3:15) List your reason for hope: In a prayerful way, list the reasons you can hope in your life: recovery from sickness, or a job that provides for your needs, or I wonder if there has ever been a year when we needed friends who support you, and most of all your faith! Easter more? The global pandemic and the political How do these support you? Post this list on the divisions, their effect on our economy and the sense of refrigerator or in a place where all can see it. Little by worry and dread that have accompanied them have little you will find that the hope you name is the hope taken their toll. At the same time, the warming of the you can bear in your heart and share with others. Spring, the presence of a vaccine, and a wonderful determination to simply get on with our lives and not The week after Easter is a very special one in the be defeated have carried us through. Even as we are Church. Every single day is a Solemnity, a day when aware of a rise in COVID cases in our community, our we celebrate with great joy. It is a week of “Sundays” hope for recovery continues to grow, ever cautiously, which express our great joy in the resurrection. I invite we move forward, one step at a time. you to renew that joy by rediscovering the peaceful and joy filled celebration on Daily Mass. Monday: 6:00 I imagine that may have been how Jesus left the tomb. pm at Sacred Heart, Grosse Ile; Tuesday and Thursday: One step at a time. Like someone taking their first 9:00 am at St. Cyprian, Riverview. First Friday masses cautious steps out of the house after quarantine, or a are at Noon at Sacred Heart, with Anointing of the child learning to walk, or someone healing after knee Sick. At St. Joseph in Trenton, daily mass is celebrated surgery, we continue to walk one step at a time, now Tuesday and Friday at 8:30 am. allowing despair or fear to stop us from continuing our journey toward eternal life. The hope that sustains us May this Easter be for you and your loved ones, and is found in Easter: in Jesus Christ who continually for all of us, a new discovery of the hope we share makes himself present to us in the Eucharist, which we because Jesus Christ has risen from the dead and has celebrated on Holy Thursday, who conquered sin and brought us with him in baptism! death forever on the cross as we celebrated on Good Friday, and in the Risen Lord who awakes us sleepers with the bright light of his resurrection. For every week of Easter, I will share an act of Easter hope and joy we can engage in to express and strengthen our Easter Faith. This week, I invite you to sit down alone, or with your family and make a list of the reasons you have to keep hoping! St. Peter wrote “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,” (1 Peter ST. CYPRIAN PARISH PAGE 2 RIVERVIEW, MICHIGAN from our Director of Evangelization & Adult Faith Formation The Sacrament of Baptism Through Holy Baptism, the believer is configured to Jesus Christ and sealed, in an permanent manner, by the Holy Spirit. It is this death to self and new life in Christ that Catholics call to remembrance every time they walk into a Church and cross themselves with holy water. It is a reminder that every Catholic, via his or her holy Baptism, is called to keep the faith and to evangelize the world. To understand and take seriously the Sacrament of Holy Baptism is to understand and take seriously the call to be a committed disciple of Jesus Christ. The Baptism of Infants at St. Cyprian Church We’re receiving many inquiries about infant Baptism at our parish and the requirements that are needed to be met in order to schedule a Baptism. What a great joy to have so many new, young Celebrate! families joining our parish community Happy Easter! Christ is Risen! Christ is here. Christ is and desiring to live out their Catholic within us. Because of the resurrection of Christ, we faith with grace, faith and active can be forgiven and have eternal life. participation within a parish community! If you’re Easter is a time of celebration! It is God’s greatest act interested in having your infant or children baptized of love for us. Through faith, we can see, think, and there are the two necessary steps to take: act differently. Doing so comes with a choice, a First Step –Baptismal Prep Session – Schedule an decision we work on daily. Christ living within us initial session with me to discuss your family shows us that we are all much more than the way we background, faith life and the Sacrament of Baptism. see ourselves. We have been given gifts and a purpose Sessions can be scheduled for mornings and afternoons from God to share with this world. Tuesday thru Thursday via Zoom or in person. Second Step – Attend the “Understanding & An Easter Prayer Celebrating New Life through Baptism” session on Good and gracious God, Saturday, April 10 at 3:00 pm in the church. Fr. Marc Our most glorious Creator, Gawronski and I will be in attendance to meet all the As we greet the signs in nature around us: families, Godparents and individuals personally and Of Spring once again regaling us in bloom, discuss the Sacrament of Baptism within the holy In the songs of returning birds and fields Mass and how the baptismal mission is to be lived out soon to be planted, within your family. There will also be time available We give you praise for an even greater sign for all of the families to meet each other and enjoy of new life: the resurrection of your Son, light refreshments in the social hall. May we imitate the life of Jesus in reaching out to the poor, the marginalized, the least among us, Both of these steps need to be completed before you as we strive to be neighbor to all those we meet. can schedule your infant's baptism at the parish. We praise you in this Easter season. Change our lives, Please note Fr. Marc currently alternates weekend's change our hearts to be messengers serving at another parish. Please be sure to select a of Easter joy and hope. weekend when he will be at St Cyprian parish to We make our prayer through Jesus Christ, baptize your infant/child. our risen Lord forever. Denise Gorski Amen. Director of Evangelization & Adult Faith Formation Thanks be to God. 734-283-1366 x112 ■ [email protected] Kim Switzer, Director of Christian Service View this bulletin online at www.DiscoverMass.com Easter Sunday PAGE 3 April 4, 2021 Part of my job involves making difficult decisions that are not The Gospel of John always popular. But I am forced proclaims many personal by my responsibilities to consider encounters with the Risen the bigger picture. In the midst of Lord, especially those of their disappointment, sometimes Mary Magdalene and the people lose perspective and sometimes they are not kind. first disciples. The mission Doing what is right is not always easy, but it is of Mary Magdalene and the necessary, and I often remind myself that my role is just disciples is in essence our one thread in a tapestry of which I will never see the complete picture on this earth. It is faith that sustains me mission too: to proclaim the through these difficult times. power of the Resurrection of Jesus over sin and death This year, Holy Week has been particularly resonant in and the transforming power my life. The personal sacrifice Jesus made for the of his love to change hearts greater good of mankind was beyond difficult. We have and lives, for those who little control over what happens to us in our lives, but we seek him and believe in him. Only a personal encounter have absolute control over how we respond. And so I with Jesus can lead a person to belief in the Resurrection. choose to embrace life even as I acknowledge death and When our hearts and lives are grounded in the love of suffering. Easter is the reminder that we as Christians Jesus, we are sent forth to boldly and joyfully proclaim in need to look at the bigger picture: that nothing is as important as how we treat one another. The power of the power of the Holy Spirit that we too have seen the forgiveness is truly awesome! Lord and bear testimony to our personal encounter of him. In our relationship with Jesus we continue to Blessings to you this Easter Season, experience an ever deepening love that becomes more Denise Traeder, Director of Finance & Administration vibrant and enduring throughout our lives. Our love is in response to his and it compels us to bear witness about A New Year him. I look forward to spring almost as much as the new Church year. We have had some difficult struggles this May you be filled with joy, love and the peace of Jesus past year but I feel the pain of those times have passed. this Easter season and celebrate the triumph of his Not to say we don’t have to be proactive — just that Resurrection! Jesus has opened up the way to eternal life Jesus’ resurrection shines with the hope we have all with the Father and the enemy has been defeated.