Easter means receiving Life afresh!

by Rev. Ft. Leopold Ratnaskera OMI

The crucified Jesus turned His Good Friday of death and suffering into the glory and new life of Easter. This is the drama of Easter: the defeat of death and victory of life. The teacher who said, "I am the Resurrection and the Life" could not have been vanquished by death and submerged in its gloom.

In the Gospel narratives of the Passion of Christ, it is said that at the ninth hour Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last. There was thunder and lightning and the sky was sunk in darkness. But, the Easter morn saw the glittering Christ alight with glory.

It may be surmised that Jesus during his ministry already bestowed on a few this Life afresh that was lost for one reason or another. Striking examples can be seen where Jesus anticipated the power and the glory of his Resurrection. Once it was the case of the Samaritan woman at the well of Jacob who appears in the graphic encounter with Jesus.

She was in utter darkness with her life shattered into pieces and love's labour lost. She could not even appear in public places and could come to draw water only at mid-day when no woman comes to any well to seek water. Jesus with great tact, tenderness and patience educed from her the springs of life that had dried out in a life of loneliness, mental depression and spiritual dryness.

Living water

He gave her living water that sprang from within her own enlightenment and made her run and call the villagers to gaze at the Prophet, the Messiah, who had appeared in this Samaritan region. She in fact became a missionary who announced the appearance of Jesus to her village.

From darkness she has reached the light. The eyes of Jesus full of light and compassion fell on her and she rose to a new life of self-esteem and virtue. It was indeed a spiritual miracle.

Then we have Mary of Magdala, a public sinner who having wept at the feet of Jesus, the teacher in the house Simeon the Pharisee, rose to be a new woman, graced, healed and forgiven. She had loved much in a new way. It was to her that the Risen Lord manifested himself first according to the Resurrection narratives of the Gospels. We cannot side-track the wonderful story of Simon the fisherman from Galilee, son of John whom Jesus appointed as the leader to care and feed the flock some of which were sheep and others, the lambs.

It was a story of love that Simon Peter confessed as the 21st chapter of John's Gospel so vividly portrays. He is being asked: "Do you love me more than these". In his case more love was required since his was the calling to be the Rock on which the Lord would plan to build the Church. This fisherman of Galilee became so powerful that not even the powers of hell would prevail against him.

We remember Simon meeting Jesus for the first time in Luke Chapter five. He was asked to flout all rules of fishing, to go and launch into the deep early in the morning! There was a miraculous draught of fish to the extent that the nets were on the verge of breaking. Besides, Simon had to call his partners to haul the nets out of the calm waters of the Galilean sea. What happens then? Simon goes on his knees before Jesus and tells him: "Depart from me Lord, for I am a sinful man".

Jesus sticks with him and makes him a fisher of men. Now he would fish men out of fossilised water and put in fresh waters of faith and repentance. It would be their living water. Thus Simon's name is changed and the shepherding responsibility comes upon him, thus continuing the work of the Good Shepherd. Simon has come out of his darkness and confusion, his monotonous life in the sea and has been given new horizons to explore and reach catching men and women by hook or by crook.

Depths of humility

He would also reach great depths of humility when he almost prevents Jesus washing his feet, but humbly gives in when Jesus insists. When God insists, it is our duty to give in freely. Incredible things then begin to happen. Peter's office continues in the Church in the person of the Bishop of Rome who presides over the universal Church, which in nothing but the world-wide assembly of charity, brotherhood and love cutting across all boundaries of discrimination based on language, ethnic and socio-cultural differences.

How did this fisherman from Galilee together with Saul from Tarsus penetrate into the mighty imperial city of Rome, there to become the two mighty pillars of the Church of today?

The story of Judas Iscariot is indeed a lamentable one. After being in the company of Jesus and even savouring a little bit of the kingdom joys, he stooges to the love of mammon, turns traitor, betrays his Master and is crushed by depression that leads to suicide. No wonder, when he took the morsel of Bread at the Last Supper and left the table with crooked intentions, it was night, as St. John's Gospel so succinctly records. In Judas Iscariot the light became eclipsed gradually to such an extent, that it completely turned into darkness and wrong doing.

This is a perfect drama in which mammon and love of money which is today's dominant culture in all spheres of life, can render life itself meaningless for people. Had Judas remained in the light of Christ, he would never have been swallowed up by the satanic powers of darkness that killed his soul long before he took his life.

Easter, therefore, is receiving life afresh for a fresh start in life. It is a beautiful life of peace and serenity. Even hard-hearted sinners through the waters of repentance can win forgiveness that will open to them the fountains of life.

Even those who received simple healings from sicknesses and those freed from the demons are fine examples of the power of God through Christ to be bestowed with new life and new opportunities.

Easter is the best time to seize the opportunity to receive life afresh and step into one's hum drum existence with its daily struggles to lead a life worth living. For such people, the fragrance of new life bestowed will be a soothening balm even on their wounds.

The grace of Easter, therefore, is nothing but being offered the opportunity to pass from darkness to light, from death to life, from sin to grace.

Courtesy: Catholic Messenger