Three Men I Greatly Admire

 

Pope Francis

 

On March 13 of this year, I was attending a meeting at our diocesan pastoral center when he heard that white smoke had arisen from the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican indicating that the cardinal electors had selected a new pope for the Church to succeed Pope Benedict XVI whose surprise resignation as Bishop of Rome had come a few weeks earlier.

 

A TV had been set up in one of the meeting rooms and we gathered to await the announcement of the new pope.  Finally, one of the cardinals came to the balcony above St. Peter's Square and made tne now traditional announcement: Habemus papam!  We have a pope!  Cheers erupted from the square as the world waited to hear who the choice was.  In Latin, the cardinal went on to announce the cardinals had selected Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the archbishop of Buenos Aires in Argentina who had selected the name Francis (a first).  We wondered:  Who is this man?

 

From the moment he stepped onto the balcony in a simple white cassock and bowed his head and asked for the prayers of the people, the world fell in love with Pope Francis.  He has made an impact not only of those who share his religious faith but many in the world, including atheists.  From the beginning of his pontificate, he has shown what it means to be a true servant of the Lord.  His humble lifestyle (not living in the papal apartments, paying his own hotel bill where he stayed before the conclave, being driven in a simple automobile, etc.) has resonated with people.  His genuine love and concern especially for those in the margins of our society is noteworthy.

 

Pope Francis does have his critics.  No one in any position of leadership in either church or world can escape having critics and Francis is no exception to this.  Some of the criticism has come from the more traditional wing of the Roman Catholic Church.  I recently read where one in this group felt that the "pope had thrown them under the bus."  This is perhaps because he has not slavishly followed all the nuances and rules such as when he went to a prison on Holy Thursday (rather than being in St. Peter's) and washed the feet of the prisoners (including those who were not Catholic and women as well).

 

To those critics, I would point to some of Jesus' own words to the critics of his day:  I say to you, someone greater than the temple is here.  If you knew what this meant, "I desire mercy, not sacrifice," you would not have condemned these innocent men (the disciples who plucked grain on the sabbath).  For the Son of Man is Lord of the sabbath.   (Matt. 12: 6-8) And again:  They (the Pharisees) tie up heavy burdens (hard to carry) and lay them on people's shoulders, but they will not life a finger to move them....Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.  You...have neglected the weightier things of the law: judgment and mercy and fidelity.  (Matt. 23: 4; 23)

 

The pope has also shown a very human side by reaching out physically to many people, particularly the children.  How many times have we seen him at a general audience stop and take a child, kiss and bless it.  For again, we read in Matthew: Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.  (Matt. 19:14).

 

For some time now, we have heard people speak the letters: WWJD.  What would Jesus do?  I believe we can see in Francis what Jesus would do; reach out with love, compassion and mercy to all he may touch.  May the good Lord give Pope Francis many years of health to be able to guide our Church in these difficult times.

 

Bishop Howard J. Hubbard

 

I first met Howard Hubbard when we were seminary students in 1958.  I look back on these fifty-five years of our friendship which I highly cherish.  Howard finished his seminary studies in Rome and returned to the Diocese of Albany (New York) in 1964.  His early priesthood saw him serving as a "street priest" in a poorer section of the City of Albany where he worked at Providence House, a storefront ministry.  He was also instumental in founding Hope House, a place where treatment could be offered to those suffering the pains of addiction to drugs.  He later became involved in personnel work for the diocese and in 1977, Pope Paul VI nominated him as the ninth bishop of Albany after only being a priest for 14 years.  At the time, he was the youngest bishop in the United States.

 

In addition to being my friend, Howard Hubbard has also been my bishop for the past 36+ years.  He has accomplished many things during his tenure in this office, most significant among them being his pursuit of social justice and for his efforts to bring together people of varying faith traditions to work for the common good.  Several weeks ago, he was honored for his work in ecumenical and interfaith efforts by people from not only the Christian churches, but also those representing the Jewish faith, Muslims, Buddhists and Hindus.  It was one of the most memorable events that I have attended in a long time ane was a tribute to Bishop Hubbard's tiresless efforts at forging good relationships with various religious traditions.  He is often referred to by people in those traditions as "our bishop."

