Easter Sunday is with us once again, with all the joy and beauty that surrounds this great solemnity. On this day all Christians celebrate Christ’s victory over sin and death. It is a reminder that the final word always belongs to God. Over the season of Lent we contemplated the reality of sin and struggle. We accompanied Jesus in his battle with the enemies of God. We saw Jesus rejected, humiliated, and for a short period of time overcome by the power of darkness. On Easter Sunday we see Jesus rise from the dead in all of His glory and power. The resurrection of Jesus is what gives us hope, because it reminds us that we who still experience the battle of sin and darkness in our own lives, also hope to arrive at the glory of resurrection. But just as Jesus could not experience resurrection until he first experienced suffering and death, so too, we must accept the sufferings and difficulties of our lives before arriving at the joy of our resurrection. This does not mean that our life on earth is filled with only sufferings and difficulties. After all, Jesus did say that “the Kingdom of God is among you”. It is God’s desire that we experience small resurrections already in this world. How can we do this? By making a choice, that’s all, a real choice to live, to rejoice, and to follow Jesus. All moments of our life, even those that are difficult, can become opportunities for resurrection. When we choose to be grateful for what we have, rather than ungrateful for what we are still missing, we experience the joy of resurrection. When we choose to listen to someone else’s opinion with attentiveness rather than hoping that everyone will listen to me, we experience resurrection. When we choose to defend someone rather than accuse someone, we experience resurrection. Every situation, especially those difficult ones, is an opportunity to experience the gift of resurrection. After all, is not resurrection a gift of rebirth, overcoming death and beginning life once again in God? A practical way of choosing resurrection in our lives is by choosing to live according to the fruits of the Holy Spirit: “love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Galatians5:22-23). Make a list of these and put it on your fridge; look at them daily and use them to examine your conduct towards others. It is my hope and prayer that each one of us, members of St. Mary’s and the Missions Parish, will choose the gift of resurrection each day. When we do, then we will truly be able to see that “the Kingdom of God is among us”. Happy Easter to one and all!
Fr. Wojtek Kuzma