A few weeks ago, the priests and faithful of the Diocese of Camden gathered at Our Lady of Hope in Blackwood, NJ to celebrate the Mass of the Chrism. In his homily, Bishop Sullivan spoke of the many challenges facing the Church today: the sex abuse crisis, bankruptcy, vocation shortage, and the lack of the faithful attending Mass. Indeed, all these situations are realities. They are struggles of the Church that appear to be leading to the death of the Church in the world.
We, the faithful of the People of God, cannot fall into despair! The problems in the Church and the world are serious and grave, but we have no reason to be hopeless. We are currently in the season of Easter, the season of the Resurrection. We believe Jesus Christ died on the cross and in three days rose from the dead. The Resurrection is not a thing of the past. It is now. Jesus is alive. Alleluia!
The situations mentioned at the Chrism Mass are the crosses we bear, but the risen Lord invites us to respond to them. We cannot run away from them; we cannot abandon the Barque of Peter, the Church. We need to respond to the same invitation Jesus gave to St. Francis of Assisi, “rebuild my Church.” Perhaps we received our invitation but never responded to it. During this Easter season, let us respond to the Lord’s invitation and ask him to show us the path he wants us to take. We are not a people of weakness and despair, but rather a people of strength and hope.
Father Thomas Piro
Latest posts by Father Thomas Piro (see all)
- You Are Not the Only One Who Doesn’t Have This Figured Out - April 8, 2026
- Pure of Heart - June 13, 2023
- An Invitation from the Risen Lord - April 18, 2023
