A Post-Easter Word

Is your heart a little lighter this Eastertide? It is meant to be. The Christian faith is an Easter faith. It makes an impact at the centre of our lives. Resurrection is to be tangibly experienced by each one of us. But it cannot be forced, it comes, like the dawn, as a bright gift to console and comfort.

Christ rises in your heart, gently, slowly, whenever-

you truly grieve at another’s loss 

your heart rejoices at another’s success

you are patient with an intolerant friend

you refuse to accept that your marriage is over

you try again to beat your addiction

you face the monotony of each day with tiny hope

you continue to struggle when your spirit is low

you reach out in trust to share your pain

you risk your secrets with a new friend

you heal the conflict with an old friend

you believe in the dawn while it is still dark

your broken heart finds new power through letting go

you notice a startling beauty everywhere

you accept the grief that loving brings

your spirit can only grow when you face your fears

you experience yourself and others as deeply lovable

your spirit lifts with the glory of this world

you weep at the earth’s pain

you laugh with the delight at God’s surprises

you refuse to give in and persevere for another day

you learn from your mistakes

you reclaim and nourish your own power and beauty

you see all people as sisters and brothers

you see all creatures, flora and fauna, as God’s beloved.

The list dear friends could go on and on. Each one of you could add another few precious examples. Let me end with this thought. It was in his vulnerability and weakness, his loneliness and loss that the perfect humanity of Christ was shown forth. It was in the ordinariness of his experiences that the extraordinary story of God’s compassion for humankind became crystal clear. And the most amazing grace of all is that everything that happened in Christ then is happening in us now. In our despair and doubt, in our anxiety and fears, in our efforts to be gracious, open and forgiving, in all of these the risen spirit of Christ is at work and at play forever in our hearts.

 

So don’t forget to play these Easter days!

 

(Message from Daniel in St Benedict’s parish bulletin Eastertide 1992)