Reflection for March 31, 2024

​Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of the Lord (B)

​Acts 10:34A, 37-43 | Psalm 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23 | 1 Corinthians 5:6B-8 | John 20:1-9

​The psalmist prays today, "This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad!" On this Easter Sunday, let us remember that our faith is bigger than life, and that Jesus is more powerful than death. By rising back to life, Christ has opened, for everyone, a path that leads to Life. He invites us now to put off our old corrupt self and be transformed anew. Finally, he encourages us to hope and cause others to hope. This way, we become people of the Resurrection. 

​A devout Christian watched Mother Teresa of Calcutta as she cleaned a maggot-infested wound of a Hindu and fed starving moslems on the streets, only to say, "Why are you helping them? They are not Christians, are they?" Mother Teresa replied, "But I am a Christian". 

In our First Reading, Peter, at first, thought that the Messiah had come only for the Jews. God had to shake Peter up about this opinion. Peter realizes that God has no favorites but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right. Jesus suffered, died and resurrected for all people, not just for one group or the elect. For this reason, Peter preached that the old differences between Jews and Gentiles don't matter anymore. Jesus came to break down the walls that divide us. Salvation is a universal gift for all humankind. The universality of the salvation offered by God in Jesus Christ calls for an end to every kind of undue cultural, ecclesial, and political introversion. This finds expression in reciprocal respect for the life of each person. 

Following its infestation with pests such as bed bugs, cockroaches, and rodents, the Ninoy Aquino International Airport is set to undergo a reboot under the management of the San Miguel Beer Corporation in a few months. Upon its reopening, there won't be a sign indicating "Business as usual." Instead, a sign proclaiming "Under new management" will be displayed.

The Apostle Paul, in his first letter to the Corinthians calls them to conversion with a metaphor. He uses the implication of leaven in bread to symbolize the new covenant. Leaven or yeast is a biological agent. What confirms it as a plant is its ability to reproduce itself. It is a fungus that induces fermentation that changes the properties of dough. Yeast makes the dough rise. Leaven signifies anything which rots and corrupts. Passover was followed immediately by the Feast of the Unleavened Bread. In preparation for this feast, all traces of old bread or corrupt crumbs were hunted and removed from the house and only unleavened bread was eaten during this festival. As we know, sin has an inclination of producing more sins. The Resurrection of Jesus invites us to hunt for all the leaven in our homes, that is, to eradicate sin from our lives. Consequently, on this first day of the Easter season, at every Holy Mass in the world, we renew our Baptismal promises. This massive mobilization of Catholic Christians to launch a major offensive against Satan and profess our faith in the Father of life, Jesus our Life, and the life-giving Spirit is a solemn declaration that we are in fact, "Under new management".

Rarely am I awake early enough to catch the birds' morning melodies. However, last Saturday, I found myself up before my intended time, without any clear reason. My body occasionally acts this way without any caffeine involved. I often ponder why birds sing. Some say it's their joy at the return of the sun, yet I've observed their songs begin well before dawn. They sing even in darkness, confident that it won't last forever, much like us. While it might be easy to sing in darkness out of pity, mourning the pain it brings, birds don't, and neither should we. Instead, let's sing to herald the sun, even if it's not yet visible.

The initial Easter dawn unfolded amidst a whirlwind of emotions. Mary of Magdala's startling revelation to Peter and the unnamed disciple, announcing Jesus' missing body, ignited a flurry of reactions: awe, disbelief, amazement, and confusion, punctuated by lots of running. Perhaps life's trials have left you weary, hindering your ability to fully embrace the joyful Alleluias. Everyone grapples with life's burdens, some seemingly insurmountable, with death looming as the greatest challenge. Yet, Easter transcends mere celebration of God's love; it proclaims Jesus' triumph over humanity's ultimate struggle – death. In moments of hope, we embody the resurrection, each encouraging a testament to Jesus' victory over death. Easter may ultimately be about things that are high, bright, light, and clear, but it begins in things that are low, dim, dark, and murky. The gift of Easter is hope. Whenever we hope, we are people of the resurrection. Jesus is raised from death each time we encourage people to hope. Let us encourage one another to hope. God will protect us all from whooping cough and measles. If you agree, say Amen. God will help us assert our sovereignty by driving away Chinese presence in the West Philippine Sea. If you agree, say Amen. God will keep our rice field irrigated, water level and supplies constant, despite the El Niño. If you agree, say Amen. Rice will be 20 PHP per kilo beginning tomorrow. If you agree, say Amen. We are now in the golden era, aren't we? If you agree, say Amen. You don't sound convinced, do you? Whenever we hope, we are people of the resurrection. Jesus is raised from death each time we encourage people to hope in this time of uncertainty and fear; Easter reminds us that life is worth living. Don't forget the Resurrection; rejoice in it and glory in it, for Jesus is risen indeed. He defeated sin and death. A holy and meaningful Easter to all of us. 

<enrique,ofs>