“Why do you seek the living one among the dead?  He is not here, but he has been raised”. (Lk. 24:5-6)

The Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ is the essence, the pillar of our faith.  If Christ had not been raised, our faith would be in vain, Saint Paul says.  We would be the most wretched people.  As a triumph of good over evil, the resurrection of Jesus grants new life of grace beyond death, thanks to God’s love and compassion for us sinners.  Jesus conquered death in Him and promised us the same:

“Whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live” (Jn. 11:25)

What does resurrection means for Jesus to grant ever-lasting life to us mortal beings?  How are we involved in the mystery of Jesus’ resurrection?

Resurrection is not like when we revive someone.  Instead of being a kind of reanimation, it is a mystery of transformation of mortal body into a glorified body in God through the power of the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Scriptures can help us “understand” a bit of this mystery.  However, it seems to me that something is missing in the resurrection narratives in the four gospels.  It is written that after His death on the cross, Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus in John’s gospel took the body of Jesus. They bound it with burial cloths along with spices, according to the Jewish burial customs.  They laid Him in a rock-hewn tomb in which no one had yet been buried, they rolled a huge stone across the entrance to the tomb and departed.  On the first day of the week, according to the gospel of John, Mary of Magdala went to the tomb early in the morning and saw the stone removed from the tomb.  According to the synoptic gospels, Mary Magdalene and other women not only found the stone rolled away from the tomb but also the angels said to them, Jesus the crucified “has been raised”.  All talk about the resurrection is in the past.  What happened in the present is missing. 

What did happen the-time-between the moment they closed the tomb with the stone and the moment Mary Magdalene found the stone removed from the tomb in John’s gospel?  What did happen the-time-between the moment they closed the tomb with the stone and the moment the angels said to the women, “he has been raised” in the synoptic gospels?  The four gospels are silent about the-time-between both moments.  They mystery of resurrection lies there.

No one was there except God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.  Is it possible to have an idea of what happened even if nobody was there?

The book of Genesis can help us to have an idea of it, just like the same book gives us an idea of the beginning of the creation even though no human being was present.  When God created heaven and earth, there was darkness over the deep.  God who Himself is light said “Let there be light”, and the light appeared.  The original darkness could not prevent the light, the first creation of God, shinning on.  However, human beings brought the darkness back over God’s creation because of sin.  God so loved the world that he sent His Son to set us free from the darkness of sin and death.  As we sinners can be allergic to light, we crucified the light of the world and laid Him as a prisoner of the darkness of the tomb.  Nevertheless, just like the original darkness could not prevent the light, the first creation of God, shinning on, the darkness of the tomb could not stop the light of the world, Jesus, who is light from light.  Nothing can take away Jesus’ victory over the darkness of death.  How are we involved in the mystery of such a victory?

Since the day of our baptism, we have received not only the same Holy Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead but also the light of the Risen Lord. Let us keep the light alive, radiant in the brightness of our Lord.  This is the light that will prevent us from staying prisoner of the darkness of the tomb.  It will help us to overcome death, to see God who is light, and live with Him forever.

Fraternally Yours, 
Rev. Fr. Godfrey Musabe

The post Chaplin Report May 2020 – He is Truly Risen Alleluia Alleluia appeared first on Lynn Knights of Columbus.

“Why do you seek the living one among the dead?  He is not here, but he has been raised”. (Lk. 24:5-6)

The Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ is the essence, the pillar of our faith.  If Christ had not been raised, our faith would be in vain, Saint Paul says.  We would be the most wretched people.  As a triumph of good over evil, the resurrection of Jesus grants new life of grace beyond death, thanks to God’s love and compassion for us sinners.  Jesus conquered death in Him and promised us the same:

“Whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live” (Jn. 11:25)

What does resurrection means for Jesus to grant ever-lasting life to us mortal beings?  How are we involved in the mystery of Jesus’ resurrection?

Resurrection is not like when we revive someone.  Instead of being a kind of reanimation, it is a mystery of transformation of mortal body into a glorified body in God through the power of the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Scriptures can help us “understand” a bit of this mystery.  However, it seems to me that something is missing in the resurrection narratives in the four gospels.  It is written that after His death on the cross, Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus in John’s gospel took the body of Jesus. They bound it with burial cloths along with spices, according to the Jewish burial customs.  They laid Him in a rock-hewn tomb in which no one had yet been buried, they rolled a huge stone across the entrance to the tomb and departed.  On the first day of the week, according to the gospel of John, Mary of Magdala went to the tomb early in the morning and saw the stone removed from the tomb.  According to the synoptic gospels, Mary Magdalene and other women not only found the stone rolled away from the tomb but also the angels said to them, Jesus the crucified “has been raised”.  All talk about the resurrection is in the past.  What happened in the present is missing. 

