From the Pastor's Desk - April 5, 2026

Dear St. Martin’s Parishioners,

He is risen! He is risen, indeed! Jesus’ resurrection from the dead transforms everything, and fills all creation with a new light and grace. It is as if a new dimension were opened up in time and space. As Christians, we are called to live in that new dimension of divine grace, joy and life. Whereas previously all of life was tinged with the effects of original sin, now all of life is illuminated by the grace of the Resurrection. There is nothing left untouched by the grace of this event.

Sin is conquered! “For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by one man’s obedience many will be made righteous. Law came in, to increase the trespass; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more” (Rom. 5:19-20). Jesus announced on the day of his Resurrection, “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained” (Jn. 20:23) Divine mercy is the transformation of our sin by the grace of the Resurrection. “Once you were no people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy but now you have received mercy” (1 Pet. 2:10).

Division is healed! “For he is our peace, who has made us both one, and has broken down the dividing wall of hostility . . . that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby bringing hostility to an end” (Eph. 2:14-16). Hostility, enmity, division and separation are all transformed by the grace of the Resurrection. We are brought back into unity through the Eucharist.

Suffering is transformed! “That I might know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that if possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead” (Phil. 10-11). “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me” (Gal 2:20). Through the grace of the resurrection, our sufferings lead not to death by to new and eternal life.

Death has been defeated! “Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” (1 Cor. 15:54-55). Through the grace of the resurrection, death has been transformed into a passage into eternal life.

I invite all of you next week to our celebration of Divine Mercy Sunday. We will have a 3:00pm Eucharistic holy hour in the Church with the praying of the Divine Mercy chaplet.

In the Resurrected Christ,

Fr. Dave