Chaplain’s Corner April ’26

What is your Alleluia?

Let’s take a closer look at what “Alleluia” means. In Psalm 150:6, we read, “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.” Whether you say Allelujah, Alleluia, or Hallelujah, each word carries the same message: “Praise the Lord.”

Each of us can bring our own meaning to “Alleluia.” How do you make it your own? Sometimes, finding your personal “Alleluia” can feel exciting and a little overwhelming at the same time.

If you ever feel overwhelmed, try thinking back to your own “Alleluia” moments. Maybe you felt close to the divine while watching a sunrise or sunset. Maybe it was the sound of your mother’s laughter, or the joy from your dog greeting you after a long day. Or perhaps it was enjoying a sweet, sun-warmed peach on a quiet summer afternoon. In these moments, you truly thanked and praised God for the present.

As you think about your “Alleluia” moments, notice how they make you feel. What smells do you remember? What sights make you smile? What sounds stay with you? Let these memories help you find your own meaning of “Alleluia.”

As you discover your own “Alleluia” moments, consider sharing them with those around you. When we share these moments together, we can encourage one another and strengthen the sense of community among us.

Wishing you grace, peace, and plenty of Alleluia,

Melissa McCoy

Maryville Chaplain

April Notes

Mass is open to residents, families and friends. It is offered at 10 a.m. in the Chapel Sunday to Friday. Residents and families can also tune to Maryville channel 63 to participate from their rooms.
Liturgical color – White in the Easter season / Purple during Lent / Red for Pentecost
April 1 – Passover
April 2 – Holy Thursday
April 3 – Good Friday (Jesus Crucified)
April 4 – Holy Saturday (Jesus Death)
April 5 – Easter (Jesus is Risen)
April 16 – Memorial of St. Bernadette
April 25 – Feast of St. Mark of the Evangelist
April 29 – Memorial of St. Catherine of Siena

Bible with wooden rosary and alpha omega lit candle

Eastertide

The 50 days from Easter to Pentecost, known as Eastertide, are a joyful time to celebrate the Resurrection and end with the coming of the Holy Spirit. During this season, the Easter candle, or Paschal candle, stays lit at church services to show that Christ is still present, guiding and bringing light to his followers.

To observe Eastertide, residents can take part in simple practices such as offering prayers of thanks each day, reading about the life of Jesus and the early church, or doing acts of kindness for others. Spending time with family, helping those in need, and sharing hope with others are ways to connect personally with the meaning of this season.

Here are a few Eastertide facts:

Pentecost, which falls on the 50th day, marks the end of the Easter season. It celebrates the Holy Spirit coming to the Apostles and is often called the “Birthday of the Church.”
The 50 days are sometimes called “a week of weeks.” This period is seen as a joyful and complete time to think about the Resurrection and the Church’s mission.
The Paschal candle is first lit at the Easter Vigil to show Christ’s light rising from the dead. It stays lit throughout Eastertide until Pentecost. On Pentecost, the candle is extinguished to mark the end of Jesus’s visible appearances after the Resurrection and the beginning of the Church’s mission in the world. For believers today, putting out the candle symbolizes being called to carry Christ’s light into everyday life, guided by the Holy Spirit, now that Jesus has returned to the Father.
The candle is a visual reminder of these 50 days, showing a time of grace, renewal, and the shift from Jesus’s Resurrection to the church being strengthened by the Holy Spirit.

In addition to celebrating the Resurrection, the Church dedicates April to the Holy Spirit and the Holy Eucharist.

“Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Your faithful and kindle in them the fire of Your love.

Send forth Your Spirit and they shall be created, and You shall renew the face of the earth.

Let us pray.

O God, Who have taught the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit, grant that in the same Spirit we may be truly wise and ever rejoice in His consolation.

Through Christ our Lord. Amen.”