Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of the Lord
Scripture:
Acts 10:34a, 37-43
Colossians 3:1-4
John 20:1-9
Reflection:
Hope is in the air! Easter has arrived and once more we Christians celebrate Jesus’ resurrection. Jesus defeats death and we live in the resurrected Christ!
Seems simple enough. All I have to do is believe. Maybe it’s not so simple. Maybe this Easter story of the Resurrection can be described in the words from a 1960s catechism, as more of a “bewilderment shot through with joy, when life was proclaimed where death was expected.”
Maybe this same joyous bewilderment appears in the eyes of a person we show kindness to when kindness is not expected. Perhaps this joyous bewilderment rises within us when we realize the love we had for a dead close family member or friend proclaims the Christian truth that death does not have to be the end. “Joyous bewilderment” is a good term for what I feel when I reflect on the Resurrection and the signs of our times.
Joyous bewilderment in the presence of refugee children crushed by needless war.
Joyous bewilderment in the eyes of those suffering chronic illness.
Joyous bewilderment in the presence of homeless folks around our cities.
Joyous bewilderment in the eyes of those stricken by natural disasters.
Joyous bewilderment in the presence of those with no clean drinking water.
Joyous bewilderment in the eyes of those who live in bitterness.
The Resurrection of Jesus is at once the contradiction and the cornerstone of my belief. Today I rest in the assurance of joyous bewilderment with all who suffer at the foot of the Cross. He has died, we die. He is risen, we are risen. The Paschal Mystery indeed is at once a bewildering mystery and a comforting joy in my heart. Happy Easter and blessings to all!
Terry McDevitt, Ph.D. is a member of the Passionist Family in Louisville, Kentucky.