Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
In the version of the Stations of the Cross that we use here at St. Charles, there’s a line in the very last Station, speaking about the Resurrection that goes, “… and in the many other Easters of our lives.” At first glance, that seems like an odd turn of phrase, and we might initially think of the annual celebration of the great holiday. And while we do have a yearly observance of the Resurrection on Easter Sunday, there is a wider way in which we might consider the other Easters of life.
We believe in our faith that Baptism is when we first experience the Resurrection for ourselves. We die to sin and death, and rise to new life and freedom, through the washing away of Original Sin by the waters of baptism. Granted, that’s a theologically dense concept to consider. But in a very real way, our lives are changed in Baptism. We experience what we might call a newness of life.
Newness of life isn’t just some pithy phrase that saints and theologians throw out there to sound smart; it’s a way of looking at the reality of the Resurrection in the here and now. The Resurrection isn’t meant to be contained to once a year on Easter; it’s a constant source of grace in our daily lives. And I’m not speaking about a dribble of grace here and there, like when we pray really intensely about something or when we’ve done a very good act of kindness. The power of the Resurrection is in everything that we say and do, in every time and circumstance, providing us with God’s abundant love and aid in how we go about our lives. Yes, we recall it especially in the Easter celebration and in the regular Sunday Mass, but it extends much wider and much deeper in our experience of life, whether we realize it or not.
My dear friends, do we know the newness of life that is offered to us in the Resurrection? In those moments when we need something to break just so for us, and it does, do we recognize the power of the Resurrection in it? When we face a difficult temptation to give in or give up or follow a bad choice, yet we persevere in following the Lord, do we realize the newness of life in such moments? Can you think back to a time when you experienced the grace of God, despite doing nothing special on your end? Is that not another Easter in your life?
I hope that this Easter might serve as a good reminder to us all that the Resurrection is at the center of our lives of faith. With it, we have been freed from sin and death, brought to experience sanctifying grace, and brought to a newness of life that is to be cherished in the many other Easters of our lives.
Alleluia, He is Risen! Truly, He is Risen, Alleluia!
Fr. Dan
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