Easter – a renewal of life

The
Catholic Weekly
Online

Sydney
22 February 2004

A melting pot of faith

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Theology of Body

First PNG Michaelites

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‘Quiet revolution in our school buildings’

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Human rights

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Young take steps on interfaith road

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Editorial: Value for money

Letters: Confession

Conversation: Fr Con Keogh, honoured for helping people rehabilitate themselves - ‘Insane’ priest who draws others to God

Easter – a renewal of life

Pancakes for peace

Catholic schools build for the future

St Joseph’s – a happy partnership where ‘everyone is bubbling over’

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Obituary: Capuchin Fr Ted gave up farming and shearing for a ‘late’ vocation

Obituary: Fr Colin, Renaissance man

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Riverview’s ‘Big Bird’

Easter – a renewal of life

By Sr Mary Trainor RSM

It seems no time since we were celebrating Christmas and reverencing the event that changed the course of history: the birth of Jesus Christ.

Next Wednesday, many of us will embark on a season of preparation for that other highly significant celebration of the Christian calendar, namely, the death and resurrection of Jesus.

The commercial world will be at pains to make sure our eyes and ears and taste buds are attuned to chocolate eggs and bunny rabbits and, of course, to hot cross buns.

But will it stop to ask why? I think not.

Lent is a call to all of us who call ourselves Christians to look at the deeper meaning – to look under the surface and ask ourselves what it is all about. Why are we celebrating Easter? And why do we bother?

The Church has set aside this time for us to prepare for Easter. It might be called a time of stocktaking or even a time for review of life.

Maybe some old-fashioned ideas of penance, abstinence and mortification have lost their attraction and their meaning. But there is not one of us who can say we have no need for some kind of renewal in our lives.

John (I John 4:20–21) tells us our lives are a sham if we say we love God whom we cannot see, and do not love our brothers (and sisters) whom we can see.

How kind and caring, how forgiving, compassionate and merciful am I to my family, to my friends, neighbours, colleagues, acquaintances or strangers?

How is my relationship with my God?

Do I take the time for a daily chat? Do I even say G’day?

We could be pleasantly surprised at the end of Lent when Easter arrives at how much rosier our life seems to be, and how significant the Easter celebration is for us.

Beauty, as we know, is in the eye of the beholder!