What do you think happens after death ? Are you one of those persons who believe that after death nothing follows. That all this talk about the soul living on after the body's demise is just a fairy tale. That sooner or later we will get "all dressed up with nowhere to go". Or are you a believer in "life after death". That a portion of a person's consciousness or 'being' survives physical death and that our existence here is just a temporary sojourn or even a 'test'.

This week, we are celebrating the Death and Passion of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Then come Sunday, we will be commemorating the single greatest event of the Christian World, the Resurrection of Jesus. Because of this, those who profess to be Christians are committed to believing that there is Life after Death. Furthermore, Christians believe in a Judgement Day, and in the reality of sin and also that Jesus died to save us from this reality. That all this effort we put in to become rich and powerful is really misguided. Jesus was a simple carpenter and he was tortured and put to death in the most humiliating manner imaginable.

If I'm uncharacteristically contemplative today, its because I'm putting you in the mood for our annual Recollection, to be handled by Fr. Pablo Garay of SVD. This is the second time, Fr. Garay will be speaking before us. Maybe we can invite him as a Speaker for a third time and after that induct him as a member. His sponsor then will be the entire Club, which I think has never happened before. At any rate, we could always use a man whose orientation is something other than the 'material'. Rotary after all is not just about furthering one's business or career but is primarily about 'Service above Self '.

SVD - (Latin) Societas Verbi Divini
            (English) Society of the Divine Word

• An international religious - missionary congregation of priests and brothers