April 7 - Friday of Easter Week

+ My friends, today, more than ever, we who “live in the world, but not of it” find it more and more difficult to receive the Good News, as it was proclaimed for centuries now, and it is certainly more difficult to spread that Good News in a world that in most cases is stone-cold-deaf to what this “absurd message and news” might mean.

And so we, ourselves must tune out the noise, and the clatter and the bright lights and shiny objects that the world constantly bombards us with, find places of solitude, refuge and rest someway, somehow each day and we must recharge our spiritual batteries, much like we recharge the batteries in our smart phones, by pausing, finding a reliable electric plug and then giving it some time to be replenished.

Seeking out places of rest and refreshment, like a local monastery, hermitage or church/chapel is becoming more and more not an option but a necessity.

The Good News is a reality – the News of the Resurrection for the Dead to a newness of glorified life of the God / Man – sent to Redeem us though we, as human beings, killed him on a Cross – this is a tremendous love, this is a supernatural love – this is our GOD WHO LOVES US SO VERY MUCH!

In both readings today the exhortation to speak the Good News, to share the good news, to offer the good news to any who would listen even to a snippet of it – as Baptized, Confirmed, Ordained, Professed persons – we are compelled to do – and we cannot stop doing it – and if we haven’t yet done it, and find ourselves with a certain and persistent case of “heartburn” well, the reason might very well be, is because is the Bright Light and Warmth of the GOOD NEWS OF HOPE and SALVATION JUST CHOMPING AT THE BIT TO GET OUT! Let it out! Set it free! Evangelize the world as you are called to do!

Proclaim the Good News to all creation: all creation: all of it; even the birds, and the fish and the squirrels and the flowers and the trees! All are poised now to begin a new creation, a new heaven and a new earth and the simple word and bidding of God our Loving, Heavenly Father!