HE'S ALIVE!

HE’S ALIVE! Easter Sunday, Year A

            How differently the events of the Lord’s suffering, passion, and death on the cross looked in light of His resurrection from the dead, and the coming of the Holy Spirit as life on Easter and power on Pentecost!

Peter, who had fled in fear as did the other disciples on Holy Thursday and Good Friday, on Pentecost was publicly and fearlessly proclaiming Christ the Risen Lord with the power of the Holy Spirit. The same Spirit that anointed Jesus with power came to the Apostles and first believers. The same Holy Spirit comes in every age in the life of the Church, so that the life and mission of Christ continues till the end of time.

            The Church in every age proclaims the message Peter proclaimed. “You know what has happened all over Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached, how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power. He went about doing good and healing all those oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.”

            The saving life and actions of Jesus were for the whole human race. They are to be proclaimed by believers to make believers, and for those believers to make other believers by their witness to Jesus. We accept the original eye witness testimony of the Apostles. “We are witnesses of all that He did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem.” The Apostles also saw the Risen Lord Jesus. “This man God raised on the third day and granted that He be visible, not to all the people, but to us, the witnesses chosen by God in advance, who ate and drank with Him after He rose from the dead.”

            We accept the Apostles’ witness to Jesus’ having risen from the dead. The very transformation of the Apostles themselves after the events of Jesus’ passion and death can only be explained by their experience with the Risen Jesus. They were empowered and sent to give witness to Jesus, which is true of the Church in every age. “He commissioned us to preach to the people and testify that He is the one appointed by God as judge of the living and the dead.” They recognized Jesus as the promised Messiah and Lord revealed through God’s prophets. “To Him all the prophets bear witness, that everyone who believes in Him will receive forgiveness of sins through His name.”

            What wondrous promises we are given and offered in Christ! What rejoicing and gladness those of any age and all ages can have in accepting the Divine Revelation of God in Christ. The forgiveness of sins is crucial to sinners. In Christ is eternal and unlimited mercy. This mercy is not understood by many who judge themselves beyond God’s mercy. This is one of the greatest offenses against the Lord, and one that the devil promotes above all others. The crucifixion and death of Jesus for the salvation of the world is the great sign of God’s offer of mercy to the human race. Having sacrificed Himself to make God’s mercy available, there is no greater sign to be offered to us. “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His mercy endures forever.”

            Seeking the Lord and His gifts of salvation and life is the most important need and work of life. We were raised up to this life in our baptism. “If then you were raised with Christ, seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Think of what is above, not of what is on earth.” How important those words are for us all. Our world has much to keep us occupied. The many goods, not to mention the many evils, cannot be allowed to dominate our life. Actually the more we seek Christ, the more we can actually see the things of the earth in ways that can help, rather than hurt us, and our life with God, ourselves, and others.

            Sincerity and truth are worth far more than malice and wickedness. “Therefore, let us celebrate the feast, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” Mary of Magdala, Simon Peter, and John the beloved disciple are alive along with millions down through the ages who were totally changed by the Risen Lord. The same is true for us today!

Our Lord said to St. Faustina:

“Encourage souls to say the chaplet which I have given you…Whoever will recite it will receive great mercy at the hour of death…When they say this chaplet in the presence of the dying, I will stand between My Father and the dying person, not as the just Judge but as the Merciful Savior…Priests will recommend it to sinners as their last hope of salvation. Even if there were a sinner most hardened, if he were to recite this chaplet only once, he would receive grace from My infinite mercy. I desire to grant unimaginable graces to those souls who trust in My mercy.” (687, 1541, 1731)