Daily Gospel Reflection for April 5, 2015

Today's Gospel: John 20:1-9

Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of the Lord

It took me years to be able to be excited about this passage. I know: Easter’s supposed to be the biggest big deal we have as Christians. And here’s the thing: I’ve been so immersed in it my whole life that I just couldn’t see what was special about it.

It might have been when I was holding my first child, still feeling like a rather new Catholic, that I started to appreciate the mystery of the Resurrection more. It might have been as I’ve watched my kids grow and thrive, despite my own (unintentional) attempts to thwart them.

At some point, the resurrection became more than a theory, more than a distant home, more than a nice idea for church. I’ve started to understand why Peter and the other disciple didn’t just walk, but ran, how the bubbling in their bellies must have reached crescendo at about the edge of the tombs.

Suddenly, through some miracle of just plowing through life, I caught a glimpse of what Easter really means. We look to the Cross, and we see both sides of the gift: the giving in the Passion, the receiving in the Resurrection. There’s a cost, and paying it is joyful (though painful).

Thank God! Let’s dance today and eat the treats! It’s time to feast and delve into just what it means to be a Resurrection People!

Ponder:

How can I live the Resurrection in my life? What can I do to keep the spark of excitement alive?

Pray:

Lord, thank you for the gift of your Son, and especially for the gift of his Resurrection. Guide me, so that I don’t take it for granted. Amen.

We thank our friends at The Word Among Us for providing our gospel reflection team with copies of Abide In My Word 2015: Mass Readings at Your Fingertips. To pray the daily gospels with this wonderful resource, visit The Word Among Us.

Copyright 2015 Sarah Reinhard