Friday of the Third Week of Easter
“The Sanctifying power of Easter dispels wickedness, washes faults away, restores innocence to the fallen, and joy to mourners, drives out hatred, fosters concord, and brings down the mighty.” Exultet, lines 43-45
Saul of Tarsus came to understand these words very well. He believed that Christianity was heresy to Judaism, and he made clear his intent to destroy it. He received documents from the Chief Priests and Pharisees to seek out and destroy the Christian community. He unknowingly did something wicked, and on the way to Damascus, he was shown the truth. He had hatred, and this was turned to love. He thought of himself as mighty, and he was brought to his knees. He came to have concord and fellowship with Christians, and those who were terrified of his threat were now given joy in place of mourning.
The Jews at Capernaum did not understand how Jesus would give them His flesh to eat. Jesus tells them that He was sent by the “living father,” and that only those who feed on Him, the bread from Heaven, would have life. Eternal life. Jesus was speaking of the Eucharist, where He would form a holy sacrament that would give life to those who would have faith in Him. It’s not that believers consume Jesus as food. Jesus consumes us with His life. Partaking in the Eucharist opens us to Divine Life in the same way Jesus inducted Saul into His Kingdom. Again, this is the joy of Easter “when things of Heaven are wed to those of Earth, and the divine to the Human.” Exultet, lines 53-54.
Reflection by Br. Matthew Marie, OSB
Posted in Lenten Resources