Easter Sunday: To a Life Well Lived
BY CECILIA GONZÁLEZ-ANDRIEU, PH.D. | April 4, 2021
Easter Sunday – Today’s Readings
Reflexión en Español
I want to look away, unable to fathom the amount of death in our world. Lives that will not be given back, no matter how hard we believe. What can this Easter mean in the midst of so much grieving?
As we view the Resurrection from this moment, we do well to move beyond empty tombs and turn our eyes to how Jesus lived. This is what God’s act of exploding reality wants us to see. God enters history to say “this young Jesus lived as I want you to live. This one who shares your flesh and your doubts, who knows fear and exhaustion, who could have given up on all this, but didn’t, this one, your brother, lived as I dream you will too.” His friends understood this and the history of the world changed because they did.
[Martires, Maximino Cerezo Barredo, C.M.F (ceramic art by Salvador Hernandez, 2003); La Placita Church, Olvera Street, Los Angeles. Photo: Andrés Andrieu]
God’s dream, painting the galaxies while mourning the death of a sparrow. God’s vision engendering all, longing for all, calling us through this one life. The Resurrection is not the end of a story, the Resurrection is the validation of a life. Jesus the healer is resurrected. Jesus the peacemaker is resurrected. Jesus who overturned the tables in righteous anger is resurrected. Jesus who stood in solidarity with the least even when his life was threatened is resurrected!
Life: short, precarious, real, needs us to make every day count as together we build God’s dream. Today we rise in power knowing God is for us.
For Reflection:
- How can you orient yourself in the Easter season to “living as a gift to be used in building up goodness, searching out truth, and spreading abundant beauty?”
Cecilia González-Andrieu is professor of theology at Loyola Marymount University, member of the board of the Ignatian Solidarity Network, and author of Bridge to Wonder: Art as Gospel of Beauty.
La doctora Cecilia González-Andrieu es profesora de teología en Loyola Marymount University y es la autora del libro Bridge to Wonder: Art as a Gospel of Beauty.
“Life: short, precarious, real, needs us to make every day count as together we build God’s dream.”
I read such powerful words today – and indeed every day of Lent thanks to this blog/offering – and it seems to “simple” so obvious. I just finished journaling on this Easter Sunday and remind myself: BE in the moment. Be present. Listen compassionately.” But, I look at the ceramic mural, Jesus gave his very life. For me. How do I do or be ANYTHING close to that? I guess, re-reading these beautiful words, and gazing on this art, I will – at least for today – strive to be, to listen, to spread love?
Happy Easter, and thank you, more than my simple words can express, for this Easter morning exhortation.
Living as a gift of God is an established pattern of behavior. When one realizes the gifts God has given one and then uses them in service to one another. There are two parts that need to be adhered to — first realizing the gifts through discernment with the Holy Spirit. The second part is consistently and constantly giving oneself to the service of those gifts to others. As a disciple of Christ we understand the goodness of giving God’s love to others by our delight and joy in our gifts. In offering this delight to others they become instruments of that goodness and spread is throughout the world as a disciple. Bringing to the world the joy of the Resurrection is to bring that peace to all and continue the reign of God on earth.
Indeed, Jesus was crucified by Roman conquerors because of what he preached – and that afflicted them and the religious quislings. But the resurrection is God’s way of saying no to such brutality and yes to such preaching – this I believe. Many thanks for your Homily!
Fr. Jim Flynn
Archdiocese of Louisville, KY
Dying you destroyed our death. Rising you restored our lives. Lord Jesus come in glory. Happy Easter.
Thanks for this profound series for all of Lent. I continue to be inspired by them. Looking forward to others. Easter blessings in abundance to all the contributer’s. Jesus is risen! Alleluia!