GROW AS A DISCIPLE, PRAY, STUDY, ENGAGE, SERVE
Happy Easter! You have heard the statement: “ The only certain things in life are death and taxes.” It’s not true. Yes, death is certain, but taxes are not. Some people avoid them. More importantly, just as death is certain, so it is certain that each one of us will rise from the grave, on the word of those who saw Him, talked with him, even ate with Him after He rose. Yes, there are two certain facts – death and resurrection, resurrection to a never-ending life which Christ promises to all who follow Him. We are people of the resurrection. Easter people. People of hope. People carrying within us, and into the world, the light of Christ. This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad. Today’s readings invite us to see both the secular and the sacred with new eyes. The fact that Jesus took on our humanity, died, and rose again gives us a glimpse of the joy that awaits. The simple pleasures we experience at Easter and throughout the year hint at what the Lord has in mind for all of us. In the meantime, we can turn to Jesus for encouragement, with the knowledge that God is present in the ordinary and extraordinary people and events in our daily lives.
GO EVANGELIZE PRAYER, INVITATION, WITNESS, ACCOMPANIMENT
After Mary Magdalene discovers the empty tomb, Simon Peter and “the other disciple” (John) don’t walk – but run to the tomb. I’m struck by the detailed account that follows. Peter “saw the burial cloths there, and the cloth that had covered his head, not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place.” The words that follow seem contradictory: “Then the other disciple also went in, the one who had arrived at the tomb first, and he saw and believed. For they did not yet understand the Scripture that he had to rise from the dead.” Their understanding would grow in the hours and days that followed. These early witnesses would then share the Good News of Jesus’ resurrection, often at the cost of their own lives, building up the Church that endures today. Like the disciples, we, too, are commissioned to witness our faith in the risen Jesus, sharing this life-changing reality with others through our words and actions.
PRAY
As this Easter season begins, we celebrate Christ’s triumph over death, yet mourn that death still comes so violently for so many around the world. Make an extra effort – an extraordinary effort – this week to pray for peace in the world.