Scripture for Mass
Acts 10:34a, 37-43
Psalm 118(117): 1-2. 16-17. 22-23. Response:24
Colossians 3:1-4
John 20:1-9
After a cold and dreary winter, spring has finally sprung! And what a joy it is to feel the gentle warmth of the sun, to see buds bursting forth, and to hear birds chirping cheerfully. In countries like Britain, the re-emergence of life in the natural world and the joy which it stirs in our hearts makes this an ideal time of year for the celebration of Easter.
However, to appreciate fully the arrival of spring or the celebration of Easter, it’s necessary to reflect upon the bigger picture of which they are but one part.
Throughout the winter season, we considered frost and snow, wind and rain as obstacles to be endured until the arrival of spring. However, close observers of the natural world point out that, rather than obstacles, they were in fact important elements which Mother Nature used to prepare and purify the earth for the emergence of new life.
In a similar way, Jesus’s suffering and cruel death were not simply obstacles for him to overcome on his return journey to heaven but rather an important preparation for his resurrection. In the face of great suffering and death, his complete fidelity to God’s mission and his readiness to forgive others purified his love.
It is Christ’s pure and unquenchable love that rose up on the first Easter morning. And it is the radiance and vitality of that love which enables us to proclaim that the risen Christ is the Light of the World and the Eternal Springtime.
Eternal God, we thank you for the gift of our faith in the risen Christ, our belief that he lives now in and through us, his followers.
Through the working of the Holy Spirit, may our lives bear witness to our belief in his victory over sin and evil, suffering and death.
Grant all the newly baptised the grace to remain faithful to their vocation and come closer to Christ through the community of believers.
May all Christian communities radiate the joy of our Easter faith to the surrounding world.
We ask this through Christ, our Risen Lord and Light of the World.
Amen
Fr. Tim Mulroy
