“God raised him up and will also raise us up by his power!” Easter 2023

1 Corinthians 6:14

Dear Friends,

One of the many ways our faith is shared here at Christ the King occurs during the Prayers of Intercession
(Universal Prayer) at liturgy. Folks are open, even transparent, as they articulate the deepest needs of
their human hearts. Perhaps it is a sibling struggling through chemotherapy, or a child who has drifted
from the faith community and needs spiritual support. And one cannot help but be inspired when the
prayer is deep gratitude, saturated with vulnerability and reverence.

The Easter cycle is a good time to express our appreciation, not just for the gift of faith, but for all those
who nurture us along that journey. THANK YOU! Retreatants and donors have taught us in order to wrap
our minds and hearts around the mystery of Easter, we immerse ourselves in the various bible passages of
death and resurrection.

Here we see that resurrection is not resuscitation; it is not as if God the Father were pumping life back
into the crucified body of Jesus. NO, JESUS DOES NOT GO BACKWARDS. He doesn’t return to a
carpentry shop in Nazareth, nor a preaching and healing ministry along the shores of Galilee. He goes
through death — so profoundly — that when he comes out the other side, no one recognizes him.
Fisherman, other disciples like Cleopas, or Mary Magdalene — people who knew him deeply, worked with
him, prayed with him, and had meals with him, rubbing elbows with Our Lord on a daily basis; they
couldn’t recognize him because he was different.

We embrace that mystery of death and resurrection each day at the Retreat Center. So much has unfolded
in the recent past… removal of fallen trees and clean-up from the recent storms, repair of the bridges
within the Stations of the Cross, replacement of the sound system in the chapel, preparation for the dining
room exit door, mandated by the fire marshal. All these projects funded by the extraordinary generosity
of retreatants and donors! THANK YOU!

And so, through the darkness and chaos and the sadness, and through the delight of sacrificial giving, may
you come to experience the power of resurrection, the HOPE you so generously lavish upon others! Happy
Easter!

As you celebrate this Easter season, please prayerfully consider making a generous gift to Christ the King.
You can also make your donation online at www.christthekingretreatcenter.org.

Sincerely, in the Passion of Christ.

With much gratitude,

Fr. Jack Conley, CP            Natalie Svistoonoff
Director of Ministry           Executive Director

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