In October of this year, a special liturgy was held at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Albany honoring the bishop who celebrates fifty years of priesthood this year.  Over 1300 were in attendance including a number of bishops from around New York State, Cardinals Timothy Dolan and Edward Egan of New York and a large number of priests and deacons.  I had the privilege of serving as deacon of the Eucharist at this Mass.  The love and affection that the people of this diocese have for our bishop truly shone as he arrived in the Cathedral to thunderous applause.  He has also been feted at various events by various groups throughout the diocese and this part of our state to honor his great work.  Having reached his 75th birthday at the end of October, by church practice he submitted his resignation as the bishop of Albany and we await the announcment of his successor sometime in the future.  My prayer is that he will continue to enjoy good health and peace during his retirement years.

 

Father James J. Vaughan

 

Over 27% of my life has been involved with a parish in Troy, New York - Sacred Heart Parish.  I served as parish organist and choir director there from 1966-86 and in 2012 was asked to serve as the temporary administrator of the parish while the current pastor was on medical leave.

 

From 1973-2000, the pastor who served the parish was Father James Vaughan.  I had the privilege of having him as my "boss" for thirteen years while serving as music director.  In Father Vaughan, I saw an example of what a true priest of Jesus Christ should be: a man of deep prayer and love for his people.  Many people with whom I have spoken and who know Father Vaughan consider him one of the most - if not the most- revered priest in our diocese.

 

In the early 1960s I joined a group of young adults known as the Catholic Young Adult League.  There were groups in each of the three cities in our Capital District area of New York.  Through this group, I met my wife (now of fifty years) and the chaplain of our group was a young priest whose name was Father James Vaughan.  I got to know Father Vaughan well at that time and was privileged to be able to serve with him at Sacred Heart Church.

 

It is often felt that when a pastor retires, he should not remain living at the parish he served less he be seen as intruding on the work of his successor.  In the case of Father Vaughan, nothing could be further from the truth.  He has remained a resident at Sacred Heart and is seen as a source of wisdom and guidance by his successors.  He is much loved by the people of the parish and they are always greeted by him with a big smile.  (He also loves the New York Yankees and the New York Giants!)

 

My prayer for Father Vaughan is that God will continue to grant him good health so that he may be able to remain among the people he loves to serve.

 

I have blessed by these three men in my life and know that God will keep them always in his heart.

 



What's Been Happening?

It has been about three months since I sat at this keyboard and posted a blog.  But these three months have been filled with both joyous events and situations that have caused alarm at both an international and national level.  I decided just to comment on these events and happenings as I return to the world of blogging.

 

There were four very happy occasions that took place during this time.  On September 7, my wife and I celebrated our fiftieth wedding anniversary.  My life has truly been blessed with the support and companionship of my beautiful wife and the gifts of our three children.  We celebrated the event at my home parish of St. Michael the Archangel in Troy, New York with a Mass celebrated by our bishop and good friend, Bishop Howard Hubbard of the Diocese of Albany.  Following the Mass we broke bread with about eighty of our family and friends who came to congratulate us.  God has been very good to us during our fifty years.  Like all families, we have had great moments of joy as well as moments of sorrow, the greatest of which was the death of our younger daughter, Christine, in February of this year.  I know she was celebrating with us in her new home in heaven.

 

A week after our wedding anniversary celebration, I attended the sixtieth anniversary reunion of our high school graduating class from Catholic Central High School in Troy, New York.  About sixty of our classmates attended and we shared many stories about the good times we had at Catholic High.

 

Our daughter Christine suffered with a disability known as Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease - a neurological disorder for which she had to wear braces for walking and limited her abilities to the point that she could no longer be gainfully employed.  CMT is not a life-threatening disease but obviously carries with it a weakening of the human system.  Christine died at the age of 41 from an inflammation of the heart muscle.  To honor her, we scheduled a memorial concert held on October 6 in Troy at which one of her favorite musical groups - One Man Short, an a cappella men's group - performed.  Her older brother, Paul, is the coordinator of the group.  They provided the listening audience with a wonderful musical program.  We offered four of Christine's original art works at a raffle and together with the admission cost for the concert, we raised over $1,700 for the CMT national association.

 

 

 

The last great event took place on October 20 when I had the privilege of assisting as deacon at the Mass celebrating fifty years of priesthood for our bishop, Bishop Howard Hubbard, who will turn 75 next week and will submit his resignation to the Vatican after serving the diocese as its bishop for 36+ years.  It was a wonderful celebration and tribute for a man so dedicated to the Church and who has been such a compassionate shepherd for the people of the diocese.

