St. Matthew Catholic Church

Weekly Message     

From the Tomb to the Table

Dear brothers and sisters,   

     Jesus called us to step out of our “tombs.” The tomb begins wherever we refuse to let Christ truly reign; it holds all that weighs us down: sin, fear, and spiritual fatigue. When Christ steps out of the tomb, He opens a path for us to leave be- hind whatever keeps us spiritually buried. Before we move from the tomb to the table, we must confront our past “tombs”

     On Holy Thursday, Jesus invites the disciples to the ta- ble to nourish /strengthen them for the journey and to teach them to love and serve one another. To receive this gift, we must allow ourselves to be humbled, served, and transformed.

     On Good Friday, we encounter the Cross: silence replaces words, loss replaces certainty, and the tomb becomes real. This passage is unavoidable. Every “tomb experience” becomes the place where transformation begins. We must die to ourselves in order to truly live.

     At Easter, the stone is rolled away. Christ rises and seeks His disciples, leading them to recognize Him at a ‘table fellowship’ - to a living relationship. Now, the tomb is empty; the table is full; Christ is with us always.

     Saint Francis lived this journey: his conver- sion, poverty, and love for the priesthood and Eucharist reveal the movement from death to his self into communion with Christ.

     Let us keep moving from our tombs to the table of the Lord—not as spectators, but as participants. In the Eucharist, we meet the Risen Lord, who sends us forth to help others to step out of their tombs and come to His table. 

Happy Easter! Peace & Blessings

Msgr. Xavier Pappu
                     Insert:  Giving to God/Dar a Dios.pdf

                                    Please pray for vocations to the priesthood,
                              for the Priests of our Diocese; & for our Bishop.

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