Easter power
The story is told about a father who brought his son to church to attend Mass. The little boy had many questions about the rituals and the movements of the priest, and the father patiently explained everything to him. During the homily which kept on and on, the little boy saw the priest look at his watch and asked his father what that meant. His exasperated reply was, “It means nothing, son, nothing at all,” even as the priest rambled on and on.
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The Holy Week has come and gone and, sad to say, for some it meant nothing at all. In today’s Gospel (John 20:1-9), the disciples saw an empty tomb, and their whole lives took on a new meaning from then on. The Resurrection was the pivotal event that changed their lives forever. The Resurrection gave them power and strength, and transformed them from timid and fearful cowards to dedicated and committed disciples. Does the Resurrection mean anything at all in your life? Does the Resurrection move you and empower you?
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Death is defined as “turning off the light because the dawn has come.” (Leon Jaworski). Sir Walter Scott calls it “not the last sleep, but the final awakening.” For us Christians, death is not the graduation but a commencement. Just the thought that death is not a closure but an opening is a tremendous source of hope. In effect, what a Christian is saying is: Because of the Resurrection, I can forego the junk food now; after all, there is a healthy meal that awaits me at home. I can sacrifice the NOW because I know there is a LATER.
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“They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don’t know where they put Him.” This best describes what happens to many of us: after we spent some holy moments with the Lord during the Holy Week, we don’t know where to put Him when we go back to our ordinary weeks. In the Holy Week, we put Him in the center of our hearts, but after that, He is nowhere in our sight.
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Easter gives us hope. Easter should also make us agents of hope and joy. We often forget this mission to witness to the Risen Lord because we are so entombed in our own problems and concerns. A joyful person empowered by the Risen Lord is one who says: “Hey, look! I have big problems, but my God is bigger than my problems! I have sins and failures, but my God is a God who loves me and forgives.” More than ever, we need joyful people who continue to point to the Risen Lord.
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On a personal note, the Resurrection gives meaning to what I do in life. I chose the life of a priest to serve God’s people. Part of the choice is giving up things and people I could have and hold in this world. Part of the choice, too, is going beyond my personal needs and agenda to respond to people’s needs and to do God’s agenda; and all these I do joyfully, humbly, and gratefully, because the Resurrection is not some event that happened 2,000 years ago, but a power, a force in my life now.
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Just a thought: There were people who were with you this Holy Week and who may not be with you anymore next Holy Week. In fact, you and I are not sure if we will still be around in Holy Week 2027. This brings us again to a perennial reminder: Do not postpone your conversion, and, do not postpone your loving.
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If we are experiencing confusion and divisions in our country, and even in the Church, right now on sociopolitical issues, let us remember that there was also a lot of the same that first Easter morning. The experience is a sign that we are growing, and that a new day is dawning. Through it all let us remember what St. Augustine said: “Unity in essentials; respect in doubtful matters; love in all things.” And please don’t forget hope. Yes, there is hope at hand. There is hope for our world and our land.
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Remember the story about Joseph of Arimathea? When asked why he allowed Jesus to be buried in the tomb which he owned, his answer was: “I was told by the disciples, that he was just going to use it for the weekend!” Let’s celebrate Easter not just this weekend but every day, until our life ends.
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Beyond Easter bunnies, let us be Easter persons! Let us continue to give love, hope, peace, and joy in a world so burdened with sufferings, uncertainties, fear, war, and divisions. Let each one of us continue to be burning Easter candles in a world so full of darkness, unbelief, and sin. “May the darkness of sin and the night of unbelief vanish before the light of the Word and Spirit of Grace, and may the heart of Jesus live in the hearts of all.” (St. Arnold Janssen, SVD)
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A moment with the Lord:
Lord, may Easter power change and move us on. Amen.
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momentswithfrjerry@gmail.com
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