Continue The Struggle
“I take up my own pen again — the pen of all my old unforgettable efforts and sacred struggles. To myself — today — I need say no more. Large and full and high the future still opens. It is now indeed that I may do the work of my life. And I will.” ~ Henry James
When are we going to do what we are supposed to do? When are we going to be witnesses for the Lord? When are we going to live holy lives? When will we put others first? When will we befriend the stranger? When will we care for the poor and the needy? Was it yesterday? Will it be today? How about tomorrow? If not then, when?
That appears to be the clarion call of the Easter message. To a group of frightened people, Jesus began to make post-resurrection appearances. His appearances terrified His followers. You would think that they would have been overjoyed. However, they were frightened because, after all, they saw Jesus die. If they were not actually present at the time of His death, they may have seen Him on the way to Calvary or, perhaps, they heard from others who were there that Jesus had died.
No matter how they found out, they accepted the fact that Jesus was dead. Dead people do not simply get up and walk around again. Unless, perhaps, they are ghosts. That is precisely what many people thought when they saw Jesus. They thought that they were seeing a ghost. So Jesus did something simple to prove that He was not. He invited people to touch Him. He also sat down to eat with them and reminded them that ghosts did not eat and that ghosts did not have material flesh that could be touched.
In short, Jesus did everything that He could to put His followers at ease. He still does that today. When we are afraid, He invites us to touch Him. What a profound gift we have been given: the ability to hold God Most High in our own hands when we receive His Body and Blood. He invites us to dine with Him in the Eucharistic meal. Each time that we eat His Flesh and drink His Blood, we are spiritually nourished.
Easter changed everything. It destroyed death and restored life. It erased the old maps of sin and death and gave us a new path to the Kingdom. Jesus knows that we can become frightened and confused in our lives, so He invites us to come to Him, to dine with Him, and to touch Him. Will you accept His invitation and spend some time with Him? The next time you receive the Eucharistic, make sure to take the time to gaze upon so great a gift before consuming Him.
Christ has risen as He said. Alleluia, Alleluia!
FAITH ACTION: Many churches have Eucharistic Adoration at least once a week. Most churches are unlocked during the day so that people might visit the Blessed Sacrament. Take the opportunity to spend some time with the Eucharistic Lord.