Dear Friends,

Last Saturday, tucked in between the many activities in preparation for the Easter celebrations, our parish had its very first Easter Egg Hunt. Earlier that morning, the skies appeared to be threatening rain and I had my doubts about whether or not anyone would show up. I also feared that with the holiday, many people would be out of town. Such uncertainty is understandable since, not only was it our first attempt at an activity like this, but the foreboding weather did not make for a hopeful situation.

Fortunately my reservations turned out to be unfounded as a good number of parents with kids in tow began to appear, unhindered by the messy weather. An event that could have easily been dampened turned out to be a spectacular success. Instead of chasing after eggs out in the field, we opted for “Plan B” and used classrooms to hide eggs. Once they opened the doors, children ran in excitedly, scooping up eggs right and left. The festivities were topped off with a visit by the Easter Bunny who brought in a little extra cheer. Surprisingly, even a live bunny entered into the mix. All in all, everyone had a great time.

I'm glad that my doubts were unsubstantiated. One would think that as a person of faith, I would not question things like this. There is something in all of us that tends toward skepticism. Not only do we doubt our own efforts and plans, but also we sometimes even doubt with regard to our faith. At times we question God. At times we doubt that He really listens. When our lives are filled with difficulty, pain, or struggle, God might feel very distant from us and we might even doubt that He exists at all. It seems only natural that with our finite minds, we would have difficulty believing in what is beyond our ordinary experience.

When the Apostle Thomas was confronted by the disciples' account of Risen Lord, he too had difficulty believing. He wanted proof. He wanted to be able to touch the nail wounds in Jesus' hands. He wanted to touch the wound on His side. He had to see and experience for himself. It was only after the Lord invited him to do these things that he came to profess, "My Lord, and My God!"

Despite our bouts with doubt, the majority of the time we do believe that the Lord hears our prayers. We do believe that He exists and that he cares for us. In some sense, our faith is greater than St. Thomas because we have not seen; yet we believe. Faith requires perseverance in the face of doubt.

In this day and time, there are many factors that might lead us to doubt what our Church teaches and believes. The Lord invites us today to believe beyond belief. In other words, when faith seems unreasonable or illogical, we are called to believe anyway. That is part of the very nature of faith. We are stewards of what has been handed down to us from the Apostles. They acted in faith and in faith we must continue to hand on what we have received. Let us not be deterred by the hopelessness that often surrounds us. Be faithful. God bless!   

Fr. Paul