One of Gerard Manley Hopkins, S.J.’s greatest poems is entitled, “The Wreck of the Deutschland”. The poem recalls a shipwreck in the North Sea in 1875. Among the victims were five Franciscans sisters on the way to the missions to teach. As the ship was sinking they sacrificed their lives by remaining below the deck. Hopkins was so inspired by the story that he wrote a poem about the experience. The last line reads, “Let Him Easter in us, be a dayspring to the dimness of us.”
What strikes me is that Hopkins uses Easter not as a noun but a verb. Easter is something we do, think and feel. So let Jesus Easter in all of us as we live stewardship. Let Jesus Easter in our candidates – Mora, Kristel, Andrew, Michael and Alexia. Let Him Easter in our young missionaries preparing for their trip to Jamaica. Let Him Easter in our church as we seek to repent from the sexual abuse crisis. Let Him Easter in our world as we turn away from violence to commit ourselves to peace. I cannot believe that this is my fifth Easter here at St. Luke’s. Thanks to all of you for your enduring faith in the Resurrection. I am confident in the God who calls us all to new life in His Son.
Fr. Bob Hawkins
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Father Bob Hawkins has been writing Ponderings in the Parish Bulletin since his arrival at St. Luke's Parish in the summer of 2005. This Blog is a collection of those writings. Posted with technical assistance by St. Luke's Webmaster
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About St. Luke's Parish
St. Luke's Parish is an active Roman Catholic community located in Barrington, RI. Originally established as a Mission Parish in 1936, St. Luke’s has grown to include over 1,700 registered families. St. Luke’s School offers K-8 Christian education, teaching a way of life where faith permeates every discipline in the curriculum. St. Luke’s also operates a pre-school. Copyright 2006-2007, St. Luke's Church Corporation all rights reserved.
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April is Prevent Child Abuse Month, a time for each of us to acknowledge our duty to protect children from sexual abuse and exploitation at the hands of adults. Would you please include a prayer for protection of children from harm and the healing of children who have suffered sexual abuse in the liturgy in the prayers of the faithful. During this month, please pray upon the numbers of children affected, many of whom sit in the pews of St. Luke's, and join them in solidarity against the sin of sexual abuse of children, and in commitment to care for and pray for survivors. Thank you.
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