The Bishop Writes

(From the April 27, 2000 edition of the Inland Register)

We have just celebrated a glorious Easter, the most important feast of the Church’s liturgical year. There is always something special about Lent and Holy Week. The Sacred Triduum speaks to us with powerful words and symbols, from the Holy Thursday Mass, to the Good Friday service reminding us of the passion and death of Jesus, and finally through the Easter Vigil, with its rich liturgy of symbol, Word of God, and sacraments of initiation, all leading us into the Easter season. We find that journey of Lent into Easter time profoundly moving and uplifting, hope-filled and joyful.

The followers of Jesus didn’t have the advantage of our perspective. Their struggle in their faith journey has become an open book for all of humanity who came after them. Yet, we admire their human experience because they faced the mystery of their lives with struggle and determination. The death of Jesus was a devastating experience. Only a few risked standing near the cross.

The darkness of their spirits on the Sabbath would be hard to imagine. Yet, in fidelity to the One who died, they came to the tomb on Sunday morning to find it empty. Expectations are dashed. There is no body, and two men inside the tomb say “he has risen.” As the Gospel tells us, the only thing Peter could do at the moment was to look in. He believed.

As the days and weeks unfolded, the experience of the disciples with the Risen Lord went beyond their wildest dreams. Jesus’ appearances were fleeting. But something had changed dramatically. Very soon they would find themselves alone with the powerful memory of the life of Jesus and his spiritual presence with them as the Risen Lord. In a sense, they were facing the open tomb of life again as they went about their work of proclaiming the Gospel. They would continue to experience the devastation and turmoil of human life in its experience and challenge. Most of the apostles faced martyrdom.

Then there was the incredible conversion of a Saul to a Paul. The clear sign of the Holy Spirit changing hardness of heart and giving a joyful enthusiasm for spreading the Gospel became remarkable sources of inspiration to life in the Church. Almost two millennia later, we celebrate Easter with great joy and gratitude. Each liturgical year holds up for us the Easter event as a promise yet to be fulfilled in our own lives. We also live our own holy weeks of devastation, hurt, pain, brokenness, dashed expectations. But now, we look at the crucifix not as a disaster, but the great moment in salvation history. The Body on the cross has great power because the love behind this act of sacrifice overcomes all.

The silence of Holy Saturday continues to be with us. We can search and wonder, as did the followers of Jesus. Our questions are many. How could a good God allow all this evil in the world? The 7,000 massacred in Srebrenica, and the almost 1,000 in Africa locked in a Church, burned to death with gasoline, leave us stunned. In our world, 40,000 infants and children die of starvation each and every day. That’s not to mention our personal experiences of life.

We follow Mary Magdalene and Peter to the tomb. That tomb is also empty for us. We don’t see the physical presence of Jesus, either. Yet the Church as a community of faith, and the sacraments we celebrate, bring us vision and perspective. We also see beyond the tomb in faith, and know that it is the Risen Lord who is always with us. He is the one who gives life, hope and ultimately resurrection for us someday, too. Then we will see Easter in all its fullness and splendor.

So the journey of faith continues. The mystery of God’s divine providence unfolds. The God of love and unbounded mercy will fulfill our wildest dreams. We gratefully walk away from the tomb, continuing to live with God and one another.

May God bless you all with much peace and joy.

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