Christ Is Risen

This Easter 2014, the WORD (see http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/042014.cfm) reminds us that Christ has risen and has won over sin and death.

The gospel tells us different accounts/stories about Christ’s rising from the dead. We see how the disciples and those close to him first experienced His rising and winning over sin and death.

Today is a very joyful and victorious day! If at Christmas, Christ was born which signifies the start of our salvation history, today, we see Jesus rising from the dead, which signifies Christ’s victory over sin and death – the completion of His mission, of our salvation.

It is very fitting that we are given time to prepare for Easter as well. We are also given 40 days to prepare for Christmas, but sometimes we get caught up in the business of the season and do not get to prepare spiritually as much as we should. During lent, I believe we are more able to prepare, starting from Ash Wednesday where we fast and abstain, every Fridays where we abstain, and Good Friday where we also fast and abstain. It is also the season where we usually sacrifice or give up something, to be one with Christ in denying our self and to be closer to God as we give up things for Him.

We should be joyful, not just because we can already stop our Lenten sacrifices, but because we celebrate and commemorate God’s great love and power.  With it comes the task, like the disciples in the first reading, to proclaim God’s kingdom and preach the gospel with our lives. With Christ’s rising and victory comes our call to do our part to proclaim it.

The celebration does not end today. We can still continue to offer our sacrifices. For those who feel they have not given enough, we can still offer new sacrifices of self-denial or love offerings to God. And God’s call to act, to preach his word, to proclaim his kingdom, is here, and he is waiting for our response.

Christ is Risen…let us make him more alive through our lives.

What is the significance of Easter for me? How was my lenten experience this year? Do I feel that aside from Christ's victory over sin and death, lent is about his immense love for me? What happens next?

Father God,

Thank you for today. Thank you for Easter! Thank you for the gift of life. Thank you for all the blessings you continue to give me and my loved ones. Lord, I thank you for your great love for me, and thank you for your great power over sin and death. Lord, I feel that I have not given enough, that there is still a lot of room for you in my life, so I ask that you help me continue offering sacrifices and love offerings so that you may continue to fill my life with your love. Help me respond to your call to action to bring you to others, and make you more alive through the way I live my life. May I make the most out of my life, and make Easter last not just today. Amen.

Happy Easter!

In Christ,

-g-