Tuesday within the Octave of Easter
There is no more memorable nor anticipated Sunday for Christians than Easter Sunday. Even though Easter is so prominent, many Christians are unaware or have never been taught that the Church views the celebration not as just a day but as eight days, called the octave of Easter. Each of the eight days has the same solemnity as Easter Sunday. In the tradition of the octave, we take the opportunity to reflect again on the momentous event of our salvation.
At the center of these eight days’ festivities is the joy and faith that Christ was raised from the dead. The famous Jn. 3:16 quote often seen in the past at sporting events reminded us of what Jesus said to Nicodemus of God’s plan to save his people, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.”
There is no more significant or fundamental question any person asks: “What will happen to me after my earthly life has ended?” Many would instead not think of such things, but even if we deny our destiny entirely, the nagging question about perishing eternally never goes unanswered. We are periodically reminded of this question when certain events and circumstances bring the question to the fore, and the brutal reality of our mortality becomes front and center again. For those with little faith in the gift of salvation, the thought of perishing must be a heavy burden.
Those eyewitnesses who saw Jesus Christ in the flesh, who walked with him and talked to him, knew very well about the notion of “perishing.” Many of their family and friends had previously left the world and never returned. They remembered and lived these experiences when they saw Jesus nailed to a cross and the last breath of his life escaped from his lifeless body. They saw the marks of scourging, which ripped his body into ribbons of bloody flesh. They knew after he was taken down from the cross, his body would lie in the cold, dark tomb sealed with a huge stone. They witnessed in sadness the day when Jesus was no longer in the world, and, like it or not, they had to adjust to his absence as they did with many who had died before them.
Even the women who had faith in him as the Messiah came to his tomb early in the morning on the first day of the week to do nothing more than show their respect to a person whom they loved. But something remarkable happened. Instead of wallowing in their sorrow and contemplating mutual consolation, they were met by two men in dazzling garments. Then, the stunning statement, “Why do you search for the living among the dead? He is not here, but he has been raised.”
From that moment on, generations of the faithful who now believe in God’s salvific promises, the phrase, “he has been raised,” finally explains and quiets the existential question of all humanity. “Will darkness and evil prevail, or will the light and goodness ultimately win?” The powerful words “he has been raised” remind us repeatedly that no matter how many words and actions are evil and hateful, God’s love will always prevail. No matter how often humanity has and will express ‘NO,’ the ‘YES’ of Christ is for all eternity. The ‘Yes’ of Christ now becomes our Yes, and our future is already charted; all we need to do is follow the path.
What words or phrases change your life? Was it “I Do” or “I love you”? Regardless, they necessarily pale compared to “Christ is Risen” because these words are eternal. Eternity is our destiny, and nothing can change our life more than answering our fundamental question with the answer. We can live forever because Christ has Risen.