Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of the Lord
April 20, 2025
GOSPEL MEDITATION
When I was a young boy, my parents told me about their
wedding. Then a few years later, they showed me my
mother’s wedding dress and my dad’s suit. It was astonishing
to see and touch garments that connected me to the event that
led to my existence. Of course, I already believed they were
married based on their word. But these holy garments made
the event real and tangible for me.
Something like this is at play when St. John reports encountering
in Jesus’ tomb, “the cloth that had covered his
head, not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate
place” (John 20:7). Those two separate cloths, for his head
and for his body respectively, meant a great deal to St. John
and to the early Christians. Some years after the resurrection,
there surfaced reports of two cloths with unusual characteristics,
one bearing the image of a crucified man’s body, another
smaller one with the image of a wounded man’s face. Some
call them the Shroud of Turin and the Veil of Manoppello;
they both can be seen today.
These two cloths have a long and complicated history, and
scholars debate aspects of them. If you’re curious, I encourage
you to read about them. To be clear, I believe in the resurrection
of Jesus because of the testimony of eyewitnesses
and the gift of faith in the Church. Nevertheless, seeing these
two mysterious cloths have made the life-giving event of Jesus’
resurrection more real and tangible for me. Maybe they
will for you, too.
- Father John Muir
PRO-LIFE CORNER
“What irony that a society confronted with plastic bags filled with the
remains of aborted babies should be more concerned about the problem of
recycling the plastic.” Plastic can be recycled; children cannot.
- Winifred Egan
ADORATION OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT
Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is scheduled today April 20th and April 27th at Sacred Heart Church following the 12:00 noon Masses. Eucharistic Adoration is adoring the True Presence of our Lord Jesus Christ– His Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity-in the Holy Eucharist.
FAMILY PERSPECTIVE
Today’s gospel instructs us Jesus “had to rise from the dead.” The dying we
experience with unmet expectations in marriage and parenting is normal to family
life. Families must rise above disappointments and be Easter people all year
long.
- Bud Ozar
EVERYDAY STEWARDSHIP
He is risen! He is truly risen! This is what the celebration of
Easter is all about – the truth that Jesus was crucified for our sins
and three days later rose from the dead, conquering death once and
for all. We proclaim this truth every Sunday in the Nicene Creed:
“For our sake He was crucified under Pontius Pilate, He suffered
death and was buried and rose again on the third day, in accordance
with the Scriptures.” Amazing!
We know it’s true, but this Easter Sunday, let’s ask ourselves if
we live as if it’s true. Do we simply recite this portion of our
Creed week after week, or do we live as witnesses to this glorious
reality? And how are we, as Christian stewards, to live as a
‘witness’ all these years later without firsthand knowledge? We
may have to look a little more closely to ‘bear witness’, but if we
try then we can have just as real an experience of the empty tomb
and the redeeming power of the Resurrection.
We become witnesses of His glory when we: prayerfully read
the Scriptures knowing they are a living love letter from God with
a message to each one of us, each time we receive the precious
Body and Blood of our Lord in the Eucharist, when we experience
His personal and healing power in our hearts during Reconciliation,
and when we pour out our lives in loving service to those
around us and experience the deep satisfaction that only comes
when we are imitating our Saviour. This Easter, don’t just recite
the Creed – resolve to live as if it’s true. Experience Jesus for
yourself every day from now on. You will be a powerful witness
to the truth that He is risen! He is truly risen!
- Tracy Earl Welliver, MTS
NEEDED! EXTRAORDINARY MINISTER OF HOLY COMMUNION
Sacred Heart Church is seeking dedicated parishioners to serve as Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion. Current Eucharistic Ministers of Holy Communion and those interested in becoming new EOMs are encouraged to volunteer their time and talents. For more information contact the church office at 814-943-8553.
Prayer Requests
Kathy Ansman, Mark
Blackie, Rod Baronner, Dan Bauer, Dave Bauer,
Damian Branas, Vince Bumann, Jack Chilcote, Harry
Chirdon, Karen Claar, Brandon Conaway, Shirley
Conlon, Denise Conrad, James Conrad, Kathy Corl, William
Costlow, Bob Decker, Colette DiMemmo, Margaret Dodson,
Tim Dodson, Joan Donnelly, Matthew Dorman, Nate Dorman,
Amelia Doughurty, Lois Duncan, Thomas Duncan, Sam Dunio,
Paul Dunmire, Ashley Eagen, Corinda Ermin, Herman Frederick,
Pat Harpster, Leighton Hess, Dolly Holzer, Lucy Horton,
Raymond Kargo, Carol Keagy, Kenny Anthony Keagy, Russell
Keith John Kleine, Sue Koehle, Ruth Lamca, Cyndi Lansberry,
John Leshene, Beth Lloyd, Charles McGrain, Shirley McIntyre,
Mason Wayne McManus, Paul Angelo Morelli, Bev Mueller,
Bonnie Neal, Jessica Neff, Lee Neff, Kevin O'Rourke, Mark
Pacifico, Sarah Rihnovich, Gary Rupert Jr, Nancy Servello,
Laura Snyder, Alex Walter, Margo Wascherl, Alan Watson,
Joan Weston, Hank Williams, Renee Williams, Mikayla Yanchik.
If you would like to add a sick or hospitalized person to our prayer list or
readd a person, please call the rectory office, at 943-8553. Parishioners of
Saint Mary are encouraged and welcome to participate. Remember, you must have
the permission of the ill person/family to publish their name.
Sacred Heart Parish | 511 20th Street | Altoona, PA 16602 | (814) 943-8553
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