J


 

 

   

 

Thainese
A WORD FROM THE PASTOR

Eternal Warranty For Our Faith

    When we buy a product we want to make sure that we can count on it and trust it to work the way it is supposed to work. When you go and buy a car you are looking for reliability, a car that you know will carry you and your family safely for years to come. The car company tries to earn your trust by giving you a warranty. The warranty tells you how long and to what extent you can trust them and their product. Some are 3-year while others are 5-year and some are 10-year with corresponding miles warranties. But the problem with these warranties is they eventually run out. You can trust them but only for a period of time.

    Our relationship with others is the same way. When we are looking for a husband or wife we look for someone who is trustworthy who we know is going to be faithful to us over the course of a life time. But even in the best relationships people fail us and let us down. I believe that it is in the heart of every person, their deepest longing, to be able to completely trust someone - someone who won't lie to you nor let you down.

    If Jesus didn't rise from the dead, we cannot trust him with our lives and eternity. But fortunately for us, Jesus did rise from the dead. Easter does exist. It's real, not fake. It's true, not a lie! We can trust him with our lives and live for him.

    Two famous Broadway producers were pallbearers at the funeral of the great escape artist, Harry Houdini. As they lifted the beautiful, heavy casket to their shoulders, one of them turned and whispered to the other, "Suppose he isn't in there!" He was, of course. Only one man in human history has conquered the grave, and it is He whom we call Lord. "Christ has been raised from the dead," writes St. Paul, "the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep" (1 Cor 15:20). What deliriously Good News that is! No wonder there is Joy on Easter Sunday!

    Basil Pennington, a Catholic monk, had an encounter with a teacher of Zen. Pennington was at a retreat. As part of the retreat, each person met privately with this Zen teacher. Pennington says that at his meeting the Zen teacher sat there before him smiling from ear to ear and rocking gleefully back and forth. Finally, the teacher said: "I like Christianity. But I would not like Christianity without the Resurrection. I want to see your Resurrection!" He explained, "You are a Christian, you are risen with Christ, show me in your life and I will believe." He meant that there should be a revival in his life after his retreat.

   Jesus is risen-he is the eternal warranty for our faith. Why don't we make use of this eternal warranty that has been given to us by living our lives through witnessing our faith.

In the Service of the Lord,
  Fr Thainese Alphonse

 

     
       
Copyright ©2003
St. Bernadette Catholic Church