As today’s gospel reveals, the first meal shared with the
risen Lord happened in a place called Emmaus. Perhaps
there is no better time to reflect on this story than in those
prayerful moments at Mass when we return to our place
after receiving Holy Communion. Those few moments
give us an opportunity to reflect on our stewardship of
Christ’s presence within us. We have a chance to practice
hospitality by inviting Jesus into our hearts to walk and
talk with us about our own Emmaus journey. We can
relive once again the time when he broke bread for the
disciples. And just as they did, we too can recognize
Christ in this meal we have just shared with others.

Plastic is choking the earth. The reason, partly, is that we are not doing a very good job of recycling plastic containers. Less than 14 percent of plastic packaging is recycled. Earth Day 2023 will be celebrated on Saturday, April 22. This year’s theme is “Invest in Our Planet.” One way we can invest in our planet is by recycling plastic. In his ground-breaking encyclical Laudato Si (“Praise be to You”), Pope Francis urged humankind to exercise better stewardship of the earth. Subtitled “On Care of Our Common Home,” the pontiff’s letter called for a radical “ecological conversion” on the part of people the world over, and especially disciples of Jesus Christ, to honor and save our earth from degradation. One way we can be better stewards of the earth is to fight plastic pollution. Cheap, capable of being made into any conceivable shape, strong and durable, plastic is the wonder product of the modern world. However, the victim of this technological success appears to be much of life on earth. Almost 80% of the plastic produced since the 1950s has been thrown away, either into landfill sites or into the general environment. Ending plastic pollution was the focus of Earth Day 2018, the annual event celebrated on April 22 world-wide to raise awareness of ecological dangers and demonstrate support for protection of the global environment. But the call to end plastic pollution does not seem to have been heeded. Items like plastic packaging, bags and bottles are thrown away every day, and end up in trash sites as well as in forests, creeks, rivers, seas, and oceans around the world. While some of these items are recycled, the growth of plastic consumption and its improper disposal currently outpace efforts to recycle and produce post-consumer plastic materials. But plastic is more than just litter. A petroleum product, plastic is nonbiodegradable. And in reality, most plastic does not ever disappear, but becomes long-lasting “plastic dust”. When items like plastic bags break down, they readily soak up (and release) toxins that then contaminate soil and water, as well as harming animals that ingest plastic fragments. The increasing presence of plastic in our oceans poisons and ensnares marine life. Check your refrigerator. How much stuff in there is stored in plastic? Hazardous chemicals, some of which can disrupt human hormones, leach from some plastics that are used for food and beverage storage. Plastic is the basic material of our consumer world. Without it we wouldn’t enjoy the same standard of living or convenience. But if we take the Holy Father’s urgent pleas seriously, we should take seriously the issue of plastic contaminating and damaging our environment. For Christian stewards, it is a moral responsibility to confront this pollution. And become better stewards of the earth. Celebrate Earth Day 2023 by helping to curb plastic pollution.

In today’s first reading, the four activities of the earliest
church are introduced to us as priorities of the church:
devotion to the teachings of the apostles, communal
fellowship, the Eucharist and prayer. The early members
of the church saw themselves as devoted stewards of
these activities. These were not options. They were the
fruits of a genuine conversion to a life in Christ. Sharing
in the Eucharist was the most intimate expression of
fellowship, while the most common expression of
fellowship in the New Testament was that of sharing
financial resources – giving. It was not a perfect
community, but one that gave evidence of God’s active
presence in its midst. This early community offers us an
excellent example of how to better exercise stewardship
in our own parish families.

The reading from the Acts of the Apostles reminds us that
we, too, bear witness to the risen Lord. The presence
of Christ is within us, making us new, transforming us,
turning us into stewards of the Good News. There is no
more time for holding grudges, disliking others, seeking
vengeance, maintaining old prejudices, tolerating bias.
We are Christ’s joy and instruments of his peace. Our
world is reordered. Reflect on how we are called to let
Christ’s forgiveness, reconciliation and love per¬meate
our lives. We are Easter people. Rejoice! He is risen!
Alleluia!

In tonight’s reading from Saint Paul’s letter to the Romans,
we are reminded that we are alive in Christ. And it is not
merely once a year that we remember what Jesus did to
give us this new life, forgiveness and peace. Every day
good stewards remember their baptism. They remember
that they are united with Jesus in his death; that daily
they drown the old sinful nature, and that daily they
rise to their new life in Christ. Let us be mindful every
day, especially when we are troubled by life or tempted
by sin, that our lives are no longer about us, but about
Christ’s active, loving presence within us. That is our
baptism. Alleluia! He is risen!

For those who exercise good stewardship of their Catholic faith, this April is the happiest, most joyful of months for it ushers in the great Easter season – a season of profound hope and joy.
During the Easter season, which extends 50 days, from the Easter Vigil Mass of Saturday evening, April 8 to the Vigil Mass of Pentecost Sunday, on Saturday evening, May 27, Christian stewards are exhorted to celebrate and be joyful, for our Savior is with us.
In his apostolic exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium (“The Joy of the Gospel”), Pope Francis revealed that the best way to live out the joy of Easter is to become a genuine family of faith, an “evangelizing Church that comes out of herself.” He urged Catholics around the world to contemplate the mind of Jesus Christ and what it means to be the “light of Christ.” From there, Francis believed a spirituality of missionary discipleship could be cultivated that would “help the Church get out of herself “ and reach out to those who live in darkness.
At the Easter Vigil, all the great symbols are there: darkness, light, fire, water. The Vigil begins in darkness; not a darkness to be ignored, but a darkness in which we realize where we would be without the light of Christ, a darkness that reveals much about our world, our own sinfulness, the darkness that sometimes envelopes our own lives and even shrouds our own hearts. But then, the great fire of the Vigil is lit, a fire which consumes the darkness, and the procession into the church reminds us of the light and strength provided by the community of the faithful and the saving light of Christ. Indeed, Saint Paul maintains that we are stewards of this great light. We remember the waters of baptism during the Vigil as we renew our baptismal vows. The Vigil also brings into our community those newly baptized who proceed joyfully with us into April. As Christ’s disciples who exercise stewardship of Jesus’ teachings, come into the glory of this April, join with those apostles whose hearts were on fire, and contemplate the words of the risen Lord: “Your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father” (Matt. 5:16). For good stewards of their faith, this charge should be enough to bring hope and joy. Indeed, April is the most glorious of months. Christ is risen! Alleluia!