Happy Easter!
What is happy about this day, what do we celebrate? Yes, we celebrate the rising of Jesus from the dead which shows Him to be divine. Yes, we celebrate that through His resurrection he conquered death so that you and I might face death with the hope of new and eternal life. Are we, however, only celebrating an event which occurred more than 2000 years ago and what it means for us as we come to the end of our time here on earth? Is there anything more to this celebration? Yes! Alleluia! The answer is a resounding yes! For, Jesus did not rise from the dead simply to prove a point nor to just give us hope as we approach our death, but also to remain powerfully present to us TODAY.
One of my favorite aspects of being a priest is witnessing the power of the resurrected Christ being unleashed in person’s lives. For example, when I have the privilege of watching a person being set free from many years of heavy sin through the gift of the Sacrament of Reconciliation; when I see a person slowly move from constantly seeking to control all things in their life to trusting in God’s loving care and experiencing the peace and joy which is its result; when I hear of relationships being restored after so much time of division through a seemingly miraculous act of forgiveness; when I listen to a bride and bridegroom vow to love each other as Christ has loved us; when I watch in awe as parents prayerfully and sacrificially give of themselves for the good of their family; when I observe so many single, widowed, or widowers resisting the temptation to live for themselves and instead choose to lead a life of service for others; and, yes, when I kneel next to the bedside of someone who is dying without fear but with anticipation of seeing the Lord…in all of this and so much more, I can only say with profound joy, “JESUS IS ALIVE!”
My dearest brothers and sisters, let us celebrate this Easter not just what happened with Jesus 2000+ years ago but what Jesus is doing in and through us today! In order to do this, we must be attentive. We must be expecting Jesus to “show up.” What a joyful thing it is to know that we can expect our Lord Jesus to be present and act in all things of our life!
This Easter season let’s ask God for the grace to truly be attentive to the presence of the risen Lord in our life today. The power of Christ’s suffering, death, and resurrection is all waiting to be unleashed into our lives if we but have this expectant and trusting faith in the risen Lord’s presence here and now. Do this with me, and we will proclaim together with more and more conviction, “JESUS IS ALIVE!”
Happy Easter indeed!