Easter Reflection - Tell people about this life

Sisters and brothers in Christ, as I listened to the first reading proclaimed this morning at Mass, this verse from the Acts of the Apostles struck me: "Go and take your place in the temple area, and tell the people everything about this life." The angel of the Lord freed the apostles from their imprisonment and told them to go and tell others about "this life" - this life in Christ, the risen Lord, the Resurrected Lord.

Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ desires to free us from slavery to sin so that we may truly be an "Easter people" (JPII), filled with faith, hope, and love. Our Lord also desires and calls us to "go forth and make disciples of all nations". In other words, to tell people about this life in Christ, our life in Christ. Yet, oftentimes, we seem "flat" during the Easter season. We are witnesses of this because the pews of churches are less filled the Sunday after Easter Sunday.

Perhaps it is because we forget that Easter is a season and not just one Sunday. Or perhaps it is because during Lent, we have concrete actions to take - pray, fast, and give alms - and nothing similar to that for the Easter season. How can we carry the joy of Easter through the Easter season and beyond?

Our Lord gives us a hint in today's Gospel, telling us: ". . .whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God. We must live as children of light, enlightened by the renewal of our baptism to be the light of Christ in the world and authentic witnesses to God's love, mercy, and forgiveness in the world, starting with our family. That is how we ought to life the joy of Easter, not just on Easter Sunday, but throughout the Easter season and beyond. And then, we must go forth and tell people about this life in Christ that is so freeing, so peaceful, so joyful.

. . .

Gospel of the Day

God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son,

so that everyone who believes in him might not perish

but might have eternal life.

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,

but that the world might be saved through him.

Whoever believes in him will not be condemned,

but whoever does not believe has already been condemned,

because he has not believed in the name of the only-begotten Son of God.

And this is the verdict,

that the light came into the world,

but people preferred darkness to light,

because their works were evil.

For everyone who does wicked things hates the light

and does not come toward the light,

so that his works might not be exposed.

But whoever lives the truth comes to the light,

so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God.