The Promise of Eternity: A Game Changer in My Life

We’ve reached the climax of Lent, the beginning of the Easter Triduum.  These next three days are the reason that I returned to the Catholic faith.  After years of being agnostic, I finally made the decision to explore the possibility of God based on the promises of His resurrection.  The promise of heaven, of life after death and eternity (with Him and our loved ones) was the reason that I opened my heart to God and finally got off the teeter-totter to explore Jesus’ claims for salvation of the world and my own personal salvation.  Though, I can be a doubting Thomas, there’s historical (secular) evidence that Jesus came into this world and was crucified.  He claimed he was the son of God and died for us on the cross.  Some have tried to pass him as a schizophrenic or a mad man, but studying his life there’s no traces of mental illness.  Thus, the theory that he was mad is obliterated and am left with his ministry of salvation. 

These next three days we live His passion, death and resurrection; yet, unlike the apostles who hid and were unsure until Pentecost we already know that He overcame death and was raised on the third day.  Today, we have it so easy, specially the baptized who have received His Spirit. Jesus, told us that when he left, he wouldn’t leave us alone that he would send His Spirit to be with us in this valley of tears.  Gift, after gift- as if our salvation – our passage to heaven, was not enough He left the most powerful force to guide us in our journey to eternity!

I always thank God that I was created after Jesus inhabited our world because things to me make sense because of Jesus.  To have a God that came down into His own creation, lived, interacted and spoke to us in a language that we could understand is pretty phenomenal. Am not sure how people before Jesus handled death because it is through his promises of eternal life that I found the most consolation, the most hope when I lost my brother and even recently when I lost my dog (I know Saint Francis opens a window in heaven for little creatures) because of Jesus we know that we have an eternal future, that death is not the end - only the beginning to a life with God and all our saintly family.  That certainly is a game changer for me and the leading reason that I continue to follow Christ – because death is not normal- we are made for all eternity!  This Holy Thursday, I accompany Christ in seven Churches not leaving him alone like his own disciples, tomorrow I am in mourning as I live his death and during Easter Vigil my heart rejoices as the bells sound off that He is risen!  And that one day, I too will rise to be with Him in all eternity. Happy Easter Triduum!