“RISEN WITH CHRIST”
Easter Reflections
Thursday, 20th April 2017.
Easter Octave
Acts 3:11-26
Ps 8:2,5-9
Lk 24:35-48
RESURRECTION: REMOVING FEAR AND EMBRACING JOY
When the two disciples were sharing their Emmaus experience, Jesus appears in their midst, They are startled and frightened. Jesus' human way of showing his wounds, his partaking in their meal makes them overcome their fear and to answer the questions bothering them. They see Jesus, their loving master; the one who reveals himself; one who understands; one who communicates; one who forgives and one who empowers. They were highly receptive to His words, and are made to understand the whole story of Jesus’ life. The people who thought that their world was coming to an end started seeing the beginning of a new world.
This reaction of the disciples reveals an experience that we all have at times when invited by God to enter into His glory and grace. So often, when God invites us closer to Himself, when He invites us to experience the joy of His Resurrection, we react with hesitancy. We can find it hard to actually let ourselves experience the reality of the Resurrection in our lives.This can happen for many reasons. Discouragement is one cause for our hesitancy to fully embrace the Resurrection. The disciples were deeply discouraged at the death of Jesus. And now that He had risen, and was standing there before them, they were hesitant to let go of that discouragement they let take hold.
So also, we can easily let the weight of the world, our sin, or the sins of others get to us. We can get angry or upset and find ourselves brewing over the apparent problems we face. Taking joy in the Resurrection means we turn our eyes away from those things and look intently at the realities God wants us to focus on. It does no good to become discouraged with the many problems that come our way. Instead, our Lord is calling us to look beyond them to something greater. He is calling us to look to His victory! Looking at His victory is freeing and produces an incredible faith in our lives. And that faith in the Risen Lord will have the effect of a wonderful joy that God wants us to have. With your eyes fixed on Him, all else that tempts you to discouragement simply fades away.
Prayer: Lord, I do want to gaze upon You. I want to see You risen from the dead and take great joy and delight in this reality. Help me, dear Lord, to experience the incredible joy that comes from knowing You, our Resurrected Lord. Jesus, I trust in You. Amen.
Copyright ©2013-2017 ©JoyCat, Joy of the Catholic Life: see www.joy-cat.blogspot.com.
.gif)