What did happen the-time-between the moment they closed the tomb with the stone and the moment Mary Magdalene found the stone removed from the tomb in John’s gospel?  What did happen the-time-between the moment they closed the tomb with the stone and the moment the angels said to the women, “he has been raised” in the synoptic gospels?  The four gospels are silent about the-time-between both moments.  They mystery of resurrection lies there.

No one was there except God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.  Is it possible to have an idea of what happened even if nobody was there?

The book of Genesis can help us to have an idea of it, just like the same book gives us an idea of the beginning of the creation even though no human being was present.  When God created heaven and earth, there was darkness over the deep.  God who Himself is light said “Let there be light”, and the light appeared.  The original darkness could not prevent the light, the first creation of God, shinning on.  However, human beings brought the darkness back over God’s creation because of sin.  God so loved the world that he sent His Son to set us free from the darkness of sin and death.  As we sinners can be allergic to light, we crucified the light of the world and laid Him as a prisoner of the darkness of the tomb.  Nevertheless, just like the original darkness could not prevent the light, the first creation of God, shinning on, the darkness of the tomb could not stop the light of the world, Jesus, who is light from light.  Nothing can take away Jesus’ victory over the darkness of death.  How are we involved in the mystery of such a victory?

Since the day of our baptism, we have received not only the same Holy Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead but also the light of the Risen Lord. Let us keep the light alive, radiant in the brightness of our Lord.  This is the light that will prevent us from staying prisoner of the darkness of the tomb.  It will help us to overcome death, to see God who is light, and live with Him forever.

Fraternally Yours, 
Rev. Fr. Godfrey Musabe

The post Chaplin Report May 2020 – He is Truly Risen Alleluia Alleluia appeared first on Lynn Knights of Columbus.

Hello Brother Knights,

Hello to all my Brother Knights. I hope everyone is safe and healthy. I know it’s a hard time right now but we will all get through this. In no time we will be back having fun and doing our charitable work down at the Knights. I will say doing zoom calls with family and friends have been nice. It’s funny through this I think I’m talking to some of my family and friends more than ever. I hope you are all staying busy and getting things done. 

As Grand Knight it has been one of my greatest pleasures to watch the council send donations to the multiple charities in our community. The council sends the donations from our charitable Bingo program. Unfortunately during this Covid-19 pandemic we have had to shut down this Bingo program so we have been unable to send our normal charitable donations. We know that many in our community have also been forced to make these tough decisions as well. Schools are closed for the rest of the year, restaurants can only serve delivery and take-out, and most churches have to close their doors. We have been unable to make our normal charitable donations because we simply do not have the funds. 

The reason I am writing to you is to ask for your support. The council officers have decided to try to raise some funds so that we can continue to support charities that are in desperate need. If you can make a donation to the Lynn Knights of Columbus it would be greatly appreciated. Donations of any size are helpful. We understand that many people are suffering at this time and that not all will be able to support this cause financially, so we also ask for your prayers. 

The money raised will be used to support charities that we normally donate to such as my Brother’s Table and the five Lynn parishes. The officers will determine how exactly to disperse the donation and will give an account of all funds raised and dispersed to the membership. In order to donate go to lynnkofc.com/support.  Thank you for your support. We look forward to reopening our doors and seeing each other in person. Please stay safe and healthy and see you soon.

The Cornhole Tournament was postponed to the future. If you have any questions please contact  DD Tito Cabrera eltito27@gmail.com 781-248-1286.

Please all stay safe and healthy. God Bless you all.

Fraternally Yours,
GK Robert MacIsaac

The post Grand Knight Report May 2020 appeared first on Lynn Knights of Columbus.

Brother Knights,

I hope you are doing well during this trying time. As Grand Knight it has been one of my greatest pleasures to watch the council send donations to the multiple charities in our community. The council sends the donations from our charitable Bingo program. Unfortunately during this Covid-19 pandemic we have had to shut down this Bingo program so we have been unable to send our normal charitable donations. We know that many in our community have also been forced to make these tough decisions as well. Schools are closed for the rest of the year, restaurants can only serve delivery and take-out, and most churches have to close their doors. We have been unable to make our normal charitable donations because we simply do not have the funds. 

The reason I am writing to you is to ask for your support. The council officers have decided to try to raise some funds so that we can continue to support charities that are in desperate need. If you can make a donation to the Lynn Knights of Columbus it would be greatly appreciated. Donations of any size are helpful. We understand that many people are suffering at this time and that not all will be able to support this cause financially, so we also ask for your prayers. 

