The Resurrection of the Lord
You’ve heard of “black holes” in outer space: those invisible centers of such strong gravity that everything in its vicinity, including light, is drawn inescapably into it. While this phenomenon is a fairly recent discovery in science, it is an ancient idea in theology. The scriptures suggest that God has been working slowly and patiently to draw all people and even all creation back into union with Him since the beginning of time. God loves all that He has made so much that he wishes his creation to be with Him in complete happiness and never-ending life and has been acting to make that happen.
However, unlike the natural gravity of the black hole which draws everything into itself by compulsion, the supernatural gravity of God draws everything to Himself by love. Everything God does is done out of love, for “God is love.”
God’s plan to draw everything back to Himself was clearly portrayed in the scripture readings we heard at the Easter Vigil. We heard that God created everything good and created human beings capable of choosing to obey and love God. When our first parents chose instead to disobey God and seek their own will, He did not give up on them and their descendants. Rather, God made a plan that took centuries to unfold through Abraham, Moses, and the prophets. And the purpose of that plan was to prepare the way for his Son to enter the world as one like us in all things except sin. It would be through that Son, who by overcoming sin and death by his own death and resurrection, would draw everything back into union with the Father.
This plan of God is known as the Paschal Mystery: the mystery of passing over from death to life, sin to holiness, and separation from God to union with God. It was prefigured and prepared for in the Old Testament, but is fulfilled in the life of Jesus. This week we entered into that mystery by following the events in Christ’s life that revealed God’s plan. With palms, we welcomed Christ into Jerusalem, the place of our salvation. We received the gift of his Body and Blood at the Last Supper and allowed Christ to wash our feet and urge us to imitate him. We stood with Mary at the foot of the cross and faced with her the excruciating sacrifice God was willing to make on our behalf. This morning, we witness his resurrection from the dead, by which Christ completes God’s loving plan to draw us all to Christ, that he might present us to the Father.
It is not enough to know only in our minds that Christ died, rose, and redeemed us. Let us, this Easter, allow Christ to enter our world, our life, and our soul, that he might draw us into his life and love and return to the love of the Father, from which and through which we have come. God is loving us back into Himself through His Son.
On behalf of all the monks of Conception Abbey, I wish you the joy of Easter that comes from the confidence that we are indeed united to God through his Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.
Reflection by Abbot Benedict Neenan, OSB
