Thanks be to God because Easter Sunday is considered a public holiday, to give us more time to celebrate and contemplate on the generosity of God in Jesus Christ.
But, how did you celebrate the resurrection of Jesus?
Where were you when the People of God celebrated the Paschal Mystery of Jesus Christ, his suffering, death and resurrection?
Before Easter Sunday, the names of Peter and Judas Iscariot were highlighted in the gospel.
It was said that Judas Iscariot deliberately betrayed Jesus, while Peter denied him with an oath and curse. He acted impulsively out of weakness and cowardice.
Easter time is a time to celebrate and taste the goodness of the Lord, a time to sing salvation, a time to walk in the light of Christ.
But, how could we celebrate salvation when we know we are still in darkness like Peter, who denied Jesus to preserve himself and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him in exchange for some favour and faithlessness?
There was a priest who said, “Satan sometimes can twist love and turn it into hate. He can even turn holiness into pride, discipline into cruelty, affection into complacency”.
St Paul said, “whoever thinks he is standing secure should take care not to fall” (1 Cor 10:12).
We are all tempted in many ways, like Peter and Judas, and we may fall into traps employed by Satan.
“We are called Easter people, the people always seek and rejoice in the Lord, away from him, we can do nothing.” (Jn 5:5).
We are the people because the resurrection of Jesus shows that suffering, disappointment and death can be transformed into new life.
Easter gives us hope, a hope that promises the fullness of life.
As St Paul said, “do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind” (Rom 12:2).
~ Contributed by Fr Line Abilgos of St Michael’s Catholic Church, on behalf of the Combined Churches of Deniliquin.
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