The money raised will be used to support charities that we normally donate to such as my Brother’s Table and the five Lynn parishes. The officers will determine how exactly to disperse the donation and will give an account of all funds raised and dispersed to the membership. In order to donate go to lynnkofc.com/support.  Thank you for your support. We look forward to reopening our doors and seeing each other in person. Please stay safe and healthy and see you soon.

Fraternally Yours,

GK Robert MacIsaac

The post Grand Knight Letter appeared first on Lynn Knights of Columbus.

“Spare your people, Lord! Do not let your heritage become a disgrace, why should they say among the peoples, “Where is their God?”

Abba Father, are You not seeing all Your churches and places of worship being closed throughout the world? Are You not aware that the world You gave us is becoming so boring and uninhabitable? Where are You, Lord? Are You not seeing your people becoming strangers in their own communities? How can we sing your praises in this strange land where even the good men and women have become prisoners in their homes? “For both prophet and priest ply their trade throughout the land, and have no knowledge” (Jer. 14:18). Yes Lord, you never cease to call us to love You our Lord and our neighbor as we love ourselves, how can we do so in the context where our neighbor has become a potential danger, a threat against life? We do know who to turn to.

In our deepest despair and doubt, Matthew reminds us of the words Jesus: “Behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age” (Mt. 28:20). While we are weeping because of all those people who have died of COVID-19, John reminds us Your Son’s words to Martha: “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (Jn. 11:25-26). The challenge of life, especially during this public health crisis, shakes our belief. Yes Lord, we believe, help our unbelief.

Our prayers remind us again and again that You, our Lord and God are so close to us. You are still present in our midst even when you seem to be “absent”. Your absence-present or Your presence-absent reveals your visible and invisible being beyond our understanding. We thank
You, Lord for coming to our rescue when we walk in the valley of doubt, fear, anxiety, and death and miss your presence. Your Son cried on the cross. “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mk. 15:34). But on the third day, You raised Him from the dead. Yes, challenges can and do happen in our lives but God never abandons us. In your absence-present or your presence-absent you are not “silent”. Your “silence” is so eloquent that it warms our faith and trust in you alone.

On March 25th , we celebrated the Annunciation of the Lord. In your silence you sent angel Gabriel who made it very clear that with God all things are possible. We thank you for teaching us to work together for the wellbeing of every human being in this world as we are all interconnected. We are all brothers and sisters, one family of God.

Fr. Godfrey Musabe, Chaplain

The post Chaplin’s Report April – Where Are You God, Why Are You “Silent”? – Chaplin Report appeared first on Lynn Knights of Columbus.

Hello Brother Knights,

Hello to all my Brother Knights. This Grand Knight report is going to be the hardest one to write. We are living in unprecedented times right now. Some people are scared, some people are not caring at all, but one thing that is true is to pay attention to the CDC guidelines and what the Government puts out. The Corona virus has affected all of us in so many different ways. As a council I want to apologies to anyone affected by us shutting down operations. It was a necessity. So that means no Bingo, no events and even no members nights for the foreseeable future. I just want to say I hope everyone is staying safe and taking the precautions necessary to stay safe. I pray for all of you and hopefully we will be back to normal business as soon as possible. If you have any questions feel free to email me robert.macisaac1@gmail.com.

My Father (Outside Guard Peter MacIsaac) and I would like to thank all the Brother Knights who came to my sweet sister Sarah’s wake or funeral or both. It meant the world to both of us and it would’ve meant the world to her. To Ladies Auxiliary as well thank you so much. She was so proud to be part of your organization. As Grand Knight and her brother I want to thank you for welcoming her with open arms. Sarah meant everything to me. She was the one who was most proud of me and pushed me to be great. So in her honor I’m going to try and continue that. She will be missed.

Obviously the Irish Night was cancelled but I still want to thank PGK Charlie Rowe for how he was going to put that on and thank you to PGK Salvy for getting all the people to come. The Cornhole Tournament was postponed to the future. If you have any questions please contact  DD Tito Cabrera eltito27@gmail.com 781-248-1286.

Please all stay safe and healthy. God Bless you all.

Fraternally Yours,
GK Robert MacIsaac 

The post GK Report April appeared first on Lynn Knights of Columbus.

Hello Brother Knights,

I hope everyone is staying warm this winter. Spring should be right around the corner soon. I’m happy the Celtics are having a great season so far. Happy Birthday to all Brother Knights in February and March. This month was 40 years since the “Miracle on Ice”. Does anyone know who the USA beat in the final? Everyone remembers the USA vs. USSR. Hope all that are away to Florida and other spots are having a great time and we can’t wait to have you all back. Congratulations to PGK Michael Phelps for getting Knight of the Month. Thank you for all your help and all you do for our council.

