have died to our old life, and are given grace through the sacraments to live the new life in Christ.

" ...we realize the power and importance of taking up our cross and daily denying ourselves."

When praying the Angelus, which I have been heartily recommending (three times a day), we remind ourselves of the great gift that the Blessed Virgin Mary gave us by saying “yes”. After genuflecting at the words, “The Word was made flesh,” and responding, “And dwelt among us,” we implore her: “Pray for us O holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.”

Then we pray: Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts, that we to whom the Incarnation of Christ Thy Son was made known by the message of an angel, may

by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection. Through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen. And Amen!

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This pattern of suffering, death, and resurrection, marks our lives. The more we enter into the life in Christ, we realize the power and importance of taking up our cross and daily denying ourselves. It is what Jesus calls us to, and, as we cooperate with him, attentive to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, we bear fruit that comes from obedience and self-sacrifice.

That brings to mind another aspect of “death” and “resurrection” that we will experience this year. As you most likely are already aware, shortly after Easter this year, the long-awaited renovation of the church will begin. The plans include renovation of the sanctuary (altar), as well as new pews, including restoration of the altar rails, and new lighting. (Updated renderings of the changes are available for review in the vestibule of the church.)

We are grateful that we will be able to celebrate Mass in a consecrated space on weekends, rather than Mercy Hall. Lansing Catholic High School has graciously given us permission to use their chapel for our Sunday Masses. (We will have Masses in Mercy Hall during the week, and I will hear confessions in the conference room on the east end of Mercy Hall.) Along with all those who made it possible, I look forward to seeing what we might call the “resurrection” of the sanctuary and nave after a time of restoration, a kind of long “Holy Saturday” of rest while we’re anticipating the glory of the restoration.

Please pray for things to come together as quickly and as well as possible during this season of restoration.

And rejoice, again, that Christ is Risen!

SISTER IRENAEUS, O.P.

AN ENCOUNTER WITH THE HEALING LORD SISTER IRENAEUS SHARES HER TESTIMONY ABOUT JESUS HEALING HER IN BODY, MIND AND SPIRIT

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number of years ago, I was teaching about Jesus healing the blind man, raising up Lazarus, and calming the storm. When I asked why Jesus performed miracles, a wideeyed little girl breathed out a profession of faith: “to show people that He is God.” This year, I experienced a miraculous healing in my own life, which served to show me and others that He is God; He is Lord of my life and of all my circumstances.

In late August, I fell while running. Then, a few weeks later, while playing volleyball with some students, my knee simply gave out and I hit the ground again, which caused extraordinary levels of pain. An MRI showed that nothing was broken or torn, but a section of cartilage had come off the back of my kneecap. Kneeling was impossible, all movement was challenging, and I found myself exhausted at the end of each day of teaching. Weeks of physical therapy didn’t seem to help. With the encouragement of many others, I eventually set up an appointment to start looking at surgery options.

During that time, I was dependent on others in a new way. I couldn’t use the stairs at the convent and needed help with many basic tasks. Since I had always been a person who loves to serve, this was humbling. Jesus was stripping me of a long-fostered self-sufficiency.

The December Healing Encounter came just three days before the appointment to discuss surgery.

During Adoration, I made my way to Jesus and painfully lowered myself to the ground to touch the humeral veil and make an act of trust. “Jesus, I surrender it all to you. Whatever you want, I love

you.” Later in the evening, Father Steve began leading us in prayer for physical healing. I was surrounded by a group of prayer warriors. As we prayed, there was no obvious sign of healing; a few minutes later, however, I realized that, for the first time in months, I wasn’t experiencing pain. I tentatively tried kneeling, which previously had sent waves of pain through my entire body. No pain. At first, I was rejoicing, but unsure if I was experiencing just temporary relief. By the next morning, it was clear that the Lord had healed my knee completely.

I canceled the appointment and, in the subsequent days, shared my story with many others. I found myself taking the stairs and, on one occasion, running to grab something from the printer. It was a joy to share the good news. One teacher explained that she had been begging God that morning to show her that He truly cared and was active in this world. At the end of the week, my story was shared with the Lansing Catholic community. Stacia DeVries invited our students and staff to pray, and another staff member experienced healing. Later, he shared that this was a moment of redeeming grace for him, far bigger than physical pain relief.

God healed my knee for the same reason that He performed miracles in the Gospels: to show that He is God. He showed me and those around me that He can and does want to heal. The physical healing revealed that nothing is too big, nothing is too messy for His love. He healed my knee, but He’s also healing my heart and transformed me through His grace. That is His most miraculous work of healing, and He’s doing that every day in each one of us.

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CHRIS VENEKLASE

LIFE ON THE FRONT LINES

HOW ONE MAN'S VISIT TO AUSCHWITZ CAUSED HIM TO COMMIT TO THE PRO-LIFE CAUSE Abortion is the leading cause of death in the United States and around the world. More people have died at the hands of abortionists than wars, feared diseases, and dictators. And yet we accept it as part of the fabric of our society. Killing has been normalized; the abortion regime is supported by many who profess to follow Christ.

Abortion is the grave spiritual evil of our times; it is demonic at its core and its consequences impact aspects of society most do not even think about. It is not an isolated incident that is over quickly; it is the source of years of torment for countless women and men who’ve been involved; it is a contributing cause in the increase of suicide in teens and women; it often leads to alcohol abuse and/or drug addiction; it breaks up relationships and families; it contributes to human trafficking; it can lead to the abuse of other children, job loss, homelessness…. Even those who find forgiveness and start anew may still suffer scars of trauma or the inability to have a baby or carry to term.

And yet, the temptation is just to ignore it all because abortion is "too sensitive" a topic, too divisive, too “political”? Maybe the reality is too many people are hurting, and we need to take action to stop the source.

My personal visit to Auschwitz in Poland was a turning point in my life. Certainly, I had always been “pro-life.” I had even helped a little as a child campaign against it. But I saw abortion as someone

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else’s problem; it was the problem of women who got themselves into a bad situation, or so I thought. That changed when I met the reality of Auschwitz face to face: the mounds of hair, the piles of eyeglasses, the photos, the unending logs of names, the evil. In the face of such evil, many people risked their own lives in trying to save others from the extermination camps while others went along with the social changes.

" In the face of such evil, many people risked their own lives in trying to save others..."

I knew abortion was wrong, I knew it was the taking of an innocent life. And I knew we judged the Germans of that time harshly afterwards. So how would I be judged in due time knowing I did nothing to stop the slaughter? It wasn’t altruism, but the fear of being judged for my inaction that initially led to my praying and trying to sidewalk-counsel outside abortion clinics in San Francisco before 40 Days for Life existed.

Then I moved to Holt with my family. I became aware of the 40 Days for Life movement and was invited to a meeting to launch it here in Lansing. That was 2009.

Since then, we have seen 3 abortion clinics close in Lansing and many more babies saved from abortion through prayer and peaceful vigils outside those clinics.

Abortion is a demonic activity even if those involved are not directly aware of it. As such, it has to be

combatted first with spiritual activity on God’s terms. Prayer, fasting, peaceful action rooted in love.

All pivotal biblical points employed by the 40 Days for Life movement enacted in over 50 countries with over 24,000 lives saved. My hope is that more local Christians will heed the call of 2 Chronicles 7:14: "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land."

For more information about 40 Days for Life, visit their website at www.40daysforlife.com.

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Peter Paul Rubens | Resurrection of Jesus | 1617-1619 | oil on panel (detail)

JACOB POYNTER

FORMING DISCIPLES OF JESUS CHRIST

RESURRECTION SCHOOL IS PARTNERS WITH PARENTS TO FORM CHILDREN WHO LOVE AND SERVE THE LORD Resurrection School truly is a wonderful place – prior to coming to Resurrection, such a thought about a school never crossed my mind. Having grown up in the 90s and early 2000s, school was just…school.

Sure, my elementary and middle-school experiences weren’t bad, but they weren't anything to write home about. There wasn’t nearly as much fierce ideology as there is today in many public schools, but there was something missing that I didn’t realize until later in life: God. That’s what makes Resurrection such a wonderful place. There is Someone underpinning and giving life and meaning to everything we do here, and that person is Jesus Christ. Every day, thanks to the dedication of the teachers and administration, our children are coming closer to the Lord and discovering who they are as beloved sons and daughters of God. Every day at Resurrection starts with prayer, the Shamrock Pledge, and a reflection on the saint of the day, putting God first and foremost in the minds of the school children. There is Mass three times a week, and those 2nd grade and older frequently go to confession during school. My family makes a habit of regularly getting to confession, which isn’t an easy task when there are six of us now who are old enough to go. More often than not, at least one of my children has gone recently. That’s truly an amazing thing. Having not grown up Catholic, it’s

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hard to wrap my head around the reality that there exist children on this Earth who tell another person about their worst faults, willingly! What draws them in? The tender love of our Savior Jesus Christ. The children at Resurrection know that they are loved so fully by God, that He will forgive the worst sins that they have to confess.

" There is Someone underpinning and giving life and meaning to everything we do here, and that person is Jesus Christ."

Seeing our God as a God of Love, who welcomes us in the confessional is something the children learn about early on through their formation in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) program, which goes through 5th grade at Resurrection. CGS presents the faith in ways that are appropriate for the

children at each particular time in their development, keeping God’s love and care for each child as a focal point. In the Atrium, CGS combines teachings with the opportunity to do “works” such as setting up a mock altar, or using a diorama representing a scene from scripture. These and other works give the children some “hands-on” familiarity with the faith while leaving room for them to wonder at the mysteries of God. The goal of caring for the whole person extends to the academic life for students. The teachers and administration have shown that it is quite possible to balance the spiritual needs of the children with academic success. Resurrection students routinely perform at a high level compared with neighboring schools. The teachers, especially in the middle school, hold students accountable for their performance in order to prepare them for high school. This is possible despite the fact that, on average, the students are only expected to do about 30 minutes of homework per night, which gives students time with their families.

The balance between work and play, between the spiritual and academic, is important to forming disciples. This is made evident to our students through the practice of bringing Jesus Christ directly to the classrooms. Fr. Steve will regularly take the monstrance through the school so that the students can adore Our Lord and He can sanctify the

classrooms. This is another reminder to the students that Jesus is the reason they are here. He is the foundation that supports their studies.

None of this happened overnight. Resurrection school has been forming disciples for almost 100 years. Founded in 1926, the school’s legacy of faith has been built, brick by brick, through dedicated administrators, teachers, staff, pastors, parents, volunteers, and generous donors. Their efforts have transformed the school buildings into an oasis in a world that desperately needs the life-giving water that flows from the side of Christ. This was not always easy, though. Some years have been more difficult than others, and there were times when it wasn’t clear that the school would continue on. Thanks be to God, the school is thriving today.

On average, families only pay $2,500 in tuition per child, while the cost to educate is $5,500 per child.

Therefore, the school depends on the generous support of the parish to continue its mission.

While tuition remains low, there will continue to be unmet financial needs and barriers to attending our school. That’s where you can make a positive impact on Resurrection school. As we approach 100 years of life-changing education, we have renamed our education scholarship fund to the 1926 Legacy Fund. Please consider supporting the school and its mission of forming disciples of Jesus Christ.

MAKE A DONATION | 1926 LEGACY FUND

As we approach 100 years of life-changing education, we have renamed our education scholarship fund the 1926 Legacy Fund to honor this century of transforming lives. Your support ensures the legacy of affordable and meaningful Catholic education continues for another 100 years.

CORLANSING.ORG/SCHOOL/1926LEGACYFUND

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MOLLY KILPATRICK

JOINING THE HEAVENLY CHOIRS

OUR MUSICIANS SEEK TO GIVE US A FORETASTE OF THE LIFE OF HEAVEN THROUGH THEIR MINISTRY Sing to the Lord, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples! For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; he is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are idols; but the Lord made the heavens. Honor and majesty are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.

-From Psalm 96

Worship is a participation in the life of heaven - a foretaste we have now of what we will know in full in heaven. When the liturgy at Church of the Resurrection begins with the opening antiphon or hymn, we, the congregation, join with the choir of angels, saints, and martyrs who ceaselessly worship the Lord. It’s as though time stops around us and we are taken up into the life of heaven to join this heavenly choir and participate in the mystery of God’s saving work, healing us, filling us, transforming us, to bear God’s image to the world.

Worship through song in the context of the Mass is one of many ways the Lord has given us to worship Him. My husband, Alex, and I first started to serve on a music team in the fall of 2015. Along with the rest of our music team, we experience a great joy in worshiping together, each contributing a gift, all of us led and aided by the Spirit. There are ways our relationships have grown richly through serving together in this way, and over the years there have been ways in which we’ve all been able to serve one another within the service: borrowing each other’s instruments, stepping into another role when someone is sick, making time for extra practice, working together to get the job done.

One thing I've learned about myself over the years is

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that I usually participate better in something if I have a role of service, Mass being no exception. When I serve in worship, I’m early, I'm surrendered, and I'm attentive. I strive to have this same disposition every time I attend Mass because it changes the way I participate, and I am grateful that the Lord, in His knowledge of me and love for me, has given me the opportunity to receive this blessing and grow personally through serving.

"Worship is a participation in the life of heaven - a foretaste we have now of what we will know in full in heaven."

The fact that the congregation at Resurrection loves to worship and sing brings great joy to our team. Resurrection parishioners sing their hearts out—loudly, joyfully, reverently. There have been many moments throughout the years while singing during the distribution of Communion in which I have forgotten where I am, transported to heaven, surrounded by beautiful heavenly worship. The communion we have with the Lord through receiving the Eucharist bears the fruit of worship—we become more like Christ so that we can worship the Lord more perfectly as Christ does and in turn, be even more receptive to all that He has for us.

(Left) Choir members Molly & Alex Kilpatrick, Ginny Turner, Caleb & Marie Mattson, with one-yearold Celine.

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RICH BUDD

MINISTRY AT THE MICROPHONE

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CELEBRATING THREE YEARS & HOW THE RESURRECTION LIFE PODCAST KEEPS GOD'S PEOPLE ENGAGED POST-COVID

his March, we marked four years since the beginning of the Covid pandemic.

Remember what those early days were like?

The news we were receiving from government officials was dire. This new disease spread rapidly, and we couldn’t get our hands on it, let alone figure out exactly how to treat the illness for those who contracted it. Overnight, the whole world practically shut down. I still remember seeing images of wild animals walking the empty streets of cities like New York and Buenos Aires because they had been abandoned by people.

One thing many of us were convicted of, however, was that the life of the Church could not go into lockdown and so we put our heads together on the best ways to serve the poor, teach the faith, and most memorably, worship God. Daily we heard of innovative ideas across the country in which various churches kept the mission moving and kept God’s people engaged.

conversational style and we’re able to take the time to unpack ideas and events in deeper ways. When able, we bring guests on to join in the exchange and we try to keep the conversation informative, but enjoyable as well. Some of my favorite episodes have been when we had Dan Dowsett on to share about the work he does with the St. Vincent de Paul society, or when Fr. Alexei Woltornist has joined us to compare notes on how Eastern Catholics celebrate the faith compared to Roman Catholics.

Each conversation is an invitation for you to think about various aspects of the Christian life in a new way and, hopefully, it’s fun to listen to as well!

" One thing many of us were convicted of... was that the life of the Church could not go As the pandemic dragged on, efforts continued here at Resurrection to engage the community. A into lockdown." question arose on how we could help those who still wanted formation opportunities, but were either unwilling or unable to attend in person. Sean O’Neill had the idea for “Resurrection Radio,” a way to speak regularly to the people of the parish and engage them virtually instead of in person. While the radio idea proved to be a bit ambitious, what resulted from this brainstorming was the parish’s regular, biweekly podcast, Resurrection Life.

Each Resurrection Life podcast contains three “chapters.” The first is a “Talking Heads” section, where Fr. Steve Mattson and myself have a conversation about a topic in the faith, current events in the parish and school, or hot topics in the wider culture. People enjoy listening to the more

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The second section is a meditation from Sean O’Neill on some aspect of the Christian faith, the life of a saint, or instruction on how to pray better.

These are short, digestible meditations which provide some formation and really help us think about the faith in more profound ways. Sean really has a gift for getting to the heart of the matter and clearing out the “extra.” Quite a few people have said they are grateful for this segment in particular as it has helped them grow in the spiritual life!

Our last segment is a small bit of “culture.” Usually a poem read or written by someone from the parish, and sometimes, a performance of some music. The

goal here is to ground everything back into the beautiful. As the Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky reminds us, “in the end, beauty will save the world.”

You can find the podcast on all the major podcasting platforms. If you have a smartphone, it should

have come with a podcast app. Just search for Resurrection Life in the search bar and you should be able to find us. If you don’t have a smartphone, you can always listen to the podcast on the parish website, corlansing.org, under the multimedia section. Thanks for listening, and God bless.

LISTEN ON OUR WEBSITE Visit our website to listen to all episodes of Resurrection Life Podcast!

CORLANSING.ORG/ RESURRECTION-LIFE-PODCAST

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KELLY WILCOX

TASTE THE HIDDEN SWEETNESS

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ONE PARISHIONER SHARES HER EXPERIENCE OF DECEMBER'S WOMEN'S ADVENT RETREAT

arrived at the Women’s Advent Morning of Reflection both hopeful that I could make up some ground for a “bad” Advent and skeptical of my capacity to experience God while sitting in a hard chair at a round table in a room I associate with donuts. But God meets us in a simple format in our own parish hall.

The theme, “Taste the Hidden Sweetness”, was illuminated through two talks, a song, and confession. The first talk outlined the life of St. Clare, with reflection questions drawing parallels to our own lives. Who inspires me the way St. Francis inspired St. Clare in pursuing God’s call on her life? Who is a sister and leader to me, the way St. Clare was to those who joined her? I found myself challenged and inspired to imitate the life of this saint, and to ask God how I, as a new mom in my 21st-century life, could imitate this religious sister who lived 1,000 years ago.

"I found myself challenged and inspired to imitate the life of this saint."

The second talk took us through four letters written by St. Clare. Through the first one, “from good to better”, we were challenged to cast aside attachments and take the next step on our spiritual journeys, not to shy away from our

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growth in holiness. We were given spiritual and practical tips for moving from good to better.

The disposition illustrated by St. Thérèse of Lisieux has been a continual inspiration for me since that morning.

“Be like a child. Always practice the virtues, and so always lift your foot to mount the ladder of holiness. But do not imagine that you can begin to ascend even the first step. The good Lord does not demand more of you than your good will.

From the top of the stairs, He looks at you with love, and very soon, won over by your useless efforts, He will come down and take you in His arms. He will carry you up. But if you stop lifting your little foot, He will leave you a long time on the ground.”

We were also given several ways to practice this spiritual attitude – attending confession and intentionally making a morning offering, among others.

The remaining letters encouraged us to carry Jesus in “the womb of our hearts with Mary”, by contemplating Him, allowing ourselves to be held by Him like a child, and being fully drawn into Him through the Eucharist.

I was in my final weeks of pregnancy at the retreat, and now I am in my first weeks caring for a newborn. I have rarely felt weaker, nor known more fully what it means to contemplate a person – and be entranced by every detail of their person. I am encouraged that God draws me from “good to better.” He accomplishes this work, when I allow Him to, as I continue to draw near to Him. Not only that, I can taste the sweetness of His life through the Eucharist, and be drawn more fully to Him. Thanks be to God.

Maerten de Vos | The Resurrection of Christ | c. 1564 | oil painting (detail)

MARY GATES

CHRIST JESUS VICTOR! A MEDITATION ON DE VOS'S THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST

Christ Jesus Victor!

With His cross and His wounds, He is raised.

The King is victorious over death - His and mine.

Dead and now alive - Christ Jesus Victor!

Victorious, too, over every weight, every dark deed, every fear. Victorious over every sin. He has taken it all on, shouldered every burden, clung willingly to His cross. He has been beaten and scourged, mocked and spat on. He has fallen. He has brought Satan to the moment of sacrifice, defeating him in a battle for every soul He loved into being. Earth trembles and heaven rejoices, for the victory is won. The chasm once wide has been bridged, the gap wedged between man and God now overcome by the Godman, the perfect sacrifice, the spotless lamb. Christ Jesus Victor!

What, then?

What can I do for the God who gave everything to save the one who betrayed him? For the One who took my sin to the cross and conquered my death, paving a way back to the Father? The Risen Lord speaks: “come and eat,” “feed my sheep.” He draws me to Himself to receive and to give, to be loved and to love. This is the victory of the Risen Lord - a triumph of love that cannot be kept down, cannot be contained. In His cross and wounds and death I see the weight of my sin, and in His resurrection He makes known the power of His love, an infinite ocean of mercy poured out freely for His beloved.

The lamb once slain, the final sacrifice, the Lord of life, is raised victorious. He is risen, He is risen indeed.

Christ Jesus Victor!

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LUKE HANSEN

THE BREAK OF DAWN ON EASTER DAY You rise from darkness—deadly shadows smoking off Your skin—and, smiling, brush the embers from your beard then shake the cinders off Your sandals, stamping out damnation’s spark.

You gently fold the smoldering shroud and lay it by the empty slab —the image bearing mortal marks that could not bind Your body there.

At supper You will use these hands that lately broke the chains of death to break the bread of life again.

“Come share My victory,” You said “don’t look for Me among the dead.”

WHY POETRY? On the back page of Resurrection Magazine you will often find a poem featured. Some of the poets are parishioners and some are poets from the distant past, but all of them have a message that is still relevant to us today. But why should we want to print poetry in our magazine? Well, one of the aims of any similar publication worth its salt should be to present what is true, what is good and what is beautiful. Christianity has a rich heritage of literature and art, and poetry holds a prime place as writing that is good, true, and beautiful. Resurrection Magazine wishes to promote good writing, as well as be a vehicle to convey what the Lord is doing among us.

Sean O’Neill, Editor

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