 

During this three month period, there were two events that caused consternation, anxiety and anger.  First we had the use of chemical weapons against the people of Syria.  The Syrian regime was charged with their use although it denied this.  Nevertheless, the pictures coming out of Syria at that time were greatly disturbing.  There was, for a time, the threat of some type of military strike by the United States against the regime.  The international community, through the United Nations, was finally able to broker an agreement that would see the chemical weapons stockpile in Syria to be destroyed over the next several months.  Prayers are still needed for the beleagured people of that country, still embroiled in a civil war.

 

 

 

Here in the United States a few weeks ago, we had a partial shutdown of the government because of the failure to pass a buget resolution that would continue to fund the government.  This shutdown, which saw thousands of federal workers furloughed and the closing of all national parks, museums, etc., caused anger among the people of the country.  There are differing opinions as to who was really to blame for all of this and I have my own opinion.  I will not share it here as I do not want this blog to become a target for comments, some of which could be caustic.  I will just say that the shutdown need not have happened and the representatives who are elected by the people need to realize that they are elected to serve the people and not just political agendas.

 

 

 

Finally, an upbeat note.  All during this time we have had Pope Francis.  This wonderful pastoral leader has struck a chord in the hearts of many and not just Catholics.  His humility and his openness to people are greatly admired and appreciated.  May God grant him a good and healthy life and time to carry on the work of the Church in the world.

 

So, what's been happening?  A lot as you can see.  I was glad to be part of so many of these events and I am glad to be back at the keyboard.  See you next time.



Anniversaries Are For Celebrating

 

Anniversaries are a time to celebrate.  Whether it be an anniversary of a community, a wedding, a graduation or an ordination, they are times when memories are awakened and we can recall how good our God has been to us to have seen us or those before us through the various years being celebrated.

 

This year, I have or will have (within the next few months) the opportunity to celebrate several anniversaries; anniversaries that are special for me.  I would just like to share a few thoughts about each beginning with the highest number of years being celebrated to the lowest number (even though that is high in itself).

 

 

In June, I had the privilege of celebrating with the Catholic community of Sacred Heart Church in Troy, New York as they celebrated 100 years of being a faith presence in their part of the City of Troy.  In addition, the parish school was also celebrating 85 years of its existence and its part in spreading the faith and educating the thousands of children who walked through its doors.

 

This anniversary had special significance for me since more than 27 percent of my life was involved with Sacred Heart.  It began in 1966 when I was hired as one of the organists at the parish's mission church and within a few months I moved to the main church where I served as organist and choir director for twenty years.  I also served as the parish administrator for seven months in 2011-12 while the pastor was on sick leave.  The anniversary was a wonderful parish celebration that spanned an entire weekend in June, beginning with a Mass celebrated by our diocesan bishop, Bishop Howard Hubbard, at which I was privileged to serve as deacon.  The celebration continued the next day with a block party with games, food, and enetertainment.  The weekend concluded with a brunch served to about 300 people at one of our local restaurants.  It was a great time and I was happy to be a part of it.

 

The second longest anniversary I will be celebrating covers sixty years.  It will be the anniversary of my graduation from high school.  Our class of 1953 will hold its 60th reunion in September as we fondly remember our days at Catholic Central High School in Troy, New York.  We were educated by priests of the diocese as well as sisters from two congregations - the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Carondeolet and the Sisters of Mercy.  Our graduating class numbered about 210 (and we were one of the smaller classes to graduate in those days).  When we gather for our reunion, many stories will be told of our escapades during the four years at Catholic High.  I look forward to being with my classmates again.

 

 

 

Two fifty year anniversaries are coming in the fall as well.  Ten years after I graduated from high school, I married the love of my life, Carol Willard, and we will be celebrating fifty years of marriage with our family and friends.  As I look back on those fifty years, I cannot help by feel intense gratitude to God for giving me such a wonderful life companion (who in my estimation is a living saint - not just because of having put up with me for those years, but for the wonderful things she does to help the needy through her sewing and knitting ability.  I wish I could have counted the number of items she has made over the years for those in need - the homeless, those in shelters, children with special needs, etc.  I certainly know it has been more than a thousand).  Our fifty years have had their difficult times as well: the death of our younger daughter, the loss of employment for me about thirty years ago, and various illnesses that have beset us.  We still have with us our two wonderful children - Helen, a great teacher, and Paul, an artist, a specialist in marketing and also a recognized musician.  God has truly been good to us.

