WHAT THE RESURRECTION MEANT TO JESUS AND THE APOSTLES
AND WHAT IT CAN MEAN FOR US.

Reflection for Easter Sunday, Cycle A

Today, we celebrate the central mystery of our Christian faith-the victory of light over darkness and life over death. What did the resurrection mean for Jesus, for his Apostles and what might it mean for us?

For Jesus, the resurrection was God's resounding "yes" to all that Jesus said and did while on earth. If Good Friday was the world's resounding "no" to Jesus, " Crucify him, crucify him," Easter morning was God's resounding "yes" to Jesus and to the way he lived his life and to all that he stood for:

  • his association with the poor, the marginalized, the excluded and the sinners.

  • his miracles, exorcisms and teachings.

  • his confrontation of religious and civil authorities.

  • the way he surrendered to death.

    For the Apostles, Easter was the restoration of hope in men who had started to lose hope. This is beautifully brought out in today's opening prayer.

    Today is the day of Easter joy,
    This is the day when the Lord appeared to men
    Who had begun to lose hope
    And opened their eyes to what the scriptures foretold....

    WHAT EASTER CAN MEAN FOR US.

    For us, Easter means that when we stand on the side of love, justice, truth and peace, we will one day be vindicated either in this life or in the life to come. People may persecute us and reject us. We may feel like total failures; but, in the end, God will be our Vindicator.

    Second, Easter means that when darkness, sin and bad stuff invade our lives, they do not need to have the final word. On Good Friday, it seemed as if darkness, evil and sin were having the last word, but their victory was short-lived. In and through Jesus' Resurrection, God turned the tables on evil and stole its seeming victory. Some years later Paul, reflecting on the Resurrection, would write:

    O death where is thy victory? O death where is thy sting? It is swallowed up in the victory of Jesus.

    In our journey through life, bad things happen to all of us. The promise tied to Easter is that God can and will help us to turn our good, (or should I say, bad) Fridays into Easter Sundays. In other words, God wants to help us draw something good out of every bad experience. Sometimes this is easy to see. Sometimes it is not at all easy to see. For example, when God closes one door (loss of a job), he opens another (leads us to a better or a more satisfying job). As we work through a loss of some kind, we discover that we grow spiritually, meet new friends, travel and do things we never did before. So, sometimes it is easy enough to see how God brings good things out of bad situations, but, other times it is not easy to see how any good can come from bad situations. I think of some people who suffer from mental illness and recommended medicines are not working. I think of people who had a stroke and the physical therapy isn't helping very much. I think of people struck down with Alzheimer's disease. Frankly, I'm stretched to see any good in such situations. Do you? Yet, perhaps there is some good that we cannot see.

    We need to pray frequently for folks who carry, daily, a big cross either because they are suffering in some way or because a loved one for whom they are caring is suffering in some way. During my time here, I have seen many people caring for sick loved ones over a long period of time. These people are some of the unsung heroes of our communities.

    The following is a Table Blessing for your Easter dinner.

    EASTER SUNDAY TABLE PRAYER
    Creator God and Lord of Life,
    You who call forth from the darkness of death
    All those who love You,
    We rejoice, on this Easter Sunday,
    in the resurrection from the dead
    Of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
    Visit our home and this table
    With your bright blessing of peace and life.
    We pause in the midst of this prayer
    To remember all the holy dead of our family
    Who live now in You and who await
    The final and glorious resurrection of the dead.
    May they and we,
    Because of our faith in You, our God,
    Taste in the victory of life over death.
    May the Risen Christ, our Lord and Savior,
    Be our guest as we celebrate his resurrection
    With this Easter Sunday dinner.
    Bless those whose work to prepare this meal
    has truly been a work of prayer
    And bless all of us who shall share it
    With Easter love and joy.
    May You, then bless this table and this food,
    And each of us in your holy name:
    Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

    Quote: "God loves you so much that if He had a wallet, your picture would be in it."

    AN EASTER HOUSE BLESSING

    It is an excellent idea to bless your home even if it has been officially blessed before. We cannot ask God and his angels often enough to bless and protect our home and all who live in it. You can pray the following prayer before you share your Easter dinner or pray it at any other suitable time

    Gather those present together and pray the following blessing.

    Lord,
    We rejoice in the victory of your Son over death:
    By rising from the tomb to new life
    he gives us new hope and promise    .
    Bless all the members of this household
    And surround us with your protection,
    That we may find comfort and peace
    In Jesus Christ, the paschal lamb,
    Who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
    One God, for ever and ever. Amen

    Now Sprinkle the rooms of the house with holy water and then say:

    Let this water call to mind our baptism in Christ,
    Who by his death and resurrection
    has redeemed us.