We are all now living in the joy of the Easter season! Christ is risen! Alleluia, He is truly risen! Life has never been the same since the Resurrection. We live in the freedom of the children of God, freed from Satan’s yoke and the dominion of sin and death. The readings today remind us of the importance of allowing this fact to transform us truly. We cannot merely acknowledge it and move on; it must radically change how we live our lives.
A Reality that Demands a Response
In St. Peter’s bold preaching on Pentecost, he says to the crowd, “God raised this Jesus; of this we are all witnesses. […] Let the whole house of Israel know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” The crowd’s reaction is striking: “Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and they asked Peter and the other apostles, ‘What are we to do, my brothers?” Moved by the power of the Resurrection, these men from all different nations were ready to listen to what the apostles told them to do. They felt the impact of the Resurrection and knew that it demanded a response.
St. Peter’s response is a call to immediate action: “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Unite yourself to Christ in baptism, he says, so that you will share in the glory won by his Resurrection. The crowd responded, and 3000 people were baptized that day.
Filled by the New Life of Christ
During Lent, we took decisive action to share in Christ’s death. By mortification, prayer, and almsgiving, we emptied ourselves to become more like Christ, who fully emptied Himself for us on the Cross. Now, at Easter, we must become full again, not with the ways of the old man, but with the new life that Christ offers us.
Look back on your Lenten practices and growth. While your penances should be reduced, the fact that Lent is over doesn’t mean that you have to drop all the spiritual practices you have picked up. If you started daily mental prayer, switch it to focus on the glories of Christ’s resurrection and ascension. If you began disciplined spiritual reading, start a new book appropriate to this joyful season.
Make a new resolution that you wouldn’t have thought possible before your growth this past Lent. Ask God to send you someone to evangelise this Easter season. Let the Holy Spirit bring the risen life of Christ into its full stature in you!
