Are you living a Resurrection Worldview?

04-17-2016Weekly ReflectionFr. Chad King

Our God loves us so much that he would do what many think is unthinkable. God sent his only begotten Son to become human. The Father wanted Him to take on our finite human nature in order to allow us to share in His infinite divine nature. To what extent are you and I doing that?

Throughout His life on this earth, Jesus continuously taught us how to live in communion with the Father. Everything that Jesus did was done in and with God. Jesus willingly took on such tremendous suffering—more than any human could possibly suffer. Although He was innocent and didn't deserve it, he gladly accepted it because he was still in communion with God through the suffering and knew it was part of the Father's plan. The Father's great plan included even death. As for us human beings, we have a human perspective of suffering and death. Many of us do all we can to avoid suffering and death, for that is what our human nature tells us to do. However, by allowing His Son to be crucified, and more importantly, by raising Jesus from the dead, God the Father was revealing to humanity that suffering and death is not the end, that God conquers even death itself. The things of this earth don't last and so we don't need to be so caught up with earthly things. We don't need to be overly pessimistic with where the world is right now, we just need to do all we can to sanctify ourselves, our families, and the world. Jesus teaches us that, in the end, He overcomes everything. Even death is no longer the end or a finality, but for those who accept it, it is only part of a journey—a journey to fully sharing in God's divine nature.

This is what our faith teaches us. The Paschal Mystery—the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus— gives meaning and purpose to our lives. This Paschal Mystery is what we celebrate and renew at each and every Mass. The death and resurrection of Jesus is made present and we are able to receive the divine life of the Risen Jesus inside us. The resurrection is our hope; it is our very life if we choose to accept it.

Unfortunately though, many Catholics, including myself sometimes, don't fully appreciate that fact or we don't let that truth impact our lives. If our souls really knew what was happening at every Mass, like the angels and saints do, then I think we would be speechless in awe of the wonder of God's love for us. Too often though, when I ask someone after Mass, "How are you doing?" some people complain, "Oh, not that good," or this hurts, and this is painful, this relationship is troublesome, and so on and so forth. Although I am thankful that some are willing to be open and honest to me and my compassion and prayers do go out to them, sometimes I also say to myself, "But didn't you just come from Mass? How can the first words out of your mouth be what is troubling you? Did you not relate all that is in your heart to God who loves you so much that He would endure suffering and even death for you? Did you not receive the very life of God within you, the same resurrected life that is proof of something beyond our suffering and death?" The phrase from the Terry & Jesse Show on Catholic radio (1310-AM) rings true: "I am too blessed to be stressed!" The problem of course, is some don't know this truth. If we really knew it, perhaps then, the first words out of our mouths after Mass could rather be, "Well, I am somuch better now than when I went in!"

In the Eucharist of every Mass we receive the very hope, the very life of God within us! In this Easter season, especially when we come from receiving a foretaste of it in Mass, may we let it penetrate and affect our lives- giving us a Resurrected worldview.