Pastor's Corner: Easter season – jubilee year of mercy

Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia! We are an Easter people as we celebrate 50 days of Easter. It takes at least 50 days to experience all the joys that come with Easter. We stand before the empty tomb of Jesus and wonder with gratitude upon the great mystery of the Resurrection of the Lord. Life has conquered death. Mercy and love have conquered sin!

We are a people of faith and hope to open the newness of what is to be. We know that faith and hope are gifts of God and I can ask God to give me faith and give me hope! We are certain of the Easter message that Christ is risen. Since Christ is risen, we can look with new eyes and hearts at every event of our lives, even the most negative.

The moments of darkness, of failure, and also of sin can be transformed because Christ is risen. The risen Christ gives us the strength to be lifted up. The grace of Christ saves us.

At St. Patrick Parish in Colfax and St. Joseph Parish in LaCrosse, each Sunday of the Easter season, we reflected upon a particular Spiritual Work of Mercy. A Spiritual Work of Mercy addresses spiritual and emotional needs and how we can offer assistance to others. The seven Spiritual Works of Mercy are: counsel the doubtful, admonish sinners, instruct the uninformed, comfort the sorrowful, bear wrongs patiently, forgive offenses and pray for the living and the dead.

Perhaps you see ways you can offer these spiritual works of mercy to help someone in need.

A Jubilee Year of Mercy, proclaimed by Pope Francis, gives us time to be people of mercy by doing merciful actions.

What kindnesses are you willing to offer to others? What actions will bring mercy to others? How can you be merciful? At the end of the day, spend some time in reflection, on your own or with others, rejoicing in the love and mercy that was shown to you by God and others today.

Even if you had a rough day, where did you see God's love present in your life? In what ways can you be a "missionary of mercy" to others in your home, work and community? What are particular qualities of Christ, in his life, death and resurrection, that you can model for others so they can draw closer to the love of God? Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia! He is risen, alleluia!

Fr. Albert Grasher, Jr.

St. Patrick Parish, Colfax