Tag: Resurrection

Getting Back to Work

Published on by Kate1 Comment

I was a little disappointed this morning when I realize Ben had to go into work. For some reason, I was so sure Easter Monday was a holiday and he was going to be staying home. I didn’t have any big plans for the day that were ruined by this realization, but I still felt like I was being robbed of something.

Thank goodness for the Gospel reflections I listen to every morning on Hallow. Jeff Cavins offers a daily Gospel reflection for the Gospel of the day. Today’s Gospel is from Matthew 28: 8-15. Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene and asks her to tell the disciples to meet him back in Galilee. Remember, the events of the Passion all happened in and around Jerusalem. I loved the way Jeff interpreted this instruction. The area of Galilee was Jesus’ main “home base” for his ministry. It is where he continued to return to and was where most of the disciples were from. In a sense, Jesus is telling the disciples to “go back to the office. We’ve got work to do.”

This put a new perspective on Ben needing to go to work today. We have celebrated Easter, the biggest day of the year. But today it’s Monday. What do we do the day after the biggest day of the year? Jesus tells us: we get back to work.

We get to work sharing the Good News. We get to work as moms, dads, businessmen, students, nurses, teachers, volunteers, aids, whatever it is you do in your day-to-day life. But this isn’t the same old same old work. No, we are an Easter people, a resurrection people. We should be filled with light and joy that radiates to everyone we encounter today. Even if these are the same people we encountered yesterday.

Today, while being this day of getting to work, we are also pausing to thank God for the life and work of Pope Francis. I don’t think anyone expected to wake up to the news that the pope had passed onto new life. We are now entering a very interesting period of time and I think there will be some things that are important to keep in mind as we pray for whomever God is calling to be the new Bishop of Rome.

  1. Speculation, while fun to dabble in, must not consume our thoughts. Of course we are all wondering who the next pope will be. Perhaps we will even engage in debates about who would be the best choice. However, it would be good to keep in mind that above all else, the Holy Spirit is guiding the Church and the process for the election of a new pope.
  2. Things will change. Each pope is different and brings his own unique perspective on the world based on his lived experience, culture, theological training, etc. The next pope will not be a carbon copy of Pope Francis. This realization will either excite or dismay a great many people. Let’s let Jesus’ words, both before and after the resurrection, to guide us: Be not afraid! And then, trust in the Holy Spirit’s care and guidance for our particular cares and concerns as well as the global Church.
  3. Take some time, if you can, to learn about how the Church is flourishing or struggling in a different country than your own. It can be very easy to be so focused on the issues the Church is facing in our own context and community we can forget that we are part of a global Church. What is a challenge for me and my community might not be a challenge for you in your area. The pope is the successor of Peter, the shepherd of the global Church. He must, to the best of his ability, guide the global Church without particular preference to one region or another.
  4. Lastly, pray, pray, pray! Pray for Pope Francis as he enters new life in heaven. Pray for everyone traveling to Rome to celebrate and remember Pope Francis during these days of mourning. Pray for the cardinals traveling to Rome for the conclave. Pray for the cardinals as they discern the will of the Holy Spirit for the next pope. Pray for the man who will be chosen to be the next pope. God already knows his name, we simply await His timing to reveal the new pope to us.

Let’s get to work, we have a lot to do.

Daily Graces. kktaliaferro.wordpress.com

Happy Easter 2023

Published on by Kate2 Comments

Well, we made it! We’ve always known the end of the story, but it still feels miraculous. I think part of this, at least for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, is that we are also emerging from the cold and darkness of winter. Spring is here, or very nearly. The early flowers and green shoots are coming up, the days are lengthening, the sun feels warmer. The earth’s hopefulness of new life is contagious.

As an aside, I’m going to need to spend some time pondering our holidays and how they fall seasonly. I haven’t given serious thought to how the holidays like Christmas and Easter fall in opposite seasons in the Southern Hemisphere, what must that be like? I’d love to know your experiences if you are a Southern Hemisphere dweller or have visited during a holiday season. As our world becomes more interconnected, I am becoming more aware of how the seasonal imagery I have tied to specific holidays because of where I was born is not everyone’s experience.

Anyway, thanks for taking that little aside with me. Back to the main story – Easter! It’s here! Jesus is Risen!

……

So now what? What difference does this information make in your life? Does it make any difference at all?

We have spent the last 40 days preparing for this moment. Now that anticipated moment is here. Are we different? Have we changed? Or will we go back to work tomorrow the same person who was at our desk, washing machine, truck, or grocery store on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday?

