By Sr. Barbara Hudock, ASC
As I reflect on this powerful time of the Easter season, I perceive the Paschal Mystery which we celebrate during this season as part of our process for living. It’s both an end-of-life experience and a daily way of living. It is made up of letting go and letting come…letting die and letting rise…remembering that in death there is new life.
We believe this is part of the message that Jesus came to share with us during his life on Earth.
During this Easter season we ponder and we celebrate and we believe that when our life on Earth ends, we will experience this resurrection. But let us also ponder, celebrate and believe that this is also how all of creation works.
In song, we hear Porter’s Gate sing, “You are new every morning. Each day’s a resurrection, waiting to break through.”
In scripture we read, “This says the Lord who opens the way. Remember not the things of the past, consider not the things of long ago. See, I am doing something new. Now it springs forth. Do you not perceive it?” Isaiah 43: 18-19
In a Jan Richardson blessing, “Blessing the Seed,” we hear,
“When all seems still, dormant, dead,
This blessing is on its way back to you.
When you least expect it,
when you’ve given up your last hope,
It will rise, green, whole, new.”
The Paschal Mystery is at the core of our ASC spirituality. If we truly find ways to live this spirituality in our lives, what a gift we can be for those around us, for our world. We are not overcome with grief and anxiety although we are surrounded by reasons to give in to despair. We will not let death take hold in our lives. We know that death does not have the last word. We know that new life is always just around the corner. We know that part of the process is waiting for life to spring forth from death. We know that God lives in each one of us each and every day. We know that the celebration of Easter is not a one time or one season experience.
It’s a daily resurrection, waiting to break through.
Happy Easter, every day.
Artwork compliments of Sr. Adele Vecchione, photo taken by Sr. Sue Andrew