Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Have you ever thought or heard someone else say, “Things aren’t as good as they used to be” before? It’s a common enough thing, as people look at the quality of certain products, or the talent of musical groups and genres, or just what’s on TV these days; there’s this lingering thought at times, that it used to be better, back in “the good ol’ days.” And in certain areas of society, and even in certain ways even scientifically, there’s an argument that things break down, quality is diminished, and legitimately things aren’t as good as they used to be. But to be honest, it’s not a terribly Christian way of looking at things. What do I mean by that?
I’m not saying that we as Christians don’t notice the way things are around us. And yes, things do break down over time, and there are changes in society, not always for the better. But there’s also within a Christian mindset, a firm belief in the greater things to come. That may sound a bit like a platitude or some lofty concept, but I mean it in a much more practical, everyday kind of way. And it all centers on what we are celebrating in Easter.
On that first Easter Sunday, when the disciples were scattered and hiding out, fearful about what their immediate future held and what danger they found themselves in, the Risen Christ breaks through. When their hope in Jesus being the Messiah was lost, He appears to them and joins them on their journey to Emmaus. When they are tempted to go back to their former lives, Our Blessed Lord is there to meet them on the shore, ready to beckon them back to ministry.
The Resurrection is transformative. Not just in what it offers us in terms of gaining access to heaven, tremendous though that may be. It shapes how we look at ourselves and the world around us. Yes, we can and should still recognize the imperfections of life. But there’s something greater that lies within. Nothing that the present offers us in trial or tribulation can change the reality of the Resurrection. Christ has been raised to new life, He has conquered sin and death, and the world has been changed for the better because of it.
We are all invited to live in the power and the reality of the Resurrection, not just at Easter, but every day. At times, we may think that things aren’t as good as they used to be, and that’s okay. But the Resurrection is our ultimate goal and anchor of our lives. Living with the knowledge of God’s power and grace, and the promise of new and better life in the Resurrection, ought to change our perspective of the world around us. We live in hope. We live in expectation. We live in the reality that Christ rose again and that someday, we will too!
Peace and Goodness,
Fr. Dan
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