Waiting is not a part of our culture. We live in a time where we want things to happen in an instant. We must intentionally cultivate the virtue of patience. Patience is a loving response to others and a fruit of the Spirit.
It is easy to get distracted by the despair and brokenness in the world. We are definitely challenged throughout our lives but we are called to be Easter people, to celebrate the unending love and companionship of a God, who cares deeply about us. God calls us towards a life of love in eternity. This thought alone provides hope and this good news is nourishment for our journey. It sustains us along the way as we get to our final resting place.
Sometimes we may be caught up in grief, despair, and distractions, and we need to hear God’s voice. We forget that as Christians, this life is one of rejoicing. No matter what weighs us down we have the gift of faith. We have confidence in a God that has been with us, for all time, and continues to show his grace and mercy. One that calls us home at the end of our earthly lives. Close your eyes, take a breath, and imagine Jesus calling your name today.
This Easter season, I feel like Mary Magdalene weeping by the tomb of the risen Lord. She stays near to where she knows Jesus to be but when she sees Him, she doesn’t recognize Him immediately. But she knows, deep down and by the sound of His voice.
In the following Lenten reflection by Joan Chittister, OSB, from In the Light of the Messengers, we see the reality of the struggle between living in the dark and the light:
“The true division of humanity,” Victor Hugo wrote in Les Miserables, “is between those who live in light and those who live in darkness.” Victor Hugo, it seems, understood Easter.
How has the witness of the Resurrection touched you this Easter season?
Jesus goes into the kingdom of death and brings to that dark place the light of God—and more to the point, He brings the power of God, and with this power, He breaks the hold that death has over us. In the language of the Church Fathers, Jesus has tied up and defeated the devil, thereby freeing us from the one who held us for ransom. Thus the Resurrection of Jesus is the declaration of victory over this terrible power. All of the Gospel accounts mention the huge stone rolled across the entrance of Jesus’ tomb. This seems to stand for the awful finality of death but in Jesus’ victory, that stone is effortlessly rolled away.
Today we celebrate the Divine Mercy, the devotion to the merciful love of God and our desire to let that love and mercy flow our own heart towards those who need it. There is no denying that we are living in challenging times my friends. Living through the pandemic and all its challenges that have been exposed has been tough. From job loss, health crisis, identity crisis and watching the social injustice, it is easy to become hopeless and feel like there is nothing one person can do. But there is. Each and every one of us can say these five words which will profoundly impact our world:
As we have seen the depths of God’s love for us through His Passion, we begin to realize our belovedness. He never looked back. He never stopped. The Lord walked through the events of Holy Week with His eyes fixed on you.
Prayer, humility, and charity towards all are essential in the Christian life: they are the path to holiness. Our quest is to learn how to love God with our whole being. We distance ourselves from this truth and we struggle to love God in such a humble way. This is the spiritual battle. St Brigid of Ireland provides us with how God wants us to love Him:
Throughout history we see that Jesus has many lovers of His heavenly kingdom, but few cross-bearers. It is our natural inclination to desire His consolation, but few of us are willing to suffer His tribulation.