A Reflection for Easter 2016
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“Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here but has risen.”
(Luke 24: 1-12)
These are the words that greet the women who go to Jesus’ tomb at dawn to anoint His body. They find the stone rolled away and do not know what to do. How often we perhaps find ourselves not knowing quite what to do – all is empty! Yet for the women at the tomb something changes – in their loss, bewilderment and anxiety they encounter the heavenly messengers in brilliant light who proclaim to them Christ’s resurrection. Scripture tells us that the women were “terrified” and yet in that moment of mystery, in that instant of Divine Revelation, they become able to grasp that indeed the promise of Christ is true: “Remember what He told you when he was still in Galilee: that He had to be handed over, crucified and again rise on the third day. And they remembered His words.”
May we remember His words this Easter. Wherever we find ourselves may we hear again those words of hope and promise. May we experience in God’s Divine Plan in our lives that shift in consciousness that the women experienced; a shift that holds God’s promise.
When the women heard these words suddenly they knew what to do! Embracing their own hope they were called to leave the tomb, the emptiness of their own lives to go tell others the story of resurrection, of hope and of new life. So they leave the place of death trusting in the promises of Christ and return to the living. We too are called to proclaim God’s hope and new life in this living world of ours.
Easter calls us to proclaim with gratitude, trust, joy, passion and commitment the message of God’s promise; a promise of new life. So, in our broken and struggling world today may Easter give each of us in our varied vocations the courage once again to tell the story of new life; the sacredness of all life, life found in the journey from darkness to light, life abundant. In this great Year of Mercy may we be life for others.
NAVFD wishes all our visitors to this Website a Happy, Blessed and Hope-Filled Easter. For he is risen, Alleluia, Alleluia!