Prepare to Receive Easter Joy

Divinity of Jesus, miracles

Only the humble can travel with Jesus through Good Friday and Holy Saturday to receive joy on Easter Sunday. As Jesus reminds us in the Gospels, only the sick need a physician, only a sinner needs a savior and has the ability to acknowledge his weakness, his need for salvation.

The Pharisees saw themselves as experts on God; they were so full of pride, they could not humble themselves enough to recognize the presence of God in their midst. They were basically playing the role of God by trying to save themselves by acquiring knowledge and through religious exercises. They did not think they need a saviour at all because they were pure in their own eyes.

So the question which naturally arises is, Where do I stand this Easter?

Do I stand among the righteous, pure, self-sufficient ones? Or do I stand with the poor in spirit, those captive and oppressed in the face of their innate sinfulness?

Do I need saving; am I humble enough to ask for help from Christ?

If I can’t, then Jesus died in vain, the power of his crucifixion is wasted on me and I will be unable to rejoice on Easter Sunday nor receive the Holy Spirit on Pentecost.

Other Obstacles to Joy

Even though the Church continually invites Catholics to live in Resurrection joy, many of us cling to our suffering; we don’t know how to live out the Easter Gospel.  As a result, our daily spirituality is focused mainly on the Crucifixion even though we celebrate our release from prison liturgically every year.

The candles we light at the Easter Vigil on Saturday symbolically illuminate our path forward, showing us how to move through the darkness of our sin and suffering to victory with Christ. During the Easter Proclamation (Exsultet), priests around the world sing:

This is the night when Jesus Christ

broke the chains of death

and rose triumphant from the grave.

What good would life have been to us,

had Christ not come as our Redeemer?

The power of this holy night

dispels all evil, washes guilt away,

restores lost innocence, brings mourners joy;

it casts out hatred, brings us peace, and humbles earthly pride.

Yet, as we listen to this prayer, the obvious question we must ask ourselves is, “Do I allow Christ to redeem me, to set me free in truth, in the nitty-gritty of my daily life?”

It is not easy to actualize our faith, to move beyond mere ritual and lip- service. I know I spent years thinking I was a committed Catholic but I was not living in the resurrection. When we walk through the Triduum with the Church this year, let’s not stop at Good Friday.

However, many Catholics are stuck. Have you ever checked out Catholic Pinterest sites? I help edit the Catholic Pinterest Board, Awestruck, while the South African owner, “Äna” sleeps. I was shocked at first when I noticed most Catholic pinners are so focused on Christ’s suffering, they post images of the Crucifixion even on Easter Sunday, all through the Easter season, right past Pentecost without pausing even for a moment to celebrate the joy of the Resurrection.

The Resurrection

In fact, everything that exists and moves in the Church — the sacraments, doctrine, institutions — draws its strength from Christ’s Resurrection. (Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa, Life in Christ, 67)

Pope Francis hit the nail on the head on Holy Saturday a few years ago when he proclaimed the truth that every Easter God calls us out of our comfort zone to grow and change as we witness Christ’s Resurrection once again and receive His fire. This process can become our very life on a daily basis, not just on Easter.

The Gospel of Easter is very clear: we need to go back there, to see Jesus risen, and to become witnesses of his Resurrection. This is not to go back in time; it is not a kind of nostalgia. It is returning to our first love, in order to receive the fire which Jesus has kindled in the world and to bring that fire to all people, to the very ends of the earth.” (Pope Francis, Easter Vigil Homily, 2014)

Initially, I resist change out of fear of the unknown but when I let go of anxiety, relax and surrender, I can feel the Flames of Love becoming stronger within me. I crave to join my voice with St. Paul’s and say, “No longer I that lives but Christ that lives in me.”

This transformation is simply a normal Christian’s life. Pope St. John Paul II said it best when he described Christians as Easter People. “We are the Easter People and Alleluia is our song.”

Catholics don’t stop at the cross but continually allow the power of the resurrection to set us free. Saint Teresa of Avila explains how to experience the resurrection: “Let this presence settle into your bones and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise, and love.” This process of spiritual transformation ushers in the tangible, infectious joy of the Lord.

 

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2 thoughts on “Prepare to Receive Easter Joy”

  1. Pingback: EASTER SVNDAY EDITION – Big Pulpit

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