Active Membership Pillar: Faithful Participation at Sunday Mass and Holy Days

Easter surprises us with the mystery of Christ's death and resurrection. We hear in John's gospel that Mary Magdalene, Simon Peter and the other disciple arrive at Jesus's tomb to find that Jesus is not there. The words "He saw and believed." are simple but the journey to true belief and trust in the message of eternal life demand a discipline and commitment that builds our faith over many years and experiences. After 40 days of Lent we have strengthened our relationship with God and his son Jesus through our attendance at Mass, prayer, and almsgiving. These sacrifices build that deeper connection to Christ's message to love one another. We are awakened to the deeper mystery that Christ promises eternal life and joy from the sacrifice of Lent. We are motivated to keep this message alive in the everyday acts of love and commitment to our families and loved ones.

Today we can celebrate the joy of Jesus's resurrection! We can use that joy to fuel our own light that we take into the world and share it with others. When Easter has passed and we feel that our desire to be a beacon of light dims then we can remind ourselves that we will once again find that same joy when we attend mass on Sundays. Faithful attendance is not something we do merely out of obligation, rather, one that we celebrate just as we celebrate Jesus’ triumph over death. We celebrate that we are able to join in this mystery every Sunday and it is from this pillar that we are renewed in hope, faith and love.