Let's live the Resurrection every day
by Sister Elise Cholewinski
After waiting through a series of spring snowstorms, we are finally experiencing warm temperatures and witnessing the beginning of new life. Flowers had been pushing their way through the ground, but they were hidden under the snow. Birds had been singing, but they had been hidden securely among the branches of the trees, protected from the harsh wind.
One of the joys of the approaching Easter season is the fun of watching children search for things that are hidden. They race through the yard, looking for Easter eggs hidden in the bushes or behind a tree. Inside the house they chase from room to room, trying to find their Easter baskets, hidden in a closet or behind a couch. What delight they express when those special items are found.
Jesus of Nazareth was a hidden Person for most of His life. He associated with ordinary people, conversed with them about everyday happenings, danced at their weddings, listened to their stories of struggle and hope. Who would have thought that He was the Son of God? As He hung on the cross, He was regarded by the soldiers and authorities as just another fake messiah from the back country, an impostor who tried to make a name for himself by rousing the crowd and enjoying a moment of popularity. For those living with a fear of the destruction of their nation, He was a nobody who posed a real threat. How could He really be the Messiah?
This Jesus has been raised from the dead. He lives within us and among us. He is present in the Scriptures and in the breaking of Bread, in the poor and homeless, and the neighbor next door. Can we hear His call to come out of hiding and proclaim Him? If the Resurrection is only a one-time event, then we are allowing the Risen Lord to again become the hidden Jesus. But if we recognize the Presence of the Risen Christ in the people, places, and situations of our daily lives, than Easter is an ongoing reality.