Resurrection Happens Now

Easter Sunday of The Resurrection of The Lord

Reflecting on the Word

By Rev. James A. Wallace, C.Ss.R.

Some say we are only a series of neurons that come together for a little while  and eventually decompose; in the meantime, the purpose of life is to have as  pleasant a time as possible. A rather limiting vision, no? Easter is my starting  point for rebuttal.  

Easter calls us to include resurrection in our vision of life. This is not always  easy. It wasn’t when it first happened. You can see why Mary Magdalene, seeing that the stone had been removed, would conclude that the body had been  stolen. And you can understand how Peter never got beyond seeing a bunch of burial cloths over in the corner without concluding Jesus was raised. Only the  beloved disciple “saw and believed” (John 20:8).  

We are never told what the tipping point was for the beloved disciple. Was it all those times resting his head near Jesus, watching, listening . . . and knowing? Resurrection experiences have a long history. If you have had a relationship  that you thought was totally over come back to life, you know that resurrection  happens. If you have had an experience of going nowhere with a project, then  it suddenly kicks in, you know that resurrection happens. If you know someone  held captive by an addiction and see them break free and begin the process of  recovery, you know resurrection happens. 

Easter invites us to consider our experiences of resurrection and move to the  conclusion: resurrections have been happening for a long time. It’s just a matter  of seeing and believing. 

Consider/Discuss

  • Have you had any resurrection experiences lately? 
  • What does it mean to you that you share in resurrection life even  now? 

Responding to the Word

We pray through Jesus, God’s Son, whose resurrection was the Father’s answer to death and violence. Jesus is the Word of God, the last word of God’s unconditional love for us. There is one very simple response to this: Alleluia! Praise God!

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