Easter Sunday 2022

04-17-2022Weekly ReflectionFr. Bing Colasito

Rejoice! The Lord is Risen.Today, the whole of Christendom marks its highest feast, EASTER, the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Behind the great salvation of humanity is the story of the Lord Jesus Christ suffering and dying for us. His death was the Redemptive Death. The whole redemptive act started when He was born: His life, death, and resurrection. But without His resurrection, His life, suffering, and death would be meaningless for our salvation.

The resurrection of Jesus marks the crowning of the Father’s salvific work, new life for those whom He saved. The saving action of God should rock the deepest core of human existence. The sacrifice of Jesus on the cross and His resurrection transform us into a new life, effecting a new way of life both here and now; and the life to come, opening for us the way to eternal life with His Father.

Easter is not simply professing that Jesus has risen, but more so, that He is the Son of God and Savior of the world. He is a Savior who wants to be in our hearts, in our lives; and living with the Risen Lord within us. Making His Words, our own rule of life, our way of life. "Love one another as I have loved you (Jn. 13:34)."

Jesus is Risen! He is with us, and we feel His presence in different ways. But we experience Him most in the Eucharist, in the Scriptures, and in the Church. In one of the Gospels, Jesus tells us about the Eucharist."I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever, and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world (Jn. 6:51).”

This Easter Season, may the presence of the Risen Lord be our family, our homes, and our lives. When we love God and love one another, Jesus assures us of His presence. “If you love me, my Father will love you, and we will make our home in you (Jn. 14:23)."

We can celebrate the presence of God in our homes in many ways. First, in our families, when we share the Word of God, pray as a family, and celebrate the sacraments together. And second, in our Small Christian Community, where we break the Word; and break bread through our fellowship. “For where two or three have gathered together in my name, I am there in their midst (Mt. 18:20).”

Our parish Church of St. Rose is the spiritual HOME of God. We invite all our parish families to make it truly their Spiritual Home Mi casa es tu casa; Jesus says: My house is your house. Personally, it means that I will prepare and rearrange my home for Jesus so that when He enters it, He feels at home indeed.

Hospitality at St. Rose is an imitation of the warmth and kindness of Jesus. He rearranges His life for us, strips Himself of His Divinity, and becomes man so that we might feel at HOME with Him. Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped; but emptied Himself by taking the form of a servant and being born in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man,
He humbled Himself by becoming obediedient to the point of death: death on a cross. (Phil. 2:6-8)

This Easter Season, I wish to welcome everyone with the same warmth and kindness of Jesus and invite everyone to share and live away of life following the invitation of Jesus: Mi casa es tu casa. Jesus loves us, and He invites us to love another with the assurance of His ever presence. "If you love me, my Father will love you, and we will make our home in you (Jn. 14:23).