Greetings to all of you!
Happy Easter! I've been wanting to say that for over
5 weeks and now I am able to not only say it, but shout it from the rooftops! I'm
sure that for many of you Lent was not easy (especially if it's done right).
However, I think that the discipline of Lent makes us more aware of the
profound freedom that the Resurrection experience gives! It reminds us once
again that life really is eternal and that those
things we worry about in this life tend to be not
that important in relation to eternity. May this Easter experience bring you
joy not only today, but for the rest of the year until we celebrate it again!
Speaking of joy, the last fish fry held here at St.
Mark this lent was truly a miracle in that over 670 dinners were sold which is
a new record! When they started running out of fish during the latter part of
the evening, they came over and begged me to perform a miracle of multiplication.
I threw off my cloak and went over to the few remaining fish set out on the
table. Looking up to heaven and saying a prayer to the Father, miraculously
fish began dropping from the sky! There was so much fish that they began to
break the wooden baskets used to catch them all. After cooking these miraculous
fish, people commented that this fish was the best they have ever tasted! They wondered
why we kept the best tasting fish until now? I simply went back to my tent
praising God until they came back once again and said that they had run out of
wine. Well, I'm sure you know the rest of the story! Anyway, what a great time
these past weeks have been for our parish community and I thank the Knights of
Columbus and the Columbiettes for all their hard work and great tasting fish
and desserts! Incidentally, in a few short weeks the New Tampa Rotary will once
again put on the annual Pig Roast which benefits charities throughout the Tampa
One of those charities is the St. Vincent de Paul
Society which helps those in dire need in our New Tampa area. St. Mark is also
a beneficiary of ticket sales since we are providing the space for this great
event. For every ticket sold here from St. Mark, we will receive $5 from the
Rotary which will go into
our Capital Campaign fund for a new Church. So make
sure you buy your ticket here at St. Mark and help us build our Church! Well,
that is all for now. May God continue to bless you in this glorious Easter Season!
Peace,Fr. David
