Easter

Dead to Sin, Alive in Christ Jesus

One morning lying in bed I had trouble sleeping. As I knew the morning was approaching, I heard a bird singing a beautiful song that seemed to continually beckon me to get up, and I wanted rather to enjoy my last bit of rest. Despite the darkness of the sky, the bird did not stop. I wanted to tell it he must have messed up daylight savings time or something! But soon my alarm went off and I was up. That bird knew something that I couldn't see: despite evidence to the contrary, the sun was just around the corner, and the night was about to begin to lose its ground to the power of light.

Today we rejoice in the new life that Our Lord Jesus won for us in the great Paschal Mystery. This mystery is recounted for us in the three most solemn liturgies of the year which we celebrate on Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil. After establishing His memorial in the Eucharist to remain with us always, dying on the Cross to forgive our sins, and going into the realm of the dead, today our Lord Jesus has arisen to bring the light of a new day for humanity. We must let this astonish us.

This is what Saint Paul speaks of to us today in Colossians: we are called to be dead to sin and alive in Christ Jesus. Last night, 21 people made that same journey that we renewed at the beginning of Mass: through our Baptism we die with Jesus to our sinfulness and rise to a new day in His Grace.

Old Man: Adam. New Man: Christ Jesus. “Your Life is hidden with God in Christ Jesus.”

This cannot be done alone. Like the Apostles, we must remain united with each other.