The Catholic Calendar for Saturday, April 2, 2005
Saturday within the Octave of Easter
It was not the end; it was only the beginning. The empty tomb revolutionized the way of thinking and acting of the whole world, to say nothing of the eleven apostles. The force that shattered the rock, shattered also the dreams of these men for prominence, power, and control of the "new order' they had hoped Jesus would establish. He did indeed establish a new order, but it was far from what they had planned.
It was one thing to flank the Master while He performed a miracle, uttered a wise parable, or taught a new Truth; it was quite another for these men, without Jesus present, to be His voice for servant love, unlimited forgiveness, and a life of witness that placed self last. No wonder the Jewish leadership arrested them, flogged them, and forbade them to preach such "nonsense." These Pharisees had to bite their tongues many times for fear of the crowds when Jesus was alive, but now they knew first hand how revolutionary this all was. They would have to be firm and decisive!
Everything in the Hebrew Scriptures had new meaning, and a different interpretation was necessary. The life and teaching of Jesus meant that everything was different, especially the lifestyle of anyone who accepted such teaching. Jesus had told them that, if they wished to be his followers, they must take up their cross daily. Now they knew just how hard a saying that really was.
And yet, did they really have a choice? In the light of Jesus' Resurrection, nothing made sense without Him. There was only one choice--give Him their total allegiance. Total. And trust in the power of the Holy Spirit He had sent upon them.
And so must we!
- Msgr. Paul E. Whitmore
(smartins at twcny dot rr dot com)
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posted by joachim at 6:20 AM