Happy Easter!

First of all, I'd like to wish everyone a blessed Easter season! Each year, these liturgical seasons seem to take on more meaning to me and this year is no exception! Up until maybe last year, my excitement for Easter revolved around the breaking of whatever fast I'd been doