Last week started with a funeral of a good friend on Monday.

She was a person of deep faith that gave her joy and hope, even during difficult times.

Friday evening, I had lots of fun at the annual Priests VRS Seminarians Basketball Game. It was a good game and fun to cheer on two seminarians I know, especially sitting next to a priest who was cheering on his brother priests. (Seminarians won!)

The fun and laughter made me think, I bet it makes Jesus happy to see these priests simply playing and having fun.

Sunday, we had our annual First Holy Communion Family Retreat. Family Retreats are one of my favorite things. Families from the different Elementary Faith Formation groups all together, experiencing growing in faith…I love it.

A new part of our Holy Communion Family Retreat is Family Eucharistic Adoration. A couple of different parents came to me after the retreat to tell me that was their favorite part, one mom saying that she did not know what Eucharistic Adoration was and was so grateful to learn and to get to spend some quiet time with her child before Jesus like that.

Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope, but do it with gentleness and reverence… 1 Peter 3:15b-16a

That verse from this coming Sunday’s Mass Reading 2 makes me think of these different experiences I had this past week.

My friend who passed away could always tell you about her love of God with such joy that it inspired you to want to know Him more yourself.

Our priests have devoted their lives to enabling us to know God who filled their hearts with love for Him so much that they became priests.

The Catechists who came to help give the First Holy Communion Retreat to those families on Sunday did it with such gentle care and out of the reverence they have for Jesus.



As we begin this sixth week of the Easter Season, let’s remember the hope that Jesus gives us and gently share that hope with those around us through our words, actions and maybe even telling someone that God loves them.

Blessings of Easter hope!