 

Finally in October of this year, I will join thousands in our Diocese of Albany as we celebrate fifty years of priestly ordination for our bishop, Bishop Howard Hubbard.  Bishop Hubbard has been a friend of mine for over 55 years and he will grace us by celebrating our wedding anniversary Mass.  I look forward to congratulating him on this milestone and thanking him for the years of service as both priest and bishop in our diocese.  Ad multos annos, Bishop.

 

Yes, anniversaries are a time for celebration and this year has been special for me because of those milestones I have cited.  Life is not always easy but good times like these make us realize how generous and benevolent our God truly is to have given us these events and the people involved in them.  May all who celebrate anniversaries this year be blessed.

God Gave Me a Great Weekend!

 

The Gospel reading in the Roman liturgy for this weekend (12th Sunday in Ordinary Time) recalls Jesus' question to his disciples about who people thought he was and whom they thought he was.  He then predicts his passion and death and challenges all of us who wish to be his disciples to "take up our cross and follow him."  We all know that, as it was true in Jesus' own life, suffering will also be a part of our lives; what form it may take will differ from person to person.  As one grows older and feels the aches and pains of old age as I am now experiencing, one realizes the truth in the fact that suffering will be with us but it should not change our faith in our God who will see that we will be able to face the suffering when it comes.

 

Even with this background, I must also say that there are times when God gives us moments of great joy.  This weekend was one of those times for me.  Several events took place which made the weekend a memorable one.

 

 

First, this weekend saw the celebration of the 100th anniversary of a church in the city of Troy, New York (as well as the 85th anniversary of the parish's school).  The Church of Sacred Heart in Troy figured a great deal in my own life.  I spent twenty years there (from the mid 1960s to the mid 1980s) as the parish organist and choir director.  Then in the fall of 2011 I was asked to assume the role of temporary administrator of the parish while its pastor recuperated from a bone marrow transplant.  I spent about eight months in that role.  (The picture at the right was taken when I had the privilege of blessing the new playground that had been installed at the parish for the school children.)

 

 

 

The parish truly celebrated this milestone.  On Friday evening, June 21, there was a Mass of thanksgiving celebrated by our diocesan bishop at which I served as the deacon.  On Saturday afternoon the entire area around the church was cordoned off and a block party was held with food, games for the children, and musical entertainment.  The celebration concluded today with a "brunch" at a favorite local restaurant which saw many of the former and present parishioners and staff members attend to join in the festivities.  It was truly an honor to be a part of this celebration and my prayers are that this parish may continue to flourish in the days and years ahead and bring the message of Jesus to this part of the community.

 

 

 

Three other events occurred during the weekend.  Following the Mass on Friday evening, I had the privilege of having dinner with my dear friend of fifty-five years who is also my bishop - Bishop Howard Hubbard of the Diocese of Albany, New York.  It is always a blessing for me to be with him and enjoy good times together.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On Saturday afternoon, I attended a Mass in a nearby city celebrated by our diocese's newly ordained priest, Father Scott VanDerveer.  It has also been a privilege to come to know this bright and talented young man and wish him God's choicest blessings as he begins his ministerial priesthood.

 

 

 

 

Finally, on Saturday evening, the newly ordained deacon - Deacon Robert Sweeney - and his wife, Pat, treated my wife and me as well as the leader of our parish, Sister Katherine Arseneau and Sister Rita Duggan to a wonderful dinner at a well-known restaurant in downtown Albany.  I had served as a mentor for Deacon Bob in his final year of preparation for ordination and he served a period of time working at our parish - St. Michael's in Troy, New York - and had the good fortune of being assigned there for his diaconal ministry.

 

As you can see, it was a very full weekend that I experienced.  But what a great joy it was to be a part of these wonderful events.  God has truly blessed me in my own ministry and I thank him for allowing me to be a part of the lives of the people of Sacred Heart Church, Bishop Hubbard, Father VanDerveer and Deacon Bob Sweeney.  The memories of this weekend will last for a good long time.

Blest Are Those Called to be Servants

 

Yesterday I had the privilege of serving as Master of Ceremonies at the ordination of six new deacons for the Diocese of Albany, New York.  Two of these men, with God's help, will go on to ordination to the priesthood next year.  The remaining four permanent deacons will serve in various parishes throughout our diocese.  I have also had the privilege of being their homiletics instructor during their years of formation.  I feel that they will do well at breaking open the word for the people of God wherever they are serving.

