Message of hope offered by administrator this Easter

April 8, 2004

Do you not know that a little yeast has its effect all through the dough? - I Cor. 5:6

Dear Friends in Christ,

The Easter of 2004 in the'Diocese of Sioux City is the first Easter we celebrate without a Bishop as our Shepherd. Having been elected by the College of Consultors to be the Diocesan Administrator until our Holy Father sends us a good shepherd as Bishop to this wonderful Diocese, I wish to communicate to all of you these thoughts.

My desire is to continue the work of our Diocese and to help all of us to remain united in Faith and to grow as a local Church living the good news of God's Kingdom. To grow as Church and to be Church we need Easter and the hope it offers. Around the world, three separate Gospels will be read for Easter, depending on when a person attends Mass - be it at the Easter Vigil, and Easter morning Mass or Mass on an Easter afternoon. The miracle and gift of the day is simply too big to be contained in one simple passage.

In each of these three Gospels we discover that coming to believe is not like a bolt of lightning. The Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday morning Gospels speak only of an empty tomb. For some of the disciples there was terror, for others there was confusion. But, with a little help, there was also faith. Slowly recognition came to each of them. The disciples on the road to Emmaus even argued about the event and what it meant. Recognition came slowly - but when it came, life changed for them.

What does Easter say to us? Easter says there is hope. Easter tells us that God is bigger and more powerful than we can imagine. God has given us the Resurrection of Jesus. We need to believe this - even if things are bad in the world we live in, one with so much hatred, violence, terrorism, war and sin. We need to believe this if we are to survive. This is our ultimate hope: that there is life after death.

How do we come to an Easter faith, a faith that promises hope and joy? Each of the Gospels contains a clue. Faith always came in the company of other people in the remembering what Jesus said: "Whenever two or three are gathered in my name, there I am."

And so, as we gather to celebrate Easter at Mass, let us remember that we simply have to. For it is here, at Easter and each Sunday, that we are in the company of each other. It is here that we share with each other our sorrows and pains, our fears and sufferings, our happiness and joys. It is here where we are called to remember His Words and to be nourished in the Eucharist on our journey of Faith. We will feel the reality and power of the Resurrection, of hope, with each other. Here we pray with and for each other.

As one disciple started to believe, another began to believe, and then another. A little yeast has its effect.

A Blessed Easter to all the priests, deacons, religious and laity of the Diocese.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Rev. Msgr. Roger J. Augustine
Diocesan Administrator