This month of February was very busy. It started with the first open house at the Knights of Columbus. It was a success. We got 8 new members to join even on Super Bowl Sunday. The Ladies Auxiliary got about 6 new members. Welcome to all the new members. Come down and be active in your council. Thank you DD Tito Cabrera, PGK Charlie Rowe, DGK Matthew Harrington, Outside Guard Peter MacIsaac, Recorder John Sumares, Sarah MacIsaac and Connie Pacheco for all your hard work.

On the 8th we had the Clergy Night. This is a great event where we honor our clergy. Thank you PGK Brian Magrane for running this event and all your hard work. Thank you to PGK Michael Phelps for cooking a great dinner. Also thank you to all the servers for helping out.

On the 15th we had our annual Free Throw Championship. All the children participating had a lot of fun. We had 3 winners come out of the district. Thank you to PGK, Charlie Rowe, Chris Rowe, Sarah MacIsaac, Michael Scarlata, Outside Guard Peter MacIsaac, PGK Pat Gecoya and Tom Danato for helping out at this great event. 

On the 29th we had a great concert featuring The SunDogs. They played some great classic rock. Thanks to them for doing that for us and for charity. Thank you DD Tito Cabrera for getting the food. I hope all had a lot of fun.

We have a few upcoming events. On March 14th at 6pm we are having the Irish Night run by PGK Charlie Rowe. It is $25 per person. We are having a boiled dinner. For tickets see PGK Charlie Rowe or PGK Sal Tavranese. We are also having a Corn Hole Tournament. It will be on March 22nd at 1pm bags fly at 2pm. Early bird registration is $40 a team before 3/15 then $50 a team at the door. To register contact DD Tito Cabrera eltito@gmail.com/ 781-248-1286.

Fraternally Yours,
GK Robert MacIsaac

The post GK Report March appeared first on Lynn Knights of Columbus.

“Teach us to count our days aright, that we may gain Wisdom of heart” (Ps. 90:12).

On Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, the Church all over the world dispenses ashes. The ritual goes with the sentence, “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return” (This sentence was dropped after many faithful Christians complained that the statement is scary for them, that it is mean, and it talks about death) or “Repent, and believe in the Gospel”. Why should we be reminded that we are dust and to dust we shall return? What does it mean to repent and believe in the Gospel?

“No man can ransom even a brother, or pay to God his own ransom. The redemption of his soul is costly; and he will pass away forever” (Ps. 49:8-9). All life is mortal by nature. Despite the obviousness of our mortality, we still struggle for life. For example we see many people dying and leaving their wealth to others. Some students die unexpectedly after graduation without even using their degree they worked hard to achieve. However, some people continue to fight each other for wealth. Students are still working hard for graduation. No one stays home doing nothing and waiting for death. How can we justify such a motivation for living?

When a child becomes aware of his own being as a mortal being, he develops in his conscience or in his subconscious an idea that death is a reality for other as he cannot experience his own death as being dead. Although he is aware of his mortal being, a human being does not necessarily apprehend death as a mystery in which he is involved himself. He needs to be reminded of his own mortality as his only experience of death is the death of others. The idea of death as a reality for others has positive and negative implications. Without this idea, life would be gloomy. Everyone would stay in doing nothing while waiting for death. It is also
because of this idea that some people work only for their selfish interests or wealth like they will live on earth forever.

Beyond both implications, death is a kind of appointment no one can miss! By reminding us of our mortality, the purpose of the church is not to scare but to help us follow Jesus, the only one who accepted death so that we might all escape from dying and live forever in the sight of God our Father. Through our baptism, we already share in his Passion, Death, and Resurrection as he gave us power to become children of God. Nevertheless, this power did not take away our natural inclination to sin. That is why our mother Church is giving us the opportunity of Lent, a penitential period for Easter.

Lent is a journey of faith through prayer, penance, fasting, almsgiving…as we need, beyond the limit of our intellect, a strong faith to understand the Paschal Mysteries that impact our own mortal being. Even though we cannot fully understand the Paschal Mysteries, faith helps us to embrace the Risen Lord and share in His everlasting life. As a result, we believe that with death, life is changed not ended. Thanks to our sharing in the Paschal Mysteries, death becomes a springboard, a launch pad to new life of divine grace through Jesus, with Him, and in Him.

Fr. Godfrey Musabe
Chaplain, Knights of Columbus

The post Chaplin’s Report March – Ash and Death: Our Lenten Preparation appeared first on Lynn Knights of Columbus.