Easter: A New Way of Being
First one: Before his assassination, Romero stated, “As a
Christian, I do not believe in death without resurrection. If I am killed, I
shall rise in the Salvadoran people.” His words are still chanted today, “They
can kill me, but they will never kill justice.”
Second one: As Vice President, George Bush represented the U.S.
at the funeral of former Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev. Bush was deeply moved
by a silent protest carried out by Brezhnev's widow. She stood motionless by
the coffin until seconds before it was closed. Then, just as the soldiers
touched the lid, Brezhnev's wife performed an act of great courage and hope, a
gesture that must surely rank as one of the most profound acts of civil
disobedience ever committed: She reached down and made the sign of the cross on
her husband's chest. There in the citadel of secular, atheistic power, the wife
of the man who had run it all hoped that her husband was wrong. She hoped that
there was another life, and that that life was best represented by Jesus who
died on the cross, and that the same Jesus might yet have mercy on her husband.
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 colour 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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