“Good morning!” Of all the times we greet each other at the beginning of the day with a cordial “good morning” no other day is more fitting than Easter Sunday morning to say that it is good--a good morning!
Our valiant Lord Jesus, after a life of loving and giving and the ultimate sacrifice he made for us at his end, having offered up his own body as a sacrifice for our sins, on this one, blessed and particular morning, now rises victorious over death and fills us and heaven with joy. He is not dead, because God cannot die, and he naturally has power to even restore and glorify the human body he assumed so as to make himself more accessible to us.
Death, "his final enemy," as it is described in the New Testament, did not have the last say. He conquered it for us as well and we should think about this often. Is there any high-tech machine in today's world that our modern geniuses can come up with which can give us eternal life? Any machine which can keep us alive and healthy forever? We are still trying to find cures for malicious diseases like cancer.. but prolonging life to a “forever” status? We remember when Michael Jackson, God rest his soul, tried inventing a machine which would at least freeze and preserve his body until some future date in which he could be awakened--an impressive attempt for "prolonged life" in a way, but how frivolous in others, especially given the fact that when he closed his eyes in this life and opened them in the next, he must have then realized that all his worries to want to live longer must have been borne of a lack of faith. How silly everything else becomes in life, when we realize we should have listened to the words of the Saviour more, and built our lives around those words, instead of focusing and conditioning ourselves with our fears. Yet, it's a journey.
This is what our Lord did for us! He has given us the opportunity to make certain choices which will secure our presence with him in paradise, forever. To "believe in Him whom the Father has sent" (John 6:29) is one such, all-important, choice, but it's not so easy is it? Because, this belief requires trust, and trust comes when we put an effort into building and strengthening a relationship, much more, this first of all relationships with our Heavenly Father and Lord. The “machine which gives everlasting life” so to speak, is within our power, thanks to Jesus, and is now in our hands. We don't have to wait for someone to come up with this one masterpiece of engineering that would trump all other machines. Imagine the worth of such a mechanism, and yet that potential is already within us, for if we guard our faith and persevere to the end in our love for Jesus, he has promised us time without end in bliss and paradise... with Him, the Father, the Holy Spirit, all the angels and saints and souls and bodies of "the just made perfect" through his power and grace and loving mercy. It’s up to us to cooperate now with what Jesus suffered throughout his life but in particular during Holy Week and all the excruciating torments and cruelties he had to endure. As the expression goes; the ball's in our court as it all hinges on our response to the treasured gift beyond all gifts -- Jesus Christ.
Of the number of things that are sure in this life, two in particular here warrant mentioning: First of all, now that our Lord lives and reigns forever and has promised to return for the final judgement and to gather the elect to himself, we should pray that this happens in our lifetime and that we will be prepared should he come today. Secondly, if we breathe our last breath before that day, then too, we must be prepared. Either way, what we celebrate today is Jesus’ own victory over death but also what it means for us personally… that when the time comes for our passing from this life (however that will unfold) we will open our eyes on the other side… the eternal side, and stand before the One who has loved us from all eternity before whom there is no excuses. We will know then that all this time we were always his beautiful daughter, his precious son, whom he has and will always love. And then maybe we will regret not loving him more while we still had the chance.
Today’s readings are beautiful. Saint Mary Magdalene goes to the tomb and SURPRISE!!! Jesus is not there. Did he ever set her up for that when he handed her the ointment and told her to keep it for when she’ll need it to anoint his dead body. He was making of her an eyewitness to his resurrection. So too he is “setting us up” for wondrous things, unfathomable and unimaginable things in his own good time.
What is amazing is what we heard at the end of the gospel today: “For they did not yet understand the Scripture that he had to rise from the dead.” This seems to indicate that they had given more weight to their own interpretations of scripture than to the very words of Jesus himself. He had been telling them that he was going to rise after three days and still they struggled to believe it or understand it. We probably would have done the same. All of this was excitingly, but confoundingly new. We also need to be humble if we are to eventually grasp the full meaning and impact of Jesus risen from the dead. Something new is happening, and Saint Paul in the second reading encourages us to get rid of the old parts of us that keep us attached to this world. He tells us to think of above, and not of that which comes from the world, for the world is fading away. If we notice, Saint Peter also in the first reading is merely giving to his listeners a testimony of what he witnessed. He speaks about how he knew Jesus while he was still ministering to the public in good deeds of holiness, and that after he was crucified, God raised him up on the third day and how they knew this because he appeared to them in their midst and they even ate with him during that time. Peter felt impelled to just tell the people how it happened, even if it sounded unbelievable to their ears. Peter knew he had been chosen to share this good news with others. So too, God has chosen each and every one of us to share what he has done in our lives… what we ourselves can witness to. May the Holy Spirit come to give us the courage to be Jesus’ resurrection people. Happy Easter!
Add comment
Comments