Dear Friends in Christ,
Thomas, whom we know as ‘Doubting Thomas’, was blessed to have put his fingers in the wounds on the Lord’s hands and to have touched his pierced side. However, he was gently rebuked by the Lord: ‘Stope doubting and believe’. Thomas, despite his doubts and unbelief, was led to faith and perhaps should be remembered as ‘Believing Thomas’, since his subsequent profession of faith was so sincere and genuine: ‘My Lord and my God!’
This is the confession of faith that the Lord seeks from every true believer: My Lord and my God’ or ‘Jesus Christ is Lord’. This admission of faith in the Risen Lord is always the fruit of grace in our lives. It is also one which we are called to make every single day. Every day invites a re-dedication of our lives to Christ.
The coming of Jesus Christ can be likened to the major theme in a musical performance. Often in musicals, operas and classical works, different instruments give hints of the main theme: first the flutes, then the clarinets, the bassoons, the string instruments and the bass – all take up different variations. In its final climax the whole orchestra sounds the theme towards which everything has been moving. In a similar way, in the coming of Jesus God’s eternal plan of salvation is fully and finally revealed, and when we freely accept and embrace this plan we receive God’s gift of joy.
Jesus is both the Word and the Event in which the fullness of divine revelation is made known. We can lose sight of what an amazing grace of revelation it is to humbly bow before God’s greatest gift – the sending of the Son. We receive in this moment the grace which understands that faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we cannot see. We have not seen and touched as Thomas did, but we are blessed for despite not seeing we believe. As Peter said: ‘Without having seen him you love him; though you do not see him you believe in him and rejoice… As the outcome of your faith, you obtain the salvation of your souls’.
In ancient time, on Easter Sunday morning, Christians greeted their neighbours with the salutation ‘Christ is Risen’, and their neighbours answered, ‘Christ is risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon.’ Perhaps this ancient custom should be resurrected today. Christ has risen indeed! The Easter Liturgy leads us in an exultant hymn of praise. The tomb is empty! Jesus is the Risen Lord, the Victor, the Lord of Life, the Living One who conquered sin and death.
It is a personal journey of faith also. I encourage all of our parish community to enter into the full spirit of this Holy & Most Sacred Week. It can be a real moment of grace for you and your families. This weeks’s Newsletter lays out clearly all the ceremonies and masses to help us enter into this incredible drama of Salvation history. (Also on the website & Facebook) The ultimate 
If you have never participated in the Triduum, this really is a wonderful time in the Church’s Liturgical Calandar. Or if you have not entered into the full–spirit of the Lenten Season, why not make a very special effort to join us for these three wonderful ceremonies. When we think of what Our Lord did for us, the least we can do is make a special effort to join with Him as he enters His Passion & Death, but also to rejoice with Him & in Him on his Day of Resurrection. I cannot stress enough the untold graces you will receive from God in participating in these sacred liturgies. 
I earnestly encourage you all to participate fully in these most wonderful celebrations of the Lord’s Passion, Death, and Resurrection. As we begin our Holy Thursday celebration with the sign of the Cross it is important to remember that the next time we cross ourselves will be at the end of the Easter Vigil; the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, the Good Friday Liturgy, and the Easter Vigil, are one continuous celebration of Salvation History. 
Moral theologians speak of ‘sins of omission’, by which they mean the failure to act or speak out in a situation, causing those guilty of this offence to fall short of the goodness of God. Our Gospel today provides us with an example. In most modern translations of the Bible this passage is either dropped into the footnotes or placed in brackets to indicate that it did not form part of the original text. It is also missing from the oldest and best manuscripts for the Gospel of John. It is hard to figure out why and we can only speculate – perhaps a patriarchal culture and worldview rendered this beautiful incident in Jesus’ life too shocking and scandalous, revealing a depth of mercy and forgiveness which was unpalatable. We are grateful that this story, which was probably passed down by means of oral tradition, found its way into the can of Scripture.
and another was his last visit to Gethsemane. They were also with him when, as we read in the Gospel today, his human body was transfigured and glowed with divine life of a glorified and resurrected body. The disciples were granted, if you like, a glimpse of heaven. Peter, vividly recalled the event: ‘we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For when he received