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!
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