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4/9/2023
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Today is Easter, the Feast of the Resurrection. It is, along with the Incarnation, at the center of the history of salvation. In the Resurrection, Jesus overcame the curse of sin and death, became the first fruits of the New Creation, went ahead of us into eternity with a resurrected body, taking his place in the Trinity with His resurrected body, elevating the human race to a position higher even than the angels. The devil, whose reign over the old world of the flesh, the fallen world of concupiscence and sin and death, was overcome precisely through the death that he brought about in successfully tempting Adam and Eve. That same death which Christ embraced in the crucifixion now leads to NEW ETERNAL LIFE, to NEW CREATION, to the glorification of the Father by the Son in the Trinity. Suffering and death were brought into the world through sin, and they were the means by which our mortality was overcome once and for all. What a plan! What a powerful event!
Today we struggle to rise above the fallenness of the flesh. We want for the vision to see a way out of our polarization and bickering. We lack the faith to see and believe how Christ conquered all these things in one powerful event: the Resurrection. In the following 50 days leading up to Pentecost, we will recount the event, hear from those who saw and experienced the Risen Christ, see the miracles and the transformation brought about following the Resurrection. Pay attention to the Masses this week as we follow the disciples as they experience the risen Christ and come to an awareness of how things are different, including themselves. We call it “Good News.” We could say it was “Incredible News,” or use any superlatives that we can conjure up and still inadequately express what has happened. But the adjective we use is merely “Good.” Why? Well, it hearkens back to the original creation, when “God said it was good.” The first creation was good, and so was the second. The first was tainted by the fall; the second will be perfected when Christ comes again in glory, judges us, reunites our bodies and our souls, and calls the faithful to union with the Trinity in heaven. Then the old creation will pass away, and the New Creation will be permanently put in its place.
We dare to hope to be part of the New Creation, because of what happened to Christ almost 2,000 years ago. He represented us, he brought about our salvation, and he went ahead of us to show us the way we are called to go, if only we can allow God to do His work in us, as He did in Mary. We long for that, we hope for that, and our hope is based on the Resurrection of Christ, which we celebrate today. Before this great event, all our other concerns, which are on the human level great indeed, all other human concerns pale and diminish in magnitude before the great mystery of the Resurrection. Let us celebrate with Alleluias and joy and confidence in the power that comes to those who give their lives over to the Lord. We want that Kingdom to be here in St. Gregory Barbarigo Parish, we want our baptism to grow into the fruitful vine which bears fruit here and now and most of all in eternity. There is no other adventure which compares to this one. May we embrace it, even as we lean on God to bring it about in us.
May we allow the grace emanating from the Resurrection to invigorate our lives and direct our hearts to the New Creation. It is a privilege, a joy to accompany you on this journeyFather Albert, O.S.B.