When so many of us gathered in our churches on Ash Wednesday, no one could have imagined that we would be celebrating Easter in this way – in front of our laptops, our cellphones and computer screens. COVID-19 has affected, better still--afflicted every aspect of society and way of life. The dominant petition in our daily prayers has been that this crisis comes to a swift end...or as one Sister expressed it—that we might experience serenity once again.
Even during this anxious time, the Church does not shroud her joy at the Resurrection of the Lord. It is a stupendous mystery beyond our understanding and yet the crowning truth of our faith. “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is in vain,” says St. Paul. [1 Cor 15: 17]
There is a strange connection between fear and joy. Think of what a father does so often with his little child. The same child he protects and cradles, he will throw up above his head and let him fall back to catch him. He might do this a few times and most of the time, the child reacts with laughter and sheer delight. The child fears being in the air without support but is overjoyed when caught in the embrace of the father.
The Gospel tells us that the women who discovered the empty tomb on Easter Sunday “went away quickly...fearful yet overjoyed and ran to announce this to his disciples.” [Mt. 28:8] Here too, fear and joy are linked. The fear of the women is caused by an event beyond their control, something they can hardly grasp.
They came face to face with that fundamental truth: God is God and we are not. Their smallness and ours is evident. Perhaps the disconcerting days we are experiencing have brought us to a greater understanding of our vulnerability, our smallness, and an awareness of how fragile we are.
God is the Master of the situation. A priest who has been frequently texting me, ends every message with the words, “Jesus has this!” We do like to live in control of our lives and immune from surprises so when the unexpected happens, we can feel helpless and fearful.
The Resurrection of the Lord is, to use the words of St. John Paul II, an event that transcends and stands above history...a reality which escapes our capacity of rational understanding and demonstration.”
It is the event that breaks through the darkness of our fears, bringing us into the light. As Fr. Henri Nouwen expresses it:
“Easter brings the awareness that God is present even when his presence is not directly noticed. Easter brings the good news that, although things seem to get worse in the world, the Evil One has already been overcome. Easter allows us to affirm that although at times God seems very distant and although we remain preoccupied with many little things, our Lord walks with us on the road...”
The great gift of Easter is hope, a hope that overcomes all fear, a hope that cannot be shaken, a hope that leads to unending joy! In these days, let us be messengers of this joy.
