Breathing Peace

If last Sunday was the greatest day of the Christian year, you might think we have a pretty hard act to follow today. But we call the next 40 days "the Easter season" because Easter Sunday was not simply a one-day fireworks display, and then... ashes. Easter isn't like Super Bowl Sunday-one big victory celebration-after which everything goes back to business as usual.

A Change in Consciousness

Yes, Easter was the greatest miracle in history. And Jesus wants us to stay firmly fixed in that "miracle mindset" for life. Easter is "Day 1" of a radically new consciousness for believers. Do you feel this dramatic new consciousness? If you're thinking, "not so much," remember that we're just like the apostles-we all still have a great deal to learn about what resurrection means.

For example, the apostles knew about the empty tomb-wouldn't you think they'd be celebrating that their Savior had risen as he promised? Yet, here Jesus finds them all quivering with fear behind closed doors, as if nothing amazing has just happened. Life has now changed dramatically for Jesus, and he is eager to show himself to his brothers and sisters, and share his transformation with them. He wants us to know the meaning of the changed life we will be witnessing to as "Christians." Jesus is asking us to let the miracle of Easter be our new consciousness.

From Fear to Courage

Jesus respects the apostles' (and our) doubts and fears, because he knows they simply arise out of being human. But scared bunny rabbits hiding behind the furniture cannot preach the gospel and testify to the amazing power of the resurrection. So Jesus must transform the apostles from fear to courage.

First, he breathes "peace" on them-the kind of peace that this world cannot give. Then Jesus does whatever is necessary for Thomas to believe. Here we see Jesus' gentle understanding of us, and his sweetness. He takes Thomas by the hand, literally, and leads him-one wound at a time-through the mystery of Jesus' wounded body.

When Thomas finally experiences Jesus' body in its living and breathing, resurrected state, he realizes the miracle: the magnitude of God's generous love which has transformed death into life. Thomas can only fall on his knees in wonder, "My Lord and my God!" It is only when we are infused with this kind of awe and reverence that we and the apostles are inspired to proclaim and live our lives as Jesus did.

Be Creative in Imitation

Now it's up to the apostles to creatively imitate Christ's life. And they do this by boldly preaching his word, sharing their goods in common, and caring for the poor and widowed. Well, we, too, live in the post-Resurrection era: this is our moment, the Christ-time, when we are to imitate Christ as the living, breathing, working sign of charity and compassion in the world.

Precisely how we act out our "creative imitation of Christ" is challenging. But it centers on love; and if we're too much like Thomas, staying behind locked doors out of embarrassment or fear, then no one receives any hope, encouragement, or charity from us.

This is a serious problem for us church. Would it shock you to hear our Catechism saying, even if we belong to the Church, "one who does not however persevere in charity is not saved." Such a person remains in the church only "...'in body', not 'in heart.'" Strong words! Charity is not done in a vacuum. It involves one person speaking a few words, making eye contact, reaching out to one other person at a time.

We're Still Blind

Notice how happy people are when they hear about someone who is totally unselfish: the guy who's walking along, sees someone drowning, and risks his own life to save them... the woman who gives a kidney to a total stranger. We all love to feel hope when we hear this!

Easter should make us live different, every day, because Easter means that death is not the answer. Oh, it's a reality of life, but because of Easter, we have the power to give people a spirit of hope, of belief in the future, instead of a spirit of fear and death. Young people need to see that Resurrection in our faces and in our daily lives. They are crying out for hope, for true intimacy, to know if God's love is still in this world.

We always think, "If Jesus were sitting next to me, I could be different." Well, look around-he's here! Look around as you leave today, and let the miracle of Easter flow out to strangers! Let everyone have a vibrant, personal experience of Spirit-filled community where people live Easter every day.