Easter offers us a new perspective, a new way of looking at life through the lens of hope. Hope is seeing beyond the present to the possibilities of a better future. Jesus’ resurrection anchors us in the belief that God’s power can accomplish something new in our lives and in our community… and in our world.
Español - Mensaje
“When all is taken away from us and we stare only at an empty tomb in the dawn of the morning, do we see the Lord before us, our living hope, leading us to a better future?”
Easter invites us to look at life with new eyes, the eyes of faith. It helps us to see beyond the present situation. We need this kind of sight to look beyond the present into the future of hope.
“Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe.” St Augustine.
The new way, which Jesus is proposing, begins with a new perspective. Looking beyond our current situation, there is hope In the midst of chaos; there is a new creation unfolding. God is creating something new for us in our hearts, a burning desire for a friendship with Christ.
In the Scriptures this week, the message is about recognizing the voice of Jesus in our own lives. Let your ears hear Jesus’ word of support and encouragement. The voice of Jesus, the Shepherd, calls us trust in Him, to love all, and to act for peace and justice.
Life has changed for all of us so radically in the past 8 weeks. We now have a new way of living, working, recreating, shopping, and praying. A radical change is what Jesus is calling His disciples to in this discourse. Jesus promises a deeper relationship with Him and the Father to all that accept this call and gives us “new life”.
Easter offers a new way of looking at life through the lens of hope. This time of worshipping away from our parish family also offers us a new perspective on how the Spirit is working in us. So much of our daily routines, what we are comfortable with, what is familiar to us has changed over these past nine weeks. What has not changed? Christ’s love for us.