Change is difficult. If we have been faithful to our fasts, prayers and almsgiving for these past 40 days, we ought to have made a start at change. We have created more room for God with our fast. We have deepened our conversation with God through prayer. We have recognized the need to rely on God’s providence in our almsgiving.

I think the hardest days of these two seasons are:

  • The Monday after Ash Wednesday when we begin to struggle with motivation and perseverance in our Lenten practices
  • Monday after Easter when we have to choose what to do now that the requirements of Lent are gone.

Will we go back to who we were, or will we become who God called us to be this Lent?

I have good news, Jesus knew this would be hard and scary. He knew He was asking His disciples to believe the impossible, to speak the impossible. He says to them over and over again, “Do not be afraid.”

Don’t make choices out of fear, make them out of love for Christ. What does Jesus ask us to do? To go out to all the nations and share the Good News – Jesus is Risen! But what does this look like, practically speaking? Here’s a few examples from my own life.

Sharing the Good News means not being afraid to share my faith with my children. When they ask questions, I give them honest answers. When they are confused, I share my perspective and how God calls us to view the situation. When I hear them being unkind to one another, I remind them they are all God’s children and we are called to love one another.

Sharing the Good News means not being afraid to consider a new ministry position, even if you’ve only been at your parish a few months and don’t know many people. There’s always a need for catechists, Bible study small group leaders, choir members, or lectors, just to name a few of the ministries I’ve participated in as we have moved from place to place. We aren’t in one place for long, there isn’t much time to “get to know” a parish before it’s time to move again. Jump in where you see a need, don’t wait.

Sharing the Good News means not being afraid to speak truth when presented with the opportunity. It means leaning into the Holy Spirit’s wisdom for how to speak and what to share. It means discerning what going to help a specific situation – a strict declaration of Church teaching (which is correct), or a gentle word of reassurance of Jesus’ love for each person, no matter the situation they find themselves struggling with (which is also correct). Both options are truthful, but depending on who you are speaking with, one might be better than the other. It takes both bravery and humility to ask the Holy Spirit for wisdom, it means relying on His strength and not your own.

Sharing the Good News means this blog and video series. These have been works of the Holy Spirit and come out of my prayer. God has placed these desires in my heart and has also given me the courage to share them with you.

I hope you find the courage to step out in faith and share the Good News this Easter season. Each of us is called to share Jesus’ resurrection in a unique way. How the world will change when we each take this calling seriously and live to proclaim:

Jesus Christ is Lord, to the Glory of God the Father!

To Rise Up

Published on by KateLeave a comment

Jesus is Risen! Alleluia!

For Lent this year I tried to spend time every day reading through the Gospels with my Word on Fire Bible. This Bible is gorgeous and full of so much goodness. I really appreciate how Bishop Barron and his team incorporated reflections, explanations, word study, art, even poetry, to accompany the Gospel text. I enjoyed slowing down and taking my time to read everything on each page.

While the takeaways were many and I hope to write about more of them, for this Easter Day one thing in particular stayed with me. Early in Matthew’s Gospel he describes his calling to follow Jesus. Matthew was sitting at his collections table, most likely surrounded by others. Jesus singles Matthew out of the crowd and simply says, “Follow me.”

Matthew says he, “rose up and followed him.” End scene. There isn’t much in these few words. However, there is so much when you know ancient languages! I do not so I, like so many of us, rely on others to illuminate what is hidden in our English translation. When Matthew says he “rose up” or in some translations, “got up,” the specific verb he uses is anastas. Not so coincidentally, when we fast forward to Jesus’ Resurrection, the same root word (this time anastasis) is used by Gospel writers to describe the phenomenon.

Jesus, as we know, rose up transformed. His disciples did not always immediately recognize Him. He could walk through walls and locked doors. He was Jesus, yet He was fundamentally changed, something new that had never before been in the world. Looking back over his life, Matthew recognized that his own call by the Lord marked something significant. He had been changed to the core in that moment, a complete transformation from one man to a new man. A resurrection with a little “r” that points toward Jesus’ redemptive Resurrection which transformed the world.

How much of the Bible do we miss in these little word nuances? I am so thankful for the Bible editors and translators who take the time to shed light on the text for those of us unable to access the original languages.

As you celebrate Easter today and throughout the next week, perhaps take some time to look back on your own life. Have you had a moment where you “rose up” to follow Jesus? How has your life changed because He has called you? And make no mistake, He has, He is, and He will always be calling you to further transformational relationship with Him.