April 2021
Dear Friends,
The Christophers wish everyone a happy and blessed Easter! Pope John Paul II once said,
“Do not abandon yourselves to despair. We are the Easter people and hallelujah is our song.”
What a beautiful reminder after the difficult year we have just faced in our nation and around the
world.
In his recent Palm Sunday homily, Pope Francis reflected upon what makes Christ’s
Passover so special, saying, “It is the fact that he achieves glory through humiliation. He triumphs by accepting suffering and death, things that we, in our quest for admiration and success, would rather avoid.” What a poignant reflection upon the way Christ connects with humanity and guides us to turn tragedy into triumph by offering everything up to God in humility and obedience.
Let us pray that, in this Easter Season, those who have suffered the most over the past year will find peace and healing by joining their pain to Christ on the cross so they might glimpse the glory of the Resurrection taking place in the world around them. And let us entrust them and the entire world to the intercession of the founder of the Passionists, Saint Paul of the Cross, whose feast day we celebrate on April 28th and who taught a generation of people in the 18th century to simplify their lives in order to contemplate the immense gift of Christ’s sacrifice.
Our recent News Note Practice Kindness to Change Lives exemplifies the path we are called to walk out of gratitude for the gifts God has bestowed upon us. Through stories of people who have discovered the transforming power of kindness to change lives for the better, this News Note shows how one of the best ways to give thanks to God is to pass that thanks on to others in the kindness we show on a daily basis.
It’s always nice when we can highlight role models in our society who are committed to following Christ’s path, which is why we’re so grateful for the work Tony Rossi does in his Christopher Closeup radio show and podcast, where he recently interviewed multi-talented singer and musician Harry Connick Jr. Harry discussed his new album “Alone With My Faith,” which consists of Christian classics, Catholic hymns, and original songs. He also revealed why his father is his “spiritual hero,” shared lessons he learned growing up, and reminisced about the great priests he met at his Jesuit high school in New Orleans and later while living in New York. You can read more about Tony’s interview with Harry Connick Jr. or listen to it at https://thechristophersblog.org/2021/03/16/harry-connick-jr-on-the-music-of-faith-his-spiritual-hero-and-saying-yes-to-the-holy-spirit/.
A special thanks to our donors for practicing the stewardship needed to make all we do possible. You remain in our prayers in a special way during this Easter Season. God Bless!
Gratefully,
Mary Ellen Robinson
President
