The celebration of Easter reminds us that every Good Friday in our lives will have an Easter Sunday, and that Jesus will share the power of his Resurrection, with those who believe in him. Resurrection is Good News, but at the same time, it is painful too because it involves death.
Standing at the foot of the cross, looking at the wounded and lifeless body of Jesus kept in the lap of his mother, let us listen to the voice of Jesus in silence.
“I went through all these pain, because I understood, ‘there is no greater love than to lay down your life for your friends. You are worth dying for. You are loved that much. I died to set you free from sin and guilt. I am glorified, when you create something beautiful out of your broken life.
“I suffered all of that pain and degradation – the beating, the spitting, the taunting, the nailing, the stabbing, the ridicule and the rejection – to give you an example how to handle the misfortunes and tragedies of life. There will be people who will hurt you in life. There will be people in your life who will betray you as Judas betrayed me. There will be people in your life who will abandon you as Peter and the other apostles who abandoned me. Your friends are not always the best ones as you think about your friends.
While some people let me down, surprising people stepped forward, like Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus. They were people who had formerly come to me in secret, or in the night, but now came out into the light and extended their help. There will be angels when you face unfair and unjust path as well. There will be a Simon of Cyrene to help you carry your cross. There will be friends like the beloved disciple and the women who stayed with me all the way to the cross.
And if you feel that no one understands you, or cares about you, remember that my mother is now your mother. I have given her to you and her mothering spirit will be with you throughout your life, and, when you breathe your last breath, she will hold you in her arms, and lead you to my arms.
“Therefore , endure your crosses bravely. If others nail you with false accusations, when people misjudge you, when your goodness is rewarded with meanness, do not focus on life’s harshness, but focus on your God. You will not be abandoned, and, as I arose above the cruelty, so you will also be strengthened to rise above. Here we need to remind ourselves that there is Easter in our Good Fridays. However, you need to let go of your, ego, anger and bitterness, and hold onto your God. I will take you off your cross. I will share my life with you forever.”
Suffering is a mystery for all of us. Jesus who seemed so much like God in his goodness to others seemed so inadequate at protecting himself. He who cared for others was not cared for by others. He who cured others was brutalized by others. He who raised the dead, had to join the dead.
But with the mystery of resurrection, suddenly he changes the total history of his life. At Easter the power of Jesus, the risen Lord is manifested. The tomb sealed with rock was pushed aside like a pebble. At death he looked disfigured, but at the resurrection he looked like God in glory. During his passion event the angels abandoned him, but now he is escorted to life by angels. And the circle is now complete. Just as angels heralded his birth in Bethlehem, so now angels herald his rebirth in Jerusalem.
New life rises from the ashes of death. Every day of our life we need to rise from the ashes of sin and guilt. We should be refreshed and renewed by our living Lord and Savior with His forgiveness and the assurance that He still loves us and will continue to give us the strength we need.
If Jesus Christ did not rise from the dead, then the Church has no meaning and Faith is a sham. But as Jesus really rose from the dead, his message is true. Without the Resurrection, Jesus would have remained forever a good person who had met a tragic end. People would remember some of his teachings, and a handful of people might try to live according to them. Resurrection is about seeing our world in a new way. Early that Easter morning, Mary did not find what she was looking for, the dead body of Jesus. But she found something better than she could have imagined: The Risen Jesus. This is the base and mystery of Christian faith.
Sometimes, we think, we are not granted what we want most. What we get instead is an experience of God’s new ways of working in the world. That’s the power of the Resurrection.
Traditionally our ancestors had deep rooted faith in Jesus. They designed and built the churches and cathedrals on faith and love. Today the churches are built on opinions and ideas. And remember we cannot build a church on opinions and ideas. It will collapse.
At this time of Easter let us pray with deep faith like St. Patrick, “Christ before me, Christ beside me, Christ within me, Christ never to part.”
