An Easter Reflection from Sr. Ilia
Easter is a beautiful season, bursting with renewal and wonder. It reminds us of the extraordinary power of God’s love—the power to raise what is dead into new life. The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is not just a past event; it reveals our very purpose: to live renewed lives in God. Yet the path to resurrection is not one of ease. The journey Jesus walked was marked by darkness, betrayal, abandonment, and doubt. At any moment, he could have turned away; however, he remained faithful to his calling, embracing his life’s mission.
Jesus died a thousand little deaths to break open the new reign of God. He shows us that death opposes life when we refuse to live. To be fully alive, to live into the fullness of life, is to die a thousand deaths, as well. We too must be willing to walk into the conflict of injustice, the cries of the poor, the struggle of naming the powers, the loss of what feels safe and known. We must walk by the power of love alone. Only in losing our lives and shedding our protective layers can we touch the wounds of life with the healing power of love. Through every act of resistance against what divides us and sets us apart—we realize the truth of our existence—we are one.
Resurrection speaks of the present moment bathed in a new future, a new relationship with God, a new union by which life is gathered into a new creative energy of love. We too are part of this new energy when we profess, “Christ is risen!” We believe that new life is on the horizon of a new creation, a new future, a new cosmos. Fear no longer has us in its grip. We no longer fear death because we believe, wholeheartedly, that God is doing new things.
By giving ourselves over to another in love, God rises up from the darkness of possibility into the brilliance of a new reality. Our lives are transformed by the newness of God’s energetic love. It is by love alone that we shall live forever.
Happy Easter!
Sr. Ilia
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Thank you, Ilia, for this Easter reflection, which reminds us that ‘salvation’ is a daily on-going process of little deaths and struggles to create the reign of love in the world, in the footsteps of Jesus. As we mourn the loss of dear Pope Francis may we follow his example of reaching out to all without exception.
Hilda Geraghty
Jesus may have ‘…died a thousand little deaths to break open the new reign of God’, but Christ dies an infinite number of times at every instantaneous moment to bring the existence of Existence, or the life of Life, or the being Being, in other words ‘God’, into It’s very Being.
It is the significance (my belief) in Eucharist that is the highlight of Easter. It ties it all together. We are not told that our participation in the fruits of Easter began prior to the ignominious death and resurrection. But that is the logic, the reasonable corollary. It says to me that ‘redemption’ bursts to bonds of time and space – then, now and for all time, for all persons. Unlike our previous notion of ‘evolution’, it is an event that reshapes not only the present and future but embraces all that went before. Electing to participate is the decision to become the good that we call ‘the image and likeness’. That ‘image’ now more; it is participation.
Your headline stated: “No Comments.” However, “Leave a Comment” popped up. it’s late. I fly tomorrow. I’m perplexed by theologins such as Richard Rhor (sp?) and yourself, who don’t seem able to think beyond your Catholic, Christian, even Science in your case. My continuing evolution of thought and prayer keep arriving at variations on a theme of comfort with mystery itself. I now pray to: “the infinitely mysterious creation of the infinitely mysterious cosmos, it’s expansion, Black Holes and beyond.” I’m comfortable with this mystery. I would be terrified of an answer and answers. I would feel as though I were in a version of “The Truman Show” or similar. I find it hard to believe in a virgin birth of Jesus or his rising. What am I missing? What is wrong with Bob Dylan’s “My Own Version of You?”
Lovingly,
Harold Baker
God Bless You & Namaste!
Thank you Ilia, for this heart-felt reflection. I simply found it enormously helpful. Easter blessings to you. Joy
Easter brings us hope. The Easter period is a metaphor for life. It involves death/liminal space/resurrection. In our daily lives, we experience endings/grief and uncertainty/new beginnings on a regular basis. As we experience our endings and wallow in grief and uncertainty, we can be confident that new beginnings, new life are just around the corner. That is hope. That is the Good News!
As we celebrate Easter we be and become the RADIANT PRESENCE OF JESUS FOR OUR BROKEN WORLD.
REJOICE WITH 🎶 AND 💃🏻 EACH MOMENT…
Thank you for this beautiful reflection…only by resisting that which divides us can we become one … in our oneness we are stronger and more supportive and integrated to share in the oneness of our God who is love and to share in the oneness of each other as we journey onward into the mystery of life…I’m so grateful for your reflections Ilia and always look eagerly for them and learn so much from them…Happy Easter to you and yours…
Abundant Blessings…
Thank you for this reminder and encouraging words!
A beautiful season, yes, bursting with renewal and wonder, reminding us of the extraordinary power of raise what is dead into new life. I appreciate you are writing for an audience that consists entirely, or almost entirely, of people who are comfortable with discourse and ceremony in which it is customary to invoke the names of God and Christ. But in other contexts and for other audiences you would say, and indeed do often say, that renewal and wonder can be recognised and expressed without necessarily referring to God or to Christ?
Can you point me towards other blogposts in which you stress this? I ask this because I really do want to learn from you. I am in no way, I hope, trying to be awkward or argumentative.