Easter: Call to a New Way of Being
The celebration of Easter is for all Christians the highpoint of our year of faith. At Easter we celebrate the fact that Christ has risen from the dead and destroyed death for all who place their hope in Him. Easter means that, because of Christ’s resurrection, we shall not die but rather we are all invited to spend eternity with our loving God in heaven. At Easter we think of our loved ones who have died and we rejoice that they have been spared death because of Christ’s resurrection and are with Him in heaven for all eternity. Ultimately, at Easter we celebrate that God loves us so much that He destroyed death so that He might spend eternity with each of us. Easter is the greatest celebration of God’s unconditional and undying love for each of us; a love so strong that death cannot destroy it.
Signs of new life in Christ surround us throughout the year,
but they take on particular meaning during the 50 days of the Easter season. We
begin the Easter season with the witness of women who believed without seeing
the Lord (they saw an empty tomb) and On the Second Sunday of Easter, the
gospel tells of St Thomas, who would not believe unless he could see with his
own eyes and touch with his own hands the risen body of Jesus.
We are not able to see, hear, touch, and talk to Jesus the
way Thomas and the other disciples did. We can, however, discover signs of
wonder within our daily surroundings. By opening ourselves to discovery, we
become better attuned to recognizing these signs as we make our way through one
of the church’s most sacred seasons. It is a time to pay attention, a time to
be still, a time to be immersed in the wonder of God’s love and the closeness
of Christ’s presence. It is the season to celebrate new life.
There are many signs and symbols of new life that surround
us at Easter. The liturgical color shifts from the violet of Lent to white,
signifying the joy of Jesus’ Resurrection. During the Easter Vigil, the church
welcomes new members through the sacraments of initiation.
This is a time for
all Christians to renew our commitment to and participation in the way of
discipleship. Coupled with the signs of life emerging in the natural world, the
rituals of our Easter celebration shape the season into one of wonder, joy, and
awe. By staying alert to the life emerging around us and symbolized in the rich
traditions of the church, we discover a deeper appreciation of the life within
us. Like flowers budding on the trees, chicks emerging from their shells,
butterflies flying free of their cocoons, and neophytes stepping out of the
fresh waters of baptism, each of us is called into a new way of being.
Wish you all a happy and grace-filled season of Easter
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