Today’s Readings:
Acts 3:11-26;
Psalm 8:2,5-9;
Luke 24:35-48
THE ACTION MOVIES I WATCHED GROWING UP all had one thing in common – the good guy (who we fondly called the “actor”) never dies. It doesn’t matter what he gets into or how many opponents are sent after him by the villain, he always emerges victorious. IN THE MOST IMPORTANT STORY IN THE PAST TWO THOUSAND YEARS, our actor, the one we all rooted for was killed. The bad guys had plotted his death and attempted to kill several times without success until his final visit to Jerusalem when they handed him over to the Romans, had him scourged and crucified. Imagine our shock at the death of our actor. His own disciples were so dismayed that they went into hiding. Some others fled the city. However, in God's own way, Jesus defeated death. We fondly remember this in our Sacred Liturgy when we say, “Dying He destroyed our death, rising He restored our lives”. No playwright or screenwriter can come up with a better storyline. But it does not end there.
WE ARE THE BENEFICIARIES OF THE DEATH AND RESURRECTION OF JESUS. Through Baptism, we share in the power of his resurrection. This means that the Holy Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead is present in us so that we can never die. But even more, the presence of the Holy Spirit makes us fully alive, conscious and active in transforming the world around us. No more should we be associated with sin, darkness and selfishness which are all works of death. We ought to breathe new life and new spirit into our relationship with God, our relationship with others and our relationship with ourselves.
THE LIGHT OF CHRIST needs to shine especially in those aspects of our lives that we find difficult to submit to Him. The Easter season is a time of self-surrender. A time to repent of old ways and embrace new life. If what we seek in life is joy and peace, then we should surrender to God:
Surrender your bad habits;
Surrender your spouse;
Surrender your inordinate attachment to material things;
Surrender your attachment to inordinate relationships;
Surrender those illicit and sinful chat conversations;
Surrender your tendencies to lie and cheat
Surrender the ease with which you excuse your sins;
Surrender your pride;
Surrender yourself today.
JUDE-MARY OWOH
Prayer:
The Lord reigns let the people tremble; He sits between the cherubims, let the earth be moved.
O come, let us sing unto the Lord, let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Lord, I surrender myself to the power of Your grace. Transform every part of me into a weapon fighting on the side of righteousness and peace, in Jesus name.
Father Lord let Your revival begin with me, my family and my environment, in Jesus name. Lord, take control in the lives of our children, teenagers, youths, and young adults; make them to love You and Your ways, teach them by Yourself, in Jesus name.
Lord let Your kingdom come, let Your rule begin in Jesus name.
Lord visit our nation with Your mercy and revive Your work, in Jesus name. Amen.
Comments