Feast of the Resurrection of the Lord - Year A
Reading 1: Acts 10: 34 A, 37-43
Psalm: 118
Reading II: 1 Cor 5 :6B-8
Gospel: Jn 20: 1-9
The Solemn Feast of Easter is the climax of our Church Year! It is celebrated for 50 days ending with the Feast of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit comes to enlighten and strengthen the Apostles and Mary — as Jesus had promised.
Why is this Feast so special? The Resurrection confirms our belief in Jesus as the Son of God and our Savior. It strengthens our faith. Jesus is able to conquer death. His Resurrection is a continuing act. We say that Christ is Risen. We can also trust His promise...“I am the resurrection. Anyone who believes in me, even though that person dies, will live.” (Jn 11:25)
This, also, is a consolation to know that our loved ones will be able to share in the victory of Christ over death. That is especially comforting when life here on earth has been very difficult for the person. Sometimes, it seems that life is unfair. We all know of people whose whole lives were spent in suffering, with chronic disease, pain, and/or handicaps. We know of those whose death was untimely — a child dies, a young parent dies and leaves dependent children, while an elderly sick person lives on. There has to be a balance.
In the Book of Revelations in the Bible, it says “and God will wipe away all tears from their eyes, there will be no more death, and no more mourning or sadness or pain. The world of the past is gone.” ( Rev. 21:4). That is why we call ourselves the “Alleluia People.”
Therefore, let us rejoice always! Let us be grateful for our Awesome God! Let all of creation rejoice!
Have a blessed Easter!!!
Alleluia !
Alleluia !!
Alleluia!!!
The Solemn Feast of Easter is the climax of our Church Year! It is celebrated for 50 days ending with the Feast of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit comes to enlighten and strengthen the Apostles and Mary — as Jesus had promised.
Why is this Feast so special? The Resurrection confirms our belief in Jesus as the Son of God and our Savior. It strengthens our faith. Jesus is able to conquer death. His Resurrection is a continuing act. We say that Christ is Risen. We can also trust His promise...“I am the resurrection. Anyone who believes in me, even though that person dies, will live.” (Jn 11:25)
This, also, is a consolation to know that our loved ones will be able to share in the victory of Christ over death. That is especially comforting when life here on earth has been very difficult for the person. Sometimes, it seems that life is unfair. We all know of people whose whole lives were spent in suffering, with chronic disease, pain, and/or handicaps. We know of those whose death was untimely — a child dies, a young parent dies and leaves dependent children, while an elderly sick person lives on. There has to be a balance.
In the Book of Revelations in the Bible, it says “and God will wipe away all tears from their eyes, there will be no more death, and no more mourning or sadness or pain. The world of the past is gone.” ( Rev. 21:4). That is why we call ourselves the “Alleluia People.”
Therefore, let us rejoice always! Let us be grateful for our Awesome God! Let all of creation rejoice!
Have a blessed Easter!!!
Alleluia !
Alleluia !!
Alleluia!!!
Spanish Translation of Reflection Above...
La resurrección
¡La fiesta solemne de Pascua es el clímax de nuestro Año de la Iglesia! Se celebra durante 50 días que terminan con la Fiesta de Pentecostés cuando el Espíritu Santo viene a iluminar y fortalecer a los Apóstoles ya María - como Jesús había prometido.
¿Por qué esta fiesta es tan especial? La Resurrección confirma nuestra creencia en Jesús como el Hijo de Dios y nuestro Salvador. Fortalece nuestra fe. Jesús es capaz de vencer a la muerte. Su Resurrección es un acto continuo. Decimos que Cristo es Resucitado. También podemos confiar en Su promesa ... “Yo soy la resurrección. Cualquiera que crea en mí, aunque muera, vivirá” (Jn 11, 25).
Esto, también, es un consuelo saber que nuestros seres queridos podrán participar en la victoria de Cristo sobre la muerte. Eso es especialmente reconfortante cuando la vida aquí en la tierra ha sido muy difícil para la persona. A veces, parece que la vida es injusta. Todos sabemos de personas cuyas vidas enteras estuvieron gastadas en sufrimiento, con enfermedades crónicas, dolor y / o desventajas. Sabemos de aquellos cuya muerte fue inoportuna: un niño muere, un joven padre muere y deja hijos dependientes, mientras que un anciano enfermo vive. Tiene que haber un equilibrio.
En el Libro de las Revelaciones de la Biblia dice: “Y Dios enjugará toda lágrima de sus ojos, no habrá más muerte, ni más duelo, ni tristeza, ni dolor. El mundo del pasado se ha ido.” (Apocalipsis 21: 4). Es por eso que nos llamamos el “Pueblo Aleluya”.
¡Por lo tanto, regocíjense siempre! ¡Seamos agradecidos por nuestro Dios Impresionante! Que toda la creación se regocije!
¡Tenga una bendita Pascua !!!
Aleluya
Aleluya !!
¡¡¡Aleluya!!!
As I shop for Easter candy, baskets, and food for our family gathering on Easter Day, I recall the delightful anticipation of childhood knowing I would wake up on Easter morning and have an Easter basket, delivered, of course, by the Easter bunny. The sweet treats of Easter are still my favorite today. What would Easter be without jelly beans, peeps, and chocolate eggs? I also recall having to dress up in some frilly dress with stiff shiny shoes that hurt my feet and, naturally, I had to wear the dreaded bonnet with the elastic band that dug deep into my chin. Oh, the dichotomy of the day! I wore the outfit because it was the precondition for opening the basket. Of course, we went to Church, but the focus was more on the fashions of others and how they compared to my attire rather than on the excitement of Jesus conquering death. In spite of years of hearing the Resurrection story it never really took root in me until adulthood. Even then, it remained in my mind an event of long ago to be remembered, rather than a dynamic mystery of daily life. The latter appreciation of the Resurrection comes as a result of active reading, prayer, reflection and participation in a Scripture Sharing group which Sr. Annette started years ago. Needless to say, I am deeply grateful for our weekly spiritual gathering.
ReplyDeleteOf your exquisite post on the Feast of Easter, the point that speaks to me predominantly is that the Resurrection is a continuing act. Christ’s rising from the dead changed everything for believers. As my love and desire for God grows my aversion of sin increases. It is so freeing and heartening knowing that Jesus paid the price for my darkness and that through His Resurrection I am promised eternal life. Fear of death is removed and the sweet anticipation of reunion with loved ones provides great comfort. The desire for reunion is so strong that I have heard many stories of spouses, children, parents… converting or returning to active faith so that they will be reunited with their beloved after death.
The desire for eternity shapes my daily behavior. I believe that we are called to live from a “resurrection perspective.” Worldly goals, shallow promises, and demands for success no longer stress me because I no longer live for the recognition they offer. Living with an “arisen” mindset frees us from societal ideas of completeness and supports us in living from the soul. The petty stuff that weighed me down loses its grip when I live from my Christ center. Patience, kind acts and life affirming words arising from the seat of Christ within me honors and, possibly, awakens the Christ in others. This style of living is filled with challenge and involves dying to self-daily as there is a constant battle between what my ego wants and for what my soul yearns. However, with each little victory over self we experience the peace that Christ promises. Resurrection behavior holds the hope for better communities and for a more tolerant world. Imagine the joy of the community of Christ’s followers as they rose from being filled with fear after the death of Jesus to being disciples of the Risen Christ! That’s how we are called to live as “Alleluia People!”
Yes, indeed, let us rejoice in the Risen Lord! May we rise and walk together and encounter the living Christ in our midst.