All Sundays this April are named Easter — Second Sunday of Easter, Third Sunday of Easter, Fourth and Fifth Sundays of Easter. It’s a Christian’s dream, a continued celebration that Christ is Risen! He died for our sins and really, what more could we ever ask for? As humans, it seems, there’s always more to ask for. Some of our “asks” are very serious: “Please God, send a cure for cancer.” “Please God, forgive me.” And others are less serious but still important. For Colorado gardeners, a common petition is, “Please God send us rain for our gardens.”

VIRGINIA. Serenity Quesnelle saw six fertility doctors, went through multiple procedures and braved surgery in the hopes of conceiving a child. After four years, one of her doctors felt that nothing more could be done and asked Quesnelle to write down the number of a nearby in vitro fertilization clinic. But Quesnelle and her husband didn’t want to go through IVF, a process that often results in the destruction of unborn lives. She wanted to find out what was going on in her body.

Once in a while we encounter a book whose insight and teaching clarity demand a larger audience. Such is “The Bible and Reconciliation,” by Dr. James Prothro, a professor at the Augustine Institute Graduate School of Theology. In this new book, I have come to see the kindness of God’s mercy, forgiveness, and understanding radiate through Prothro’s words and writings, as well the need for reconciliation in our hearts, our souls, our churches, and our culture.

Finally on the gardener’s calendar comes March. New plants are breaking through the soil and days are warming up. After all, it is the season of resurrection! Christians around the world are celebrating Holy Week and are preparing for Easter. It is truly a blessed time of year. 

Morning Mass is not celebrated anywhere in the world on Holy Saturday. Sorrowfully, the Church Universal pauses in her liturgical life, recalling the forty hours when Jesus was dead and buried. Altars, stripped on Holy Thursday, remain bare; candles and decorations removed.

The Church is in mourning.

We live in an emotional time.  Our culture is increasingly shaped by those whose voices are the loudest and whose emotions are the strongest.  Loud voices and strong emotions are fine, but only if they are governed by reason and truth.

Immigration is a topic that triggers a strong emotional response for many people. Previously, Bishop Golka addressed “The Both/And of Immigration.”  In this issue he writes about the Church’s take on the common good. I’d like to share how Catholic Charities of Central Colorado works toward the common good and to dispel some myths about the work we do.

Our clothing tells the stories of our lives. Shirts from family reunions, high school bands, sports teams, and the resale shop stir our memories and declare to the world who we are and whence we came.  Whether deliberately or accidentally, our clothes become outward signs to the world of the ways we wish to label ourselves.

Gardening in containers is an excellent choice for almost every gardener.  Containers can be used in many places — a large patio, or a small patio, a bare spot or a shared spot. Containers are especially great for parishioners with limited space and where traditional gardens are not possible. Those of us who live in apartments or are renting have the perfect solution in container gardening. They also work beautifully in areas that have poor soil or if there aren’t any means to do landscaping and upkeep.

We have entered into the season of Lent, when we are called to practice more intensely the disciplines of prayer, fasting and almsgiving. In the prayer department, we can be greatly aided by books that help us to meditate on Christ’s passion and death. Below are several suggestions:

The highly anticipated holy days of Christmas have passed, our homes have been blessed and our sins have been confessed. We are now in the onset of ordinary time.