"Living the Easter Joy"

Today's Mass Readings

Today’s gospel reading from John emphasizes Jesus’ divinity. We get a mystical sense of Jesus have coming from above and the Father giving everything over to the Son. And yet, despite this emphasis on divinity, we know that in this season of Easter we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus which only came after his gruesome crucifixion. Jesus, the Son of God, actually died, and he died because of God’s great love for humankind. Jesus, who walked among us, is a very concrete way in which we understand what God was like. And in Jesus’ death we see that God is loving and self-sacrificing. He empties himself for us and it is in this emptying, this humbling, that the Son is exalted. The implications for us during this Easter season are indicated by the first reading. Peter and the Apostles say that they must follow the orders of God rather than of men. We too must follow God’s orders to proclaim the love that God has for us, even when it is difficult.

Particularly in this time of great joy, we should try to live our lives in such a way that they become reasons for others to believe in God’s great love demonstrated in Jesus’ life, death and resurrection. May our joy be contagious and inspiring. May our enthusiasm for the gospel overcome the challenges that feel from those who do not want to hear it or see it lived out in lives of love.