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6-Apr-2007
Dear Friend,
Most people like innovations, novelties, and newness in life. At the same
time we are creatures of habit and prefer to do things as they have always been
done. For those weighed down by suffering there is a longing for change and an
undying hope for better prospects. Easter heralds hope for the hopeless. His
resurrection guarantees ours as well! Have a glorious weekend celebrating hope
for all! Fr. Jude
Sunday Reflections: Easter Sunday Rejoice, He has arisen! Alleluia!
08-Apr-2007
Readings : Acts 10: 34, 37-43; Colossians 3: 1-4; John 20:1-9;
Today's first reading speaks of Peter's witnessing to the death and
resurrection of Jesus Christ. Peter witnesses not only to Jesus' life but also
to his resurrection. They had seen him put to death and they were the proud
witnesses of his resurrection. Peter claims that he is one who ate and drank
with him after his resurrection from the dead. They now fearlessly speak out
because they have been asked by Jesus to be his witness to the unbelieving
world and they promise that all those who believe in the name of Jesus and
accept him will experience the fruit of the resurrection in their very lives.
The response psalm will remind us that we are called to be joyful witnesses
because 'this is the day made by the Lord, we rejoice and are glad in it'. The
fact that Jesus is alive in us is the true source of joy.
What we have seen and heard and felt
.
I have often heard of the Niagara Falls, the Grand Canyon or the Eiffel
Tower. What I had was factual or academic knowledge. When I visited these
places, and saw them for myself, I had crossed the line into experiential
knowledge. Experiential knowledge is not something that can be taught. The only
way I could share such knowledge with you is to bring you to share the
experience. Quite a great deal of our religion has to deal with academic
knowledge, where we learned catechism answers, and memorized whole passages of
the gospels. Bill Wilson was the founder of Alcoholic Anonymous, together with
a man called Bob Smith. One day Bill was in the horrors, when he fell on his
knees, and cried out 'God, if you are there, please help me"! Suddenly the room
was filled with a bright light, and Bill just sat there filled with awe.
Eventually, as it were, the light entered his heart and soul, and he came out
of that room feeling totally changed, exclaiming, "Now I know the God of the
preachers." It is in that way that we can read John's account of the
resurrection.
Jack McArdle in 'And that's the Gospel truth'
In the second reading Paul in his letter to the Colossians reminds them that
since they have discovered new life in Christ they must live up to their
calling. The eternal life possessed by the risen Lord has not yet attained its
fullness of glory in the baptized. Yet they are called, from the moment of
their redemption to live according to the light of the gospel. Their thoughts
are to be on heavenly things not on the things of the earth that drag them
down. His life, death and resurrection should be the motivation and inspiration
of our lives.
And there was resurrection.
"There is no way a black person will ever ride in front of a bus in Birmingham
. We'll keep our customs no matter what anyone else says." The Rev. Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr. persisted in his movement, 99 percent of the black people in
Birmingham courageously stood their ground
and there was resurrection. "Be
reasonable. There is no way that a person without sight, hearing or speech
could possibly communicate in any meaningful way. We can make her comfortable,
but not much more than that." But Helen Keller strained and wrestled with every
detail of her existence, poured herself into every effort-filled day
.and there
was resurrection. "With your illness, no use of your hands and arms, you will
never be able to write or draw at all. I'm sorry but we have done all that we
can do." Ann Anders never gave up. She learned to take a pencil in her teeth,
developed a great skill in sketching in this way, and became a professional
artist
. and there was resurrection.
Eugene Lauer in 'Sunday Morning Insights'
For John, as we heard in his gospel, the Easter story begins very early in
the morning of the first day of the week when it is 'still dark'. The story is
full of symbolism. The Easter we celebrate is an invitation to come out of the
darkness of the tomb, -sin, into the light of the risen Christ. In that light
we see him and recognize each other as brother and sister in the Lord. Easter
began in the dark and began in the tomb. The story begins with someone many had
written off as a lost cause, Mary Magdalene. When she reaches the tomb and sees
the stone rolled away, she presumes that someone has stolen Jesus' body. She
finds it easier to believe in the negative actions of people rather than in the
positive power of God, who refuses to let death have the last word. She rushes
back to the apostles to break the bad news: his body has been stolen. Peter and
John hear her story and rush to the tomb to see for themselves. John reaches
first, sees the burial cloths lying on the
ground and waits for Peter. Peter goes into the tomb and also sees the cloths
but it is John who understands that the body of the master is not stolen but
risen from the dead. He sees the discarded cloths, he sees with the eyes of
faith and knows what it means- Jesus has risen from the dead. John's is a love
that sees through the dark. The empty tomb is never the proof of the
resurrection. It is people of faith, Mary Magdalene, Simon Peter and John, who
are proof of the resurrection. Only when people are in love, those who are
touched by His love, these are the people who are witnesses of the
resurrection. Later, when Jesus stands unrecognized on the shore of Lake
Tiberias, it is the beloved disciple who informs Peter: "It is the Lord."
"John delights to portray together Simon Peter, and the disciple whom Jesus
loved the latter always ahead of the former by his speedy intuition, where
the impulse of the heart provides the soul with eyes. In the distracted race to
the tomb it is John who arrives before the chief of the apostles but he halts
there, panting and disconcerted before the empty vault. It is for Peter to
enter first, so that later he may bear witness to the mystery of the absent
One. There lie the grave-cloths neatly folded. The very way they are arranged
would indicate that the body had not been stolen. But while Peter, not
understanding, ponders to himself, the beloved disciple has already understood.
With the insight of a faith which has only to add compelling proofs, he becomes
aware that the body could not have been taken away. In these abandoned and
folded grave-cloths he reads the testimony to a definitive resurrection. Life
now rules where death had reigned! He sees as only love can;
he believes, and he journeys towards this fullness of meaning which is Jesus,
living now for evermore." Glenstal Bible Missal
And then dawn came
Years ago an old municipal lamplighter, engaged in putting out his lights one
by one, was met by a reporter who asked him if he never grew tired of his work
in the cold dark night of labour. "Never am I cheerless" said the old man, "for
there is always a light ahead of me to cheer me on." "But what do you have to
cheer you when you have put out the last light?" asked the news writer. "Then
comes the dawn." said the lamplighter. -A man of the world might have asked
Jesus the same question. One light after another did he put out: the light of
popular acclaim, the light of patriotic approval, the lamp of ecclesiastical
conformity all for the sake of God's love which burned in his heart and
showed him a better way. At last even the light of his life was to flicker out
on the hill called Calvary. What then? We hear his voice, "Into Thy hands I
commend my spirit," and then dawn came.
Carl Knudsen in 'Quotes and Anecdotes'
May we discover new life in and through Jesus!
Fr. Jude Botelho
www.netforlife.net
PS. The stories, incidents and anecdotes used in the reflections have been
collected over the years from books as well as from sources over the net and
from e-mails received. Every effort is made to acknowledge authors whenever
possible. If you send in stories or illustrations I would be grateful if you
could quote the source as well so that they can be acknowledged if used in
these reflections. These reflections are also available on my web site
www.netforlife.net Thank you.
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