 

 

 

Being a part of this wonderful ceremony reminded me of one of my previous posts done in early 2012 when I wrote about service.  The word diakonia from which comes the word for deacon meant "service" in Greek.  It has been the word applied to the first seven men chosen in the Acts of the Apostles to serve at table so that the apostles could devote themselves to the preaching of the word.  One of those first "deacons" was the great Stephen - the first to be martyred for Christianity.  Of couse these chosen ones would go on to do other things besides serving at table but the note of service was always to be uppermost in their lives.

 

I would like to quote from that earlier post when I said: All of us have received a call from God.  This call is not just for Christians but for people of good will in all faith traditions - Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, etc.  All of us are called to work toward a more peaceful world in which we can all live together in harmony.  We begin this work in our own homes, within our own families and in our own communities.

 

This call to service which these newly ordained deacons have received is a call to serve the word, the liturgy and charity.  All of us in the clerical state remain as deacons called to service whether we be pope, bishop, priest or deacon.  The same is true for those in lay ministry as well because the primary purpose of such ministry is to serve the people of God as Jesus did who "came not to be served but to serve."  It is a good reminder to us that when those of us in ministry become more concerned with our titles and the special recognition that we believe should be ours then we are in trouble.  We begin to lose sight of the fact that we were called to serve others and that should be our most important concern.

 

I pray for God's blessing on these new deacons and all those throughout our country and world that will answer the call to public ministry.  Only with the support of our prayers can they hope to succeed in their ministry.  Let me rephrase the prayer I used to close my previous post:

 

Dear Jesus, look upon them, your disciples of today, and bless their efforts as they minister to your people.  Help them always be mindful that they are called to serve others and not to be served themselves.  Give them the strength to carry out your work in a world so much in need of your love and grace.  Help them to see where you live today so that they may spend their time with you until that day when they are with you in the joy of eternal life.   Amen.

Pentecost 2013 - Are We Muzzling the Spirit?

 

During this past week, I had the privilege (once again) of teaching for and attending the annual Spring Enrichment Program offered by our diocese for catechetical and pastoral leaders.  This effort - now celebrating its fortieth year - offers the opporunity to hear from nationally known and local speakers and presenters on a variety of topics affecting our daily ministry in the diocese.

 

This year we had the good fortune to have as our keynote speaker Rev. Anthony Gittins, a renowned professor, lecturer and author who spoke to us about the Holy Spirit and asked how we were allowing the Spirit to work in our lives in this time and place.  One of the probing questions he asked of us was whether or not we were "muzzling" the Holy Spirit.

 

 

 

As we are about the celebrate the Feast of Pentecost again this year, we are reminded of that first Pentecost when the disciples of Jesus, hidden from the world through fear, were energized and fortified by the Holy Spirit to go forth to preach the message of Jesus to the world.  Because of their response to the Spirit, we are here in 2013 ready again to proclaim that Jesus has risen and has sent into our hearts the Holy Spirit who will guide and strengthen us.  But the question still remains:  Are we at least some of the time "muzzling" the Holy Spirit?

 

When we place our own needs before those of others (who may have far greater needs than we), are we muzzling the Spirit?  When our personal agendas conflict with the message that Jesus has asked us to bring to the world, we are muzzling the Spirit.  When those in leadership (either clerical or lay) are more concerned with the perks of their office or place than with being the servants that Jesus has called us to be, we are muzzling the Spirit.

 

 

 

We are always in need of a new Pentecost.  Just over fifty years ago one such "Pentecost" took place when the world's bishops gathered in Rome for the Second Vatican Council to address not a heresy but the position of the Church in the world at that time.  Guided by the prophetic leadership of Blessed John XXIII, the Council broke new ground in a variety of areas: liturgy, relations with other Christians and those of other religions, etc.  The true and lasting effects of this momentous occasion in our Church are yet to be completely fulfilled.  Is it because we are again muzzling the Spirit?

 

 

 

I believe we are seeing the potential of a new Pentecost in our time as I look at how our new Holy Father, Pope Francis, is looking at the Church and what it should be doing at this time in history.  The simple way the Pope lives his own life is an inspiration to all of us to find whether we can live our lives in the same manner.  His call for a "poor Church," a Church that will always put the needs of the poor and marginalized in our society first and foremost before the pomp and trappings that often accompany power, is a call to all of us again to be seen as servants as Jesus was.

 

We are coming to the end of another Easter season as we celebrate Pentecost.  We are supposed to be an "Easter people" with a belief in what the resurrection of Jesus has meant to the world.  At a recent meeting, I heard words proclaimed concerning the meaning of the resurrection in our world today (written by Patricia Datchuck Sanchez and Rafael Sanchez Alonzo) and the final paragraph of the presentation is timely:  What does the resurrection have to say to the world?  Nothing, unless this great gift of God finds its voice in us.  Everything, if we will only dare to live and speak its message:  Love!  Life!  Hope!

 

We can only speak this message through the power of the Holy Spirit.  May we be a part of a new Pentecost and bring the message of love, life, and hope to the world.  May you have a blessed Pentecost!

 



Newtown - Boston: What's Next?

 

When will the violence end?  When will see the time when people can live together in peace, not with hate in their hearts but with love and compassion for others?  Will we ever see the day?

 

 

 

We have been witnesses here in the United States of numerous events which brought death and destruction to others:  the attack on September 11, 2001; numerous school and college shootings; bombing of buildings, and the list can go on and on.  We struggle with the aftermath of these horrific incidents and yet they continue to occur.  Even following the massacre in Boston this Monday there are reports of bomb threats being made to government buildings, poisoned pen letters being sent to government officials, etc.  There seems to be no end of evil and hatred in our society.

 

 

 

Perhaps our view of human life has something to do with it.  When we cease to see the value of each human life, we can readily find reasons to snuff it out.  This is obvious when we witness such tragedies as Newtown and Boston.  We need to recover the sense that all human life is precious from the "womb to the tomb" as the saying goes.

 

Some of the perpetrators of these horrific crimes may have been mentally unbalanced, but there are others that are driven to these acts by sheer hatred - whether it be motivated by a sense of rejection by others or for political reasons.

 

 

 

We are currently in the Easter season in the Christian tradition - a time of new life, of joy, of hope for the future.  These things are now tainted by what happened on Monday in Boston, Massachusetts.  But as Christians we know that Easter must always follow a "Good Friday."  Let me share with you some thoughts just written by my friend, Father James Martin, S.J. of America magazine.  He says:

 

When Jesus was crucified his friends and family...must have had...overwhelming emotions.  Seeing Jesus beaten, bloodied and finally nailed to the cross must have seemed unbelievable.  How can this be?  Just the week before, on Palm Sunday, Jesus was moving through the great city in triumph....I imagine that some of those who lost loved ones, and saw loved ones injured, felt something of the same yesterday in Boston....Boston is now back in Good Friday.  And one insight of that terrible day is that we do not have a God who does not understand suffering.   Jesus is not someone who does not understand pain.  Jesus is with us in our suffering, not only because he loves us but because he suffered.  But suffering is never the last word.  There is always the possibility of new life.  How will this happen?  It may be difficult to see now, as it was impossible for the disciples on Good Friday to see, but the God who has suffered is ready to help us....That was true in Jerusalem 2000 years ago and it is true in Boston today.

 

May we be joined in solidarity with the suffering families in Boston and in all the areas of the world where suffering and tension is being played out:  Afghanistan, Syria, and on the Korean peninsula.  May the Spirit of the risen Christ help us to see the value in all of human life and continue to pray and work toward the day when all can live in peace and harmony because we are all God's children.

 

PRAYER FOR THE PEOPLE OF BOSTON

The Magnificat of Resurrection

 

My soul proclaims and my spirit rejoices, O Faithful God,

because you have removed the stone which was rolled over our hearts and we are risen.

 

Yes, from this day all generations will call us blessed for God

has called us forth from death and we have responded.

Holy is the name of God, and compassion reaches from age to age

for those who walk hand in hand with the Everlasting One.

 

You have shown power over death.  You have humiliated those

who believed they could destroy your Living Word.

 

You have enfeebled those who would rule by their own might and

empowered the simple people who trust in you, O God,

who creates and companions.

 

The anguished of heart are stilled and made whole again

by this good news, and the arrogant are reduced to eternal confusion.

 

You have come to the help of Israel, your faithful one, who

remembers you are the God who saves one from bondage, from faithlessness,

and from ultimate violence.  You are the Forever Living One,

the Shatterer of Death.

 

Amen.