EASTER SUNDAY

EASTER SUNDAY

Can you imagine the joy and even the thrill that Jesus experienced as the fresh life of the Holy Spirit quickened his clammy and rigid body, and he burst forth from the cold, dark, silent tomb of death as a risen man triumphant over sin and death ? Can you imagine the divine joy of God the Father as he raised his Son to life, and the divine joy of the Holy Spirit through whom the Father raised his Son ? When Jesus appeared to his apostles after the resurrection, we can perceive the excitement in his voice: “What’s troubling you ? And why do questions rise in your hearts ? Look at my hands and feet, it’s me. Handle me, and see, a spirit hasn’t any flesh and bones as you can feel I have. It’s me, myself.” Those words were addressed to the disciples all right, but also words that Jesus jubilantly spoke to himself. “It is I. I am alive. I am risen. I am not a ghost. I have once more bone and muscle. I am a glorious man !” Indeed, no one was more joyful than Jesus himself, and it was this joy that quite naturally he wanted to convey to and share with his mother, his disciples, and us today. The Mother’s sorrow was now a memory, the recalling of which produced no chill or shiver. Now there was only fulfilment as he held her close to his muscular body of glistening bronze. From now on his disciples can place their hands into his wounds, fragrant as fresh roses in the dew of dawn. Now they can fall down and embrace his feet and cover them with their kisses of adoring love. My dear friends, what would you do if Jesus appeared before you fresh and glorious from death ? No constraints or restrictions. You can seize him and tear him to pieces, break him and eat him; he remains in one piece, whole and entire. He is all yours. In his 2nd. letter to the Corinthians, in chapter 3, vs. 18, St. Paul declares that “we are being changed into his likeness from one degree of glory into another; for this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” How does the Holy Spirit swallow us up so that we can live by the power of Jesus’ resurrection ? It takes place through our daily life of prayer and penance, and it transpires especially with the Eucharist. When we receive Jesus in the Eucharist, we do not receive his pre-resurrected body and blood. No. We receive the Risen body and Risen blood of Jesus. To live out our daily lives empowered by Jesus’ resurrection means that we live a life worthy of our calling, a life in conformity with Christ. In his letter to the Ephesians, St. Paul wrote, “Therefore, putting away falsehood, let everyone speak the truth with his neighbour, for we are members one of another…Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may impart grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption” (Eph. 4, 25 –32). Something happened that Easter morning that made our bad Fridays good and our lives a risk worth taking. The Easter Sunday Sequence from the Roman Missal sums up the entire scene in beautiful language: “Death and Life were locked together in astounding struggle. Life’s Captain died; now he reigns, no more to die.” Henry Van Dyck has penned the line: “Some people are so afraid of death that they never begin to live.” Hopefully, that will never be said of anyone of us here. For faith in Christ knows that the best has yet to come.

 PRAYER: (St. Bonaventure, 1217-1274; 57 years) Rise, beloved Christ, like a dove rising high in the sky, its white feathers glistening in the sun. Let me see your purity of soul. Like a sparrow keeping constant watch over its nest of little ones, watch over us day and night, guarding us against all physical and spiritual danger. Like a turtledove hiding its offspring from all attackers, hide us from the attacks of the devil. Like a swallow, swooping down towards the earth, swoop down upon us and touch us with your life-giving Spirit.