By Beth DeCristofaro
When Peter saw this, he addressed the people, “You
children of Israel, why are you amazed at this, and why do you look so intently
at us as if we had made him walk by our own power or piety? The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the
God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus whom you
handed over and denied in Pilate’s presence, … The author of life you put to
death, but God raised him from the dead; of this we are witnesses. And by faith
in his name, this man, whom you see and know, his name has made strong, and the
faith that comes through it has given him this perfect health, in the presence
of all of you. (Acts 3:13-14, 15-16)
(Jesus) said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to
you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of
Moses and in the prophets and psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their
minds to understand the Scriptures.
(Luke 24:44-45)
Piety
Lord Jesus, we ask
you now
To help us to remain
with you always.
To be close to you
with all the ardor of our hearts,
To take up joyfully
the mission you entrust to us.
And that is to
continue your presence
And spread the good
news of your resurrection.
(Carlo Maria Martini,
SJ, “Hearts on Fire: Praying with the
Jesuits”, p. 150.)
Study
Construction began on
the Cathedrale Saint Sauver in Aix-en-Provence, France, in the 5th
century and was not completed until the 15th. It was a holy site longer, however, being
built where a pre-Roman pagan shrine once stood and it is said that the
baptistery was centered on the site of a Roman temple. I remember standing there, in the immense, stark
yet impressive nave wondering about the many, many people who had stood, knelt,
or lifted their arms in prayer over the centuries. They sought healing or power or wisdom
perhaps. They sought God. Did they resist believing as the people who
witnessed Peter’s miracle cure? Did they
have as much difficulty seeing God around them as I do? As Mary did outside the
tomb on Easter morning?
Peter and John’s
passionate, confident sharing of the Word was rooted in their certainty that
their Lord Jesus had died and risen, changing the world and changing what it is
to be human. Their joy and faith, deep
and strong as a mustard seed, showed how it can also change each and every
person’s life and heart in particular, eternal ways. Their fear was gone. Salvation and Divine love given in abundance
lit their eyes and inspired their words.
Their witness led multitudes to holiness in the Holy Land, all the way
to France, the U.S. and to the ends of the earth.
Action
How do I experience
myself as an Easter Person? Jesus is
overjoyed for me! Can I share in His joy
for me even if it brings mystery and great change into my life? Can I share His joy with others even if they
are fearsome, different, annoying, or have different beliefs than I have? Can I be an Easter person, risen with Jesus
even weighed down with the realities of being so human? If I open my mind and
heart to him I can indeed.
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