Jesus lives and so do we if we choose Him

As we enter the month of April, it would be very good for each of us to recall the day that Lent began, Ash Wednesday. When you and I received the blessed ashes on our foreheads in the sign of the cross, we pledged ourselves to serious daily prayer, works of real charity and a penance which would deprive us of something significant in our lives. Why did we do this? Simply put, we wanted to be free of whatever is an obstacle to our being holy and literally, to our being saints.

Now that we enter April with the Paschal Triduum so near, we must examine our lives and see if we have been keeping our Lenten resolve and discipline. We need to ask ourselves if we have grown even slightly in holiness, saintliness. If not, why not? If so, in what ways?

God’s mercy is with us, and we still have time to fulfill what we pledged to do on Ash Wednesday. We will celebrate Palm Sunday and Holy Week in the Paschal Triduum of Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday all because we know what has been done for us and how that happened for us on Easter Sunday.

Recall the Gospel for the first Sunday of Lent, the temptation of Jesus in the desert. Understand that if Satan is arrogant enough to tempt Jesus Who is God, he will certainly come after us! Jesus showed us how to reject Satan, but have we done this? The fifth week of Lent had been called Passion Week because the Sunday and daily Mass readings showed just how relentless Satan is and how he used others to taunt, to stalk, to criticize and reject Jesus. Holy Week reveals the real nature of holiness incarnated in Jesus and the real nature of evil embodied by those who have allowed themselves to be possessed by Satan.

Gratefully, Jesus’ resurrection from the dead on Easter Sunday reveals that glory which is to be ours that His transfiguration hinted at. As we make our way through the last days of Lent let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus so that Easter Sunday is the day of the greatest joy and rejuvenation for us. Jesus lives and so do we if we choose Him and His life.

Have a most Blessed Easter and a holy Easter season.