Easter

Saint Katharine reflected that “The Sabbath Day had now begun, a day of quiet mourning and hope – the dusk of Good Friday and the dawn of Easter Sunday seem to blend together.”

Saint Katharine also noted that the Eucharist was the continuation of the Incarnation and reproduction of Jesus’ Passion and death. During the Last Supper, Jesus transformed bread and wine into His Body and Blood. Did the Apostles realize this during the Last Supper? After the Resurrection, the Apostles came to realize the depth and breadth and meanings of Jesus’ teachings.

Good Friday and Easter Sunday were the reasons why Jesus was born. He was born to live to teach us and to die to atone for our sins; He was born to rise from the dead to provide us the way to rise to eternal life and glory.

During the Way of the Cross, Mary met her Son, bloodied and exhausted. Her concern is reflected in that of parents today who are concerned about the welfare of their children.

Veronica wiped the face of Jesus. Under normal circumstances, this would have seemed a normal act. Now, it was an act that showed the pained humanity of Jesus and the normal, human concern of one person for another.

What did Simon of Cyrene think when the soldiers pulled him onto the path to help carry the cross of a condemned criminal? He and his son had just finished a hard day’s work and now he was forced to be associated with a dirty, bloody criminal. What did Simon of Cyrene think on Easter Sunday? Did he realize that he had helped God during a difficult time? Do we realize that we may be helping angels in disguise when we do another person a kind favor?

This Easter, may our appreciation deepen of what Jesus has done for us and the graces available to us daily. May our love for God and one another grow daily, blossoming into the person God wants us to be. May we appreciate the love God has for us, individually and personally.

May you have a blessed and joyful Easter!

Stephanie Morris, Ph.D., ASBS