Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Today is the Mother of All Feasts! It is Easter! It is the day that makes our song “Alleluia” possible. We have been preparing ourselves for the last 40 days in eager anticipation of the dawning of this day where we can rejoice with the Crucified and Risen Lord. During these 40 grace-filled days we have been soaked in the incredible story of God’s fidelity to us. This was particularly evident in the Holy Week and in the heart wrenching and faith-anchoring celebrations of the Triduum when we came in close contact with the passion of Jesus Christ.
I have heard of a Chinese proverb that says: “The journey is the reward.” This got me thinking of what is associated with our Christian life as a pilgrimage or a journey to the Father’s Land of glory. It is brought to prominence when it comes to the Season of Lent and most especially the Holy Week and the Triduum. I have this strong sense that to the extent we have been faithfully journeying, and participating in the passion of Jesus Christ, to that extent we would share in the glory of Easter, that singular moment that gave meaning to our existence as Christians. I come to argue that not all of us are committed wholeheartedly to this journey, to this challenging walk with Jesus and thereby not all of us stay the course to reap the reward that this journey promises. We see this constantly portrayed in all walks of life be it the vocation to married life or religious life or priesthood, the more we are committed to the journey, the more rewarding it is for us.
As you can see from the Holy Week’s scripture passages, the men among the disciples performed poorly during Jesus’ passion and predictably it was reflected during the Easter morning too. Was it all too much for them to comprehend or were they all too confused, baffled, confounded and shocked or were they not present there with all their hearts in this whole deal? When the ultimate challenge came their way, they wilted away miserably. The gospel passages given for us to read on the Easter Vigil and the Easter Day make it incontrovertibly clear that this still is our story, a story of unbelief, discomfort, reluctance, hesitation when faced with challenges to our faith. But to those who persevere till the end the reward is unparalleled. The story of the women in the gospel tells us of their unwavering faith and their unrivalled commitment to their journey with Jesus.
Not all of us are like the bold and faithful women who stood by the cross and who with limitless optimism went to the tomb of Jesus that early morning to discover the empty tomb thereby believing in the resurrection of Jesus. Most of us are like the men disciples who despite finding the tomb empty found it hard to believe that the person of Jesus who was put to that unspeakable torture and humiliating death was raised to Life.
Like those two broken hearted disciples on the road to Emmaus who fled that horrible scene of torture and death, our attitude too is to flee the challenging and testing times to our church and our faith. Our response to such trying times is perhaps to leave the church, or be pessimistic about its viability or be noncommittal, nonchalant and lukewarm in our participation in the life of the church. Following our forefathers in faith we continue to fail miserably in trusting that God is the one who makes things happen. We are at best only tools in the hands of God. The tools don’t take the whole credit. We don’t make things happen. It is the God of Abraham, of Noah, of Moses, of Isaac, of Jacob, of Mary and Joseph, that makes Resurrection happen in the life of the Church too.
The women of the gospels show us the way forward. They walked with Jesus relentlessly, recognizing and believing deep within their bones that Jesus was God walking amidst them. They were totally immersed in the Passion of Jesus and so were able to rejoice in His Resurrection. So true is the proverb that reassures us: “The journey is the reward.”
Do not let your hearts be troubled. It is not too late for us to walk resolutely with the Risen Christ who is an irrefutable image of the reward God has for each of us if we are faithful to Him. The church will still go on because it is not we who animate the Church but is the power of the Holy Spirit. Do not lose heart; God is in command; Stay the course. The journey is the reward. So hold your heads high as you sing: Alleluia. That is our marching song; a reward to our faithfulness despite our stumbling. “Alleluia” is irrepressible, uncontainable, and uncontrollable. Keep singing it whenever we or any among us stumble for it is God who is in control.
Let your hearts be filled with the spirit of the Risen Lord.
May you and yours enjoy the reward of the journey with the Lord Jesus Christ!
HAPPY EASTER!
Love,
Fr. John