by Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ and Director, CREDI
“Let us accept the grace of Christ’s resurrection! Let us be renewed by God’s mercy, let us be loved by Jesus, let us enable the power of His love to transform our lives too; and let us become agents of this mercy, channels through which God can water the earth, protect all creation and make justice and peace flourish.” – Pope Francis, 2013.
Happy Easter! Christ is risen! The joy of Christ’s victory tells us that love has triumphed and has defeated evil, sin and death. The Scriptures have been fulfilled. God’s love for us is so great that He sent His only Son to die so that we may have eternal life through Him. What a gift!
St Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 15:17: “…if Christ has not been raised, you are still in your sins…If our hope in Christ has been for this life only, we are the most unfortunate of all people.” Today we celebrate the fact that Christ, by His resurrection, redeemed us from original sin and opened the door to a new life for us.
At a time when T&T is experiencing so much hate and violence, let us reflect on what Jesus’ resurrection means to us, and how we should act as an Easter people. Pope Francis urges us to “ask the risen Jesus, who turns death into life, to change hatred into love, vengeance into forgiveness, war into peace…Christ is our peace, and through him we implore peace for all the world.”
As an Easter people, let us overcome indifference and recognise that we are God’s instruments to build a better world. But we can’t do this unless we open our hearts to allow Him to work in and through us – in our homes/families, schools, workplaces, and communities. The resurrected Christ is with us today. He is the living God waiting for us to return to Him if we have strayed; waiting for us to take His hand as He guides our every step; waiting for us to reject evil and choose good.
Easter reminds us that our baptism must mean something; it should transform our lives and lead us to hunger and thirst for justice and peace; it should lead us to commit to live by every value for which Jesus stood.
When Mary of Magdala (a town along the coast of Galilee) came to the tomb, she saw that the stone had been moved away. For many, this stone represents all that threatens to keep us down; all that prevents us from recognising our true humanity/from being our true selves. Let us ask God to remove the ‘stone’, the obstacles from our lives, so that we can live as children of the risen Christ.
Each of us will have our own story of how this Easter is different from those that have gone before. Personally, I have much for which to thank the risen Christ. In many ways, 2016 was my annus horribilis, but Jesus rolled the stone away and I survived cancer.
During my weeks spent recovering, I immersed myself in prayer and continued working on my father’s autobiography. Sadly, he died before we completed it. I promised him that I would complete it and have it published. I try to follow in the footsteps of my parents by seeking to live a purpose-driven life; to serve in the Lord’s vineyard – even in sickness.
On May 7, 2013, Pope Francis said in his homily during Mass: “A Christian is called to endure suffering just like Jesus, without complaint; endure in peace… This journey of endurance helps us deepen Christian peace; it makes us stronger in Jesus…the Lord invites us to this: to be rejuvenated Easter people on a journey of love, patience, enduring our tribulations.” I am afraid I groaned for days after my operation!
During this Easter period, let us spend some time reflecting on our mission to continue Christ’s work; to be living symbols of His presence in the world; to evangelise our culture/world to reflect Gospel values; to break down unjust structures; and to live the Beatitudes.
I end with the words of our Holy Father: “…as joyful servants of hope, we must announce the Risen One by our lives and by our love; otherwise we will be only an international organisation full of followers and good rules, yet incapable of offering the hope for which the world longs…May the memory of Christ’s works and his words be the bright star which directs our steps in the ways of faith towards that Easter that will have no end.”
On behalf of CCSJ members, I wish you all a happy and holy Easter!
