Easter blessings, everyone!

Easter arrives a second time in the midst of the global pandemics that have clouded our planet.  The first time around, all of us had been under some “stay-at-home” guideline, filled with uncertainty about what this meant and how long we would stay there. We now begin a second Easter season, with glimmers of hope as the number of vaccinated people increases, but shadowed by the grief of so much loss.  A year ago, we could not have imagined the death toll could reach three million people, yet we are edging close to that grim number worldwide.  Nearly everyone has lost a loved one or someone they know; loss and sadness are everywhere.  We are having a profound Good Friday experience as a human family.  How do we witness to the Easter promise in the midst of this? This year the chocolate bunnies, the colored eggs, and, yes, the “Peeps” are all out again, but they do not comfort our grieving souls.

Jesuit Brian McDermott offered a consoling reflection about Resurrection recently, which moved us deeply.  He explains we need to return to that first Easter morning which was not necessarily about joy but rather about presence.  The loss was palpable and strong; every Gospel accounts for the fear and the uncertainty.  The power of the Resurrection, McDermott shared, was that Jesus was now free to be present to all crucifixions! Jesus the Christ was now free to be with everyone who suffers, present through the power of a love bigger than any loss. Now, that is the Easter we celebrate!

Easter reminds us to trust in God’s dream in Jesus Christ, where love’s presence consoles and accompanies.  We will experience a quieter Easter, but perhaps a more profound invitation to trust in Jesus’s love for us.

General Leadership Team

Easter 2021

Imagen en el encabezado: Pixabay.