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He has Risen Alleluia, Alleluia!
A most blessed Easter to all of you!
Because of our everyday distractions, not to mention the added attention on getting back to some kind of “normalcy” during our ongoing sheltering in place, it is easy to overlook the significance of Easter. This event is so important, so foundational, for the meaning of our Faith the Church celebrates Easter “day” for 8 full days! The entire Easter Season will continue for 50 days until Pentecost. So, during this Easter week, the one long glorious Easter Day, let us continue to rejoice. Scripture exhorts us - “This is the Day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad.” (Psalm 118).
To rejoice in the mystery of Easter, we spend time meditating on what the Resurrection means for us. We intentionally pray for the grace to see that the supernatural event of our Lord’s Resurrection changed EVERYTHING! I argue the Resurrection radically altered even our human nature, who we are as human persons. It fundamentally changed our human condition, opening for us a new dimension in our existence so we can now share in Divine life of God, the Most Holy Trinity.
For us to be changed fundamentally, who we are as a person or in our relationship with another, it takes what I am calling a “shock and awe” event. When our mothers gave birth to us this was certainly a “shock and awe” event for them and for us. There was first the shock, for both mother and baby, of the pain of the birth process but then came the awe and wonder of the arrival of the newborn child. Similarly, although most of us don’t remember it, our baptism could be looked at in the same light. There was the shock of being turned our backs, held over a font, looking up at strange person pouring cold, or at best tepid water, on our heads. But then came the awe of being made a ‘new creation,’ an adopted child of God, mystically, yet really, sharing in the “shock” of dying and “awe” of raising with our Lord Jesus Christ, united to Him and having the life of Holy Spirit dwell in us.
We see a fundamental change in the behavior of the Apostles after they went through the “shock and awe” of our Lord’s Crucifixion and Resurrection. At first, as a result of the “shock” of our Lord’s arrest, trial, and death sentence, most of the Apostles flee and go into hiding for “fear of the Jews.” But, then something powerful, life-changing must have happened to them. In a short time, they are boldly, openly proclaiming the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ and tell everyone He is the true “Lord and Messiah.” They experienced the “awe” (the major “awe”) in encountering the Risen Lord Jesus, and that experience had really changed them. They came to see and know through the “shock and awe” of the Lord’s death and Resurrection Jesus has opened a whole new dimension, a new infinite horizon for our once mortal and corruptible human nature. Our Lord’s Crucifixion and Resurrection is that ONE “shock and awe” event that completely changes our human condition, breaking open all the limits that previously prevented us from sharing fully in God’s Divine Life. With the Blessed Mother’s prayers, let us experience the AWE of our Risen Lord Jesus and rejoice in His Presence always.
A most blessed Easter to all of you!
Because of our everyday distractions, not to mention the added attention on getting back to some kind of “normalcy” during our ongoing sheltering in place, it is easy to overlook the significance of Easter. This event is so important, so foundational, for the meaning of our Faith the Church celebrates Easter “day” for 8 full days! The entire Easter Season will continue for 50 days until Pentecost. So, during this Easter week, the one long glorious Easter Day, let us continue to rejoice. Scripture exhorts us - “This is the Day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad.” (Psalm 118).
To rejoice in the mystery of Easter, we spend time meditating on what the Resurrection means for us. We intentionally pray for the grace to see that the supernatural event of our Lord’s Resurrection changed EVERYTHING! I argue the Resurrection radically altered even our human nature, who we are as human persons. It fundamentally changed our human condition, opening for us a new dimension in our existence so we can now share in Divine life of God, the Most Holy Trinity.
For us to be changed fundamentally, who we are as a person or in our relationship with another, it takes what I am calling a “shock and awe” event. When our mothers gave birth to us this was certainly a “shock and awe” event for them and for us. There was first the shock, for both mother and baby, of the pain of the birth process but then came the awe and wonder of the arrival of the newborn child. Similarly, although most of us don’t remember it, our baptism could be looked at in the same light. There was the shock of being turned our backs, held over a font, looking up at strange person pouring cold, or at best tepid water, on our heads. But then came the awe of being made a ‘new creation,’ an adopted child of God, mystically, yet really, sharing in the “shock” of dying and “awe” of raising with our Lord Jesus Christ, united to Him and having the life of Holy Spirit dwell in us.
We see a fundamental change in the behavior of the Apostles after they went through the “shock and awe” of our Lord’s Crucifixion and Resurrection. At first, as a result of the “shock” of our Lord’s arrest, trial, and death sentence, most of the Apostles flee and go into hiding for “fear of the Jews.” But, then something powerful, life-changing must have happened to them. In a short time, they are boldly, openly proclaiming the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ and tell everyone He is the true “Lord and Messiah.” They experienced the “awe” (the major “awe”) in encountering the Risen Lord Jesus, and that experience had really changed them. They came to see and know through the “shock and awe” of the Lord’s death and Resurrection Jesus has opened a whole new dimension, a new infinite horizon for our once mortal and corruptible human nature. Our Lord’s Crucifixion and Resurrection is that ONE “shock and awe” event that completely changes our human condition, breaking open all the limits that previously prevented us from sharing fully in God’s Divine Life. With the Blessed Mother’s prayers, let us experience the AWE of our Risen Lord Jesus and rejoice in His Presence always.
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