A gloriously busy breakfast

It seems some time since we have seen such a busy breakfast. In fact we have rarely reached double figures in the past few weeks.

This morning Gail was in her element (the more guys she has "to mother", the happier she is). Helped by Mimi, who kept the toaster working overtime, a dozen hungry friends shared our meal of cereals, eggs 'n' cheese, toast and jam. It was great to hear so much chatter around the breakfast table. We actually ran out of milk and bread, but a brisk walk to the grocery store remedied that.

"Word of mouth", was the reply I received on asking how some of those present stumbled on Saint Joseph's. Word of our ministry certainly spreads and we are grateful for that. It seemed so obvious to me that we were graced by the presence of the Holy Spirit sharing our fellowship.

--Mick

Life in Easter

As odd as it may sound, Lent was a refreshing season for me this year. I adopted Lenten disciplines that forced me to face the finitude of my life as a creature—my limited energy, time, and strength. And though there were moments of frustration in my disciplines, I also grew to accept and appreciate them. The message of Ash Wednesday (“Dust you are, and to dust you will return”) became a source of gratitude to me. I found rest in being a creature, in resting on God.

This Easter season, however, has been anything but restful to me. The joyful celebrations of the Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday Eucharist have been crowded out by to-do lists and errands. I have felt like Peter, returning to pick up his nets to go back to fishing after Jesus was killed and buried. Some of that is simply because I live the life of a student, and the busiest weeks of the semester coincided with the beginning of the Easter season (yeah, terrible timing!). But I think I also let go of my Lenten lessons too quickly. Easter may bring Lent to an end, but it does so like the birth of a baby. Lent prepares those following Jesus to Jerusalem for the wonderfully abundant resurrection life of Easter. The rest that I found in Lent was not supposed to be something I throw off along with the Lenten disciplines; that rest enters into full bloom in Easter as the Lord of the Sabbath is raised to new life.

So instead of rushing full speed back to my “nets,” I want to spend the rest of the Easter season sitting at the empty tomb, listening for the voice of the risen Lord calling my name, and then spreading the joyous news that I have seen the Lord. I pray that the joy and peace of Easter may overflow in all our lives, at St. Joseph’s and beyond, as the risen Christ walks and abides with us all 50 days. And I pray that, amid the stresses that continue in our lives no matter the season, we will all find Sabbath rest in dwelling with the God of resurrection life.

—Jodi Belcher