by Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ and Director, CREDI
Faith in the resurrection of Jesus says that there is a future for every human being; the cry for unending life, which is a part of the person is indeed answered… God exists: that is the real message of Easter. Anyone who even begins to grasp what this means also knows what it means to be redeemed. – Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI (2011)
Happy Easter to you and your loved ones! I shall be in London for Easter and, as usual, I shall be able to share the Easter story with my 14 great-nephews and nieces.
Christ is risen and lives among us – what a wonderful gift from God. We can see signs of His Resurrection all around us. If we really know what it means to be redeemed, if we understand the power of the Resurrection, we will be enthusiastic about being witnesses of the Resurrection every moment of every day.
He came so that we might have life and have it to the full (John 10:10). However, if we live “divided lives” (the split between the faith we profess and how we live our lives), we may not bear as much fruit or realise our potential. During the 50 days of the Easter Season, let us reflect on the depth of our personal relationship with the risen Christ. Unless we are rooted in Christ we will have great difficulty building the civilisation of love –which is integral to our Archdiocese’s Mission.
To be true witnesses of the Resurrection, to fulfil our Baptismal promises, we must work as co-creators with the Risen Christ. We, who are made in God’s image and likeness, are called to play our part in building His Kingdom of justice, peace, truth, love and freedom.
Parents, you can play your part by passing on our Faith to your offspring and by being models of Faith yourselves. Children learn what they live. We offer up our prayers for you as you undertake your responsibility to raise your children as disciples of Christ. You have a critical role in the faith formation/evangelisation not only of your children, but of all with whom you come in contact.
I make a special plea to principals and staffs of our Catholic schools to reflect on whether or not core Catholic values underpin all aspects of school life. And since there are more Catholic students in state schools than in Catholic schools, we in the wider Catholic community have a responsibility to support parents in the faith formation of their children; helping them to know and practise their faith. A key aspect of maintaining the Catholic identity of Catholic schools must be a concern to promote integral human development, that is, the development of all dimensions of a person and of each person.
Fr Clyde Harvey’s words of wisdom are worth reflecting on as we consider whether we are true witnesses of the Resurrection. At a seminar organised on January 19 by CCSJ and Msgr Christian Pereira and his team at Our Lady of Perpetual Help, San Fernando, on the theme: Vocation of the Business Leader: A Reflection (focusing on Cardinal Peter Turkson’s Guidelines), Fr Harvey, who was one of our speakers, urged us to: “Seek always to do what is best. It is not only important to do the best but to become the best. Who am I becoming?”
Remember, as Archbishop Gilbert used to say: “Virtues inform values and values influence behaviour.” Our vocation is to live holy, virtuous lives. Being Catholic in today’s world means standing firm against the onslaught of moral relativism, individualism, selfishness, the negative aspects of globalisation etc.
Hold on to the words of St Paul in his letter to the Philippians: “…fill your minds with everything that is true, everything that is noble, everything that is good and pure, everything that we love and honour, and everything that can be thought virtuous or worthy of praise”(4:8).
We will only choose what is good and avoid evil if we know the difference between good and evil (conscience formation) and if we get in the habit of “living” virtuous lives. Do not underestimate the power of prayer and God’s grace in helping us on our journey to becoming true Easter people who promote the sanctity of life, the dignity of each person and rights and responsibilities; who stand in solidarity with the poor and vulnerable; who strive to build family life, community and the common good; and who are good stewards of God’s creation.
