Easter explains our destiny, gives lives purpose, meaning

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
 

I always enjoy having the opportunity to share some thoughts with you in “The Catholic Spirit.” Sometimes, the newspaper asks for my column a bit early, because of holidays and deadlines, so on Sunday afternoon, March 7, I began this column highlighting Easter since the paper would be published on March 25, right before Holy Week.
 

In my recent prayer, even though it is Lent, I kept coming back to how much we need Easter, the great celebration of Hope! Indeed, given what we have gone through during last year, in some ways, it seems like Lent continued from 2020 into 2021 creating a yearlong Lent! None of us could ever have imagined what we would be facing as this whole situation began more than a year ago.
 

Much has changed in our daily lives, family life and celebrations, worship, educational institutions, and work. The list goes on and on. We have strived to protect ourselves and particularly our elderly and those with underlying conditions from getting the virus. We have grieved the loss of loved ones in our diocesan family, and many have been hurt economically or even emotionally through the isolation they have endured this year as we have not been able to interact with family and friends as we normally do. It was a year in which it would have been easy to let despair have the last word in our lives.
 

So, as we gather to celebrate Easter, we are so grateful to Jesus for accompanying us throughout this past challenging year providing us a strong base in our lives, a reason for hope. As so many of you have said or written to me during the pandemic, “What would we do without faith!” As grateful as we are to Jesus for this great gift of faith, we dare to ask for more this Easter, knowing that Jesus always wants to provide for us. We ask Jesus to renew us and our world.
 

The resurrection of Jesus from the dead is the be-all and end-all of the Christian faith. If Jesus was not raised from the dead, Christianity does not offer us ultimate Hope. But if He did rise from the dead, then Christianity is the fullness of God’s revelation, and Jesus Christ must be the center of our lives. Indeed, each one of us some day will die and be restored to eternal life. Our eternal life with Him is Jesus’ greatest desire. He came to reconcile us to the Father, to bring all of us back home to the Father. Jesus’ suffering and death were the necessary evils He faced, so that we might be free, now and for all eternity.
 

It is Easter that explains our destiny and gives our lives purpose and meaning, even in the midst of any struggles we face. So many in our world need to know this now. Especially in this time when faith and religious practice are so often being pushed aside by so many in our society for so many varied reasons, when laws are passed which violate our religious freedom or tenets of our faith, or when we even fall into the unfortunate habit of prioritizing and practicing our faith only when it is convenient in our busy and sometimes complicated lives. This Easter, we need to ask Jesus to help us make Him the center of our lives, always. It will change our lives and all of those around us, too!
 

Our celebration of Easter this year once again affirms that Christ is indeed who He said He was: the Savior of the world, the God made man who suffered, died, and rose for us. This is something we certainly need to celebrate this year as Easter comes anew to us!

March 8, the day after I finished writing about Easter, my thoughts turned to a milestone in my life. Starting early in the morning and throughout the day, I received many, many texts and e-mails assuring me of prayers recognizing that it was five years ago on this day that Pope Francis appointed me to lead the Metuchen Diocese. Wow, those five years flew by!   
 

I was grateful for the kind notes, but even more grateful for the warm welcome you extended to me when I came to my new home, and for your patience in supporting me as a new bishop in our Church. Being a bishop is not something any sane priest would aspire to, and I count myself in that number of the sane. But in addition to all of you, our beloved faithful, I have to say that our priests have been wonderful to work with and so supportive, too. Our diocesan staff is dedicated and committed. Our religious and deacons have been a joy to get to know and minister with. Our seminarians here are a blessing, too, and give me so much hope for the future of our local Church. I am grateful and thank God for all of you, great gifts in my life.
 

When I left Rome and the Pontifical North American College, I thought that the period of my life at NAC would be the highlight of my priestly ministry.  I was inspired by the men who came to Rome for their priestly and ongoing formation, their dedication to prayerfully discern their call and their perseverance in responding to what God was asking of them even in the midst of challenging times. But the Lord had something beautiful in mind for me, a new people to love and serve in His name, and it has been another blessing for me to be sent here to our Diocese of Metuchen.

Thank you for your dedication and patience as we have striven to light a fire in the heart of our Church here in our beautiful four counties. As we bring the penitential season of Lent to conclusion and celebrate the Resurrection I encourage all of us to allow this revolutionary truth to penetrate more deeply into our heart, mind and soul by allowing us “to be caught up in the mystery.”

You have heard me speak on this before, but we must prioritize our friendship with the Risen Christ; meaning we must be people of prayer. During these upcoming days of Easter -- let us commit to spend time in prayer each day drinking in the powerful truth that Christ who rose from the dead is walking -- very personally — with each one us now. One way to do this is to pray the rosary each day. Countless saints, popes and mystics throughout the ages have taught us that the secret to knowing Christ is by way of His Holy Mother. Praying the Glorious mysteries will inspire us to look at life from the glory God has in store for us — and help us to face “this valley of tears” with confidence, trust and even joy!
 

Please know of my ongoing love and prayers for all of you.  I am reminded of God’s love and consolation that comes to me as I Shepherd this beautiful Church of Metuchen. May we, together, bring great glory and honor to God by how live His promise of new life each day.

 

With renewed best wishes, I remain

Yours in Christ,

Most Reverend James F. Checchio, JCD, MBA

Bishop of Metuchen