The Resurrection of Tiger Woods took place last Sunday.  I was an eye witness.  And on our screens, the world was an eyewitness to the anguish and the passion of the French people as Notre Dame Cathedral burned.  But even before the fire was completely extinguished President Macron spoke of hope and resurrection.  He told the French people to be “proud, because we built this cathedral more than 800 years ago, we’ve built it and, throughout the centuries, let it grow and improved it. So I solemnly say tonight: we will rebuild it together.”
 
In our everyday lives, we often experience the Pascal Mystery.  Throughout our lives, we experience “little deaths”; moments of heartache, sorrow, great embarrassments, defeats, illness, and loss.  But we also experience new life and resurrection throughout our lives.  Today we gather to celebrate the greatest of all Resurrections as Jesus passes over from death into eternal life.  God’s love can not be defeated.  In Jesus, God has won the victory over sin and evil and even death itself.  Today we gather to rejoice in the presence of our Risen Lord in our midst.
 
I feel especially blest this Easter to have celebrated this Holy Week with my brother, Mike and sister-in-law, Judy.  My nieces Adrienne and Laura along with their families also spent this Holy Week on Tybee.  In addition to celebrating Easter this weekend, we also are celebrating “Pop’s” (aka my brother Mike) birthday as he is surrounded by 7 of his 10 grandchildren.  And on Wednesday we were happy to celebrate Adrienne’s 50 ^th birthday.
This week also marked the 21 ^st Anniversary of my sister, Patti’s death (April 18 ^th) and the 2 ^nd Anniversary of my sister, Molly’s death (April 20 ^th).  In our everyday lives, we often experience the Paschal Mystery.
 
So, as families we know well this pattern of death and resurrection.  And certainly, as a Church we know all too well the pattern.  For the Church in France, they experienced the destruction of their iconic Church building this week.  As a new Notre Dame arises, we pray that they will not only experience new life as an ancient building is resurrected, but they might also experience the resurgence of a new commitment to their faith within their families.  And this year so many Catholics experienced a dying of faith practice as they encountered more and more disgusting news of children abused and Church leaders trying to cover it up.  How can we help bring healing to the victims?  Will we ever recover and find hope and new life for our Church?  Your presence here today gives me hope that there will be reform and new life for a Faith Tradition that so many of us love.  Your faithfulness is a witness that the Risen Lord stands with us and will lead us through our present darkness to rebuild the Church together. 
 
One of the great joys of Easter for me has always been receiving new members into our Faith Community.  Praise God for Townley Smith who is being received into Full Communion with us this weekend.  Without her desire to draw closer to our Risen Lord we would have been “shut out” – no new members of our Faith Community 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 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 a bit shy about extending an invitation to a relative or friend, you may wish to forward their name 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, Mary Chapin, Ryan Beke, Ken Douberly, Mike Beytagh, Theresa Pottratz, the sacristans, the altar guild, all liturgical and music ministers for making the celebrations of the Paschal Triduum 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!

Fr. Jerry Ragan