"By God's great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you." ... 1 Peter 1:3b-4

"So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God." ... Colossians 3:1-3

"The love of the Father is not in those who love the world---the desire of the flesh, the desire of the eyes, the pride in riches - comes not from the Father but from the world. And the world and its desire are passing away, but those who do the will of God live forever." ... John 2:15b-17

Christ is Risen! Now what?

As we celebrate once again the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ this Easter, I would like to reflect on the significance of this event. What meaning does it have for us? And how do we live our lives differently because of it?

First, remember that YOU have already died, at your baptism, which is what the above passages from Saint Peter and Saint Paul remind us. What is this death? It is death to the old person, the person without access to the Father. And it is rebirth to the new person in the kingdom of God, the birth from above that Jesus refers to in his discussion with Nicodemus in John 3. But if nothing changes during this process of dying and new birth, then our baptism is useless. What has changed, or rather what should have changed? What we think about, what we do, what we say, what we believe in our current state all should be changed.

We are called to be IN the world, but not OF the world. Are we defined by our jobs, our houses, our clothes, our favorite sports teams, our political associations, our money? Or are we defined by our relationship with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit that we pronounce belief in when we recite the creed? We know that nothing material lasts forever. You hear people say, "you can't take it with you", and yet we go on to live our daily lives with our minds set on things here below, rather than things that are above. Why is that? Insecurity. We forget our heavenly inheritance that St. Peter talks about. Instead, we wrap ourselves up in a security blanket which has been knit like a crazy quilt, pieced together with all of our accumulated possessions. And this blanket is heavy. So it weighs us down, so much so that we cannot raise our eyes to look at what should matter to us most, what should be the object of our desire - Christ seated at the right hand of God.

I believe most of us know the difference between these two approaches, but yet it is so hard to make that choice. One way is wide and easy, like taking a superhighway. The other is narrow, and difficult, like hiking over a rough terrain. The flesh clings to us, so we choose the path of least resistance. Only, when this world does pass away, those who have chosen the better part, doing the will of God, will be welcomed into that inheritance imperishable, undefiled, and unfading. This 'security blanket' many others have knit for themselves will hardly be of any value then.

So, during this Easter season, as we reaffirm our baptismal vows, let us ask our Father for the wisdom, the courage, and the perseverance to choose the right path now, that we may gain everything by it later.

Lead me gently home, Father, lead me gently home,
In life's darkest hours, Father, when life's troubles come;
Keep my feet from wandering, lest from thee I roam,
Lest I fall upon the wayside, lead me gently home.
W.L. Thompson, 1879

Contributed by David M.
Published Sunday April 11, 2004
Week 20 of Liturgical Year C