Happy Easter!  The joy of this day is all the greater because of your presence in Church today.   Today is the most important celebration of our church year. Today we celebrate the victory of life over death and goodness over the forces of evil.  I welcome all who are visiting.  I hope you will enjoy spending this special day with your family and friends. I pray that this day will be filled with many graces for you and your entire family. 
 
The Easter Mystery is the foundation of Christian faith. Without the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, says St. Paul, “our proclamation has been in vain and your faith has been in vain” (I Corinthians 15.14).  Easter affirms that God’s love triumphs over death. God’s grace and mercy defeat sin.  Easter is a time of rejoicing that Jesus, who shared in family life with Mary and Joseph, shares too in our family life.
 
This is especially the case in those moments where we share our faith together with each other: grace at meal times, prayers before bed, and celebrating Mass together on Sunday. We do not have to be the perfect family to invite Him into our lives.  Pope Francis writes in his apostolic exhortation on family life (Amoris Laetitia: The Joy of Love), “I thank God that many families, which are far from considering themselves perfect, live in love, fulfil their calling and keep moving forward, even if they fall many times along the way.”  Jesus, who partook in our humanity to the point of death, does not hesitate to journey with us through the family struggles we encounter.
 
One of the great joys of Easter for me has always been receiving new members into our faith community.  Praise God for Emma Hendrix who was baptized and received her First Communion at the Easter Vigil.  Without her desire to draw closer to our Risen Lord we would have been “shut out” this year.  So, let’s start working on next Easter today.
 
There are folks on Tybee who don’t belong to a Church but are searching for a deeper relationship with God.  Perhaps you know one or more who might welcome an invitation to “come and see” what the Holy Spirit might be saying through our Faith Community.  It may even be someone in your own family.
 
Since we have an amicable relationship with the other congregations on Tybee, it is not our intention it is not our intention to draw anyone from active membership in another faith community.  Our interest is in those who feel part of no faith community or for whatever reason would like to know more about the Roman Catholic Church.  If you are s bit shy about extending an invitation to a relative or friend, you may wish to forward their to the parish office at [email protected] so that I can extend a personal invitation.
 
I am so very grateful to Fr. Pat O’Brien, our seminarian Peter Lanshima, Mary Chapin, Ryan Beke, Ken Douberly, Mike Beytagh, the sacristans, liturgical and music ministers for making the celebrations of Holy Week so very special.  Thank you all for being such a wonderful Assembly, truly together we are the Body of Christ.  I wish you and all your loved ones a blessed Easter, echoing Pope Francis: “Let the risen Jesus enter your life, welcome Him as a friend, with trust: He is life!” Alleluia!
 
On the Way Home for Children:  Today we renewed our baptismal promises, ask your Mom or Dad, if they remember the Church that you were baptized in and who baptized you.  Why did they have you baptized?

Fr. Jerry Ragan