By Pat Haggerty

I have a friend who posts beautiful pictures on Facebook.  She takes all of them.  They are magnificent sunrises, beautiful snowfalls, trees through the dusk, a single cardinal on a branch, and many more.  Most recently, she posted a lone, emerging purple crocus as it opened its petals to the sun.  I look forward to these pictures; they are a source of inspiration and reflection for me.

By Pat Haggerty

When I think of Easter, the image of the empty tomb comes to mind.  We’ve all seen pictures of the empty tomb, the stone rolled over, and the burial cloths left behind.  What an image!   It conjures up so much!  It leads us to the eventual image of Christ rising from the dead, of his glorious emergence from the darkness of the tomb bringing us to the light of salvation.

Easter Sunday’s gospel tells us that when the disciples went to the tomb after the urging of Mary of Magdala, they found that emptiness.  John goes on to tell us that “they did not yet understand the Scripture that he had to rise from the dead.” (John 20:8)

Christ’s resurrection from the dead became our key to salvation and new life.  Christ suffered, died and rose from the dead in order to win us our salvation.  We are often called “resurrection people” because everything that we are centers on this significant event.  Alleluia!  Alleluia!

By Pat Haggerty

I remember telling my students, “It’s okay to read a book more than once.  In fact, it’s a good thing.”  We gain so much from a second reading.  We discover nuances we hadn’t read before, or we gain new insights into the author’s purpose.

The same is true of a good movie.  Do you have a favorite?  How often have you seen it?  I can’t even begin to tell you how often I’ve seen It’s a Wonderful Life! I cry every time and my enjoyment of it never seems to fade.

By Pat Haggerty

I just read somewhere that the word “Lent” comes from a word meaning spring.  I can see that!  Lent is a time for us to prepare to burst forth as true believers, as we follow Christ during His journey leading up to His death and Resurrection.