04.05.85

Page 1

FALL RIV,ER DIOCESAN NEWSPAPER FOR SOUTHEAST MASSACHUSETTS CAPE COD & THE ISLANDS

teanc 0 VOL. 29, NO. 14

FALL RIVER, MASS., FRIDAY, APRIL 5, 1985

$8 Per Year

,t"1::

',.j

APPLE BLOSSOMS AT ST. JOHN'S SEMINARY, BRIGHTON

, I arose and am. still with you, alleluia!' Ps. 138: 18

Bishop Cronin's Easter Message

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Rejoice, heavenly powers! Sing, choirs of angels! Exult, all creation, around God's throne! Jesus Christ, .our King, is r~sen! So begins the Exultet, the ancient prayer proclaimed in every church world at the Easter Vigil. Through all its verses, we Chris足 tians make the boldest and most profound statement of faith in all human h,is,tory: Jesus Christ, God, and man, has conquered death for all eternity by flsmg to new life. It is a proclamation of life. It is a proclamation of joy and freedom for all the world. . t~roughout the

And yet, the words of this glorious hymn are also an invitation to each of us who is a faithful follower of Christ. We are called to deepen our faith by wal~ing in the footsteps of Christ, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, freemg the oppressed, comforting the sick and lonely. The hymn invites us to be reconciled with one another and through our life together in the church to continue the earthly ministry of Jesus. The hymn, proclaiming God's great saving event, calls each of us to an earthly life of hope, longing for our share in the eternal glory won for us by the sacrifice and resurrec足 tion of Jesus.

The Easter message is also a challenge to the world, the world which rejects Jesus Christ, his teachings and his call to holiness. As we hold our lighted candle, signifying the light of Christ in our hearts, let us all join together in prayer. Let us unite our hearts, our'minds and our voices as the Church, so that our lives may be the inspiration for the world to grow in holiness, our good works may be the example of Christ's command to love one another, and our faith may sustain us in love and hope. As Bishop of Fall River, I unite in prayer with all the devoted priests of the Diocese in extending to all of you and to your families and loved ones the blessings of a joyful Easter. It is my prayer that people everywhere may come together and celebrate the new life we share and thus grow in our love for each other and for our Risen Savior, Jesus Christ, the Lord. May God love and bless you all! Devotedly yours in Christ,

Bishop of Fall River


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.