Easter reflection
“God looked at all this creation, and proclaimed that this was good, - very good.” -Genesis 1:31
Read the Easter Vigil lectionary readings.
Read the Easter morning lectionary readings.
Prayer
God, the resurrection of Jesus has given us new life and renewed hope. Help us to live our life as Jesus modeled for us. Give us wisdom to know what we must do, the will to do it, the courage to undertake it, the perseverance to continue, and the strength to complete our task.
Reflection
Despite the issues that plague our world and society we must never forget that this world, this creation, is good. Our faith calls us to trust that God intends for this world to be open for all. Our hope relies on the fact that the one who models the way of openness, Jesus Christ, has been resurrected. Jesus continues to live in each of us who are willing to follow the path of love.
The society that Jesus lived in contained issues that we still face. His reaction was to call out injustice while being open to everyone. He supported the marginalized in celebrations including eating and drinking with them and letting them know how to resist oppressors nonviolently. He also ate and drank with those in power while pointing out their hypocrisies and telling them to end the injustices they benefited from. This openness and love for everyone disturbed those in power so much that they attempted to eliminate the threat by crucifying Jesus. This was a failure as the resurrected Jesus continues to be the greatest threat to all injustice, and the hope for the world. The resurrected Jesus is not confined to any one dogma, the truth Jesus professes is present in all who are open to love.
We are called to be like Jesus. We must listen to the marginalized, support them and work for the end of the structures of oppression, i.e. white supremacy, racism, sexism, and all other forms of dehumanization. We need to recognize how we benefit from these structures and be agents of change. We also will be celebrating life with others who do not recognize how they benefit from the structures of oppression and as Jesus did, we need to speak truthfully but nonviolently. This is the love that Jesus modeled for us.
We celebrate the resurrection of Jesus when we are willing to take a stand to resist the powers that harm all people. Our work will not be easy and we will likely never see results we desire. Yet we must persevere as we trust that our efforts are a necessary step for justice for all.
Questions for Discussion / Reflection:
Where do you find hope despite systems of oppression?
Do you have friends and family who disagree with your views? How do you deal with them?
Suggestion for Almsgiving:
In the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, Catholic Charities is providing assistance to those seeking asylum, who are released by the border patrol to await their court dates. Please consider donating to any local organization in your area that is assisting asylum seekers and migrants.
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