A New Experience of God
At the end of a long narrow corridor here in the monastery, and not far from our mail table, there is a rather large bulletin board. On it are posted all the prayer requests that come by phone or mail. Even though it is a very large board, frequently, we are not able to find just a wee little space for one more request. It is our custom to pray for these requests not only at Mass but at Morning and Evening Prayer as well.
As I pass this board these days, I become acutely aware of the suffering and the need of God’s people. I find myself praying that all these people, and situations, will be touched by the light of Easter. Somehow, I must believe that the Risen One is at the Heart of the World and that all of us, as a result, have a new and secret inner strength. Certainly, this is what is meant by the words: “ The Lord is truly risen,” with the accent being on the word “truly”.
It occurs to me that we would see the touch of Easter in every event that happens to us, if only we would take time to reflect. From the first moment of the Resurrection, everything that could or would happen to us held, and still holds, within itself a hidden victory. The Risen One has come back to us in a new way.
In a recent community newsletter, we spoke of the habits of eagles. When eagles see a storm coming, they fly above it and allow the winds to carry them. In the Letter to the Philippians (3:10), St Paul longs to know the Risen One and to experience the power of the Resurrection. We know from our own experience that Resurrection strength may come in various forms. It can even come as gentleness. There are times when we may be called to face things head on. At other times, we could be called to ride above the storm on wings of the wind.
At any rate, after winter comes the spring, and with it Easter. It happens every year, and it happens in every life. (Rev. Joseph McCoy, S.M., adapted)
