Five Ways – April 21

April 27, 2021

Many thanks for your prayers for our superior general, Fr. Louie Lougen, O.M.I. Thanks be to God, he has recovered from his diverticulitis operation and returns to our headquarters in Rome on May 2. He has been a breath of fresh air at our residence here since his arrival on Oct. 9. We will miss him.

It was he who discovered a copy here of Madeleine Delbrel’s We, the Ordinary People of the Streets, selections from which I’m putting up on the Mission-Unity-Dialogue website (www.harrywinter.org), Family/Laity page. And he gave me much material for the article in our March 25 e-letter and posted on our Oblate national website, which explained Oblate leadership in the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, www.omiusa.org, posted March 24 and also available on the home page of MUD.

As we leave the ecstatic joy of Easter and prepare for the coming of the great Evangelizer on Pentecost, the Holy Spirit, let us remember the words of Scripture scholar Dr. Jaime Waters regrading the readings for Easter: “These texts remind us that Christian witness is not just about recognizing the empty tomb; it is a call to action. When Mary encounters the empty tomb, she tells others who come to believe (beloved disciple) and seek to understand (Peter). As we enter this Easter season, we should be mindful of how our lives reflect our witness to the risen Christ. Our actions should reveal faith in Christ and understanding of the Gospel, which can inspire others to believe” (America, April, 2021, p. 62).

Let us remember that May is the month of Mary, who is a model of evangelization. Her only purpose in life was to lead people to Jesus. I am sure that after the Resurrection of her Son, she led as a Jewish mother would, keeping the Apostles in line.

May our Easter joy continue as we join St. Augustine and others in shouting: “We are Easter People, and Alleluia is our song!”

In Christ’s love,

Fr. Harry Winter, O.M.I.