Happy Easter!! St. Pope John Paul II said that we, as Catholics, are Easter People. As Easter People, we need to spread the message of Easter, that Jesus Christ rose from the dead, to the entire world. Our world is so infiltrated by sin and hatred that many people don't even know what Easter is actually all about. Eggs, bunnies, flowers, and even chocolate, no matter how much superficial happiness they bring, are nothing compared to the joy that comes with knowing that Jesus Christ, Son of God, conquered sin and death so that we, ordinary people, ordinary sinners, may have the chance to be in Heaven, a paradise beyond what our Human minds are capable of imagining. And Heaven is a paradise simply because it is only there that we can be fully united with our Father once again.
Easter truly is the happiest day of the year, no matter what the circumstances are. This Easter especially, we can meditate on the joy that comes simply with knowing that Christ rose from the dead. This year, many of us can't celebrate with family, friends, Easter gifts, or even the insane amount of chocolate that some of us usually receive. Instead of having the focus be on all of the worldly celebrations, we can switch the focus to where it belongs- on Christ. The man who literally defeated death itself, the man who gave his life for the people that brutally murdered him, the man who loves us with a perfect love, rose from the dead!
Pope John Paul II said during his Angelus address one day in 1986:
We do not pretend that life is all beauty. We are aware of darkness and sin, of poverty and pain. But we know Jesus has conquered sin and passed through his own pain to the glory of the Resurrection. And we live in the light of his Paschal Mystery - the mystery of his Death and Resurrection. “We are an Easter People and Alleluia is our song!”. We are not looking for a shallow joy but rather a joy that comes from faith, that grows through unselfish love, that respects the “fundamental duty of love of neighbour, without which it would be unbecoming to speak of Joy”. We realize that joy is demanding; it demands unselfishness; it demands a readiness to say with Mary: “Be it done unto me according to thy word”.
As he says, we are all looking for joy. He reveals that the secret to feeling true joy is love. And not just friendship love, not just romantic love, but Agape love. Agape love is the love that God has for us. It is sacrificial love- A love that gives all it has and expects nothing in return. It is only through Agape love, faith in the Lord, and total surrender of our lives to God that we will ever find true joy.
This Easter, ponder the amazing amount of love that Jesus has for you. It was you that He was thinking about as He hung upon His cross. Take that love, and use it to set the world on fire with the love of Christ. May God bless you on this Easter and always. I am praying for you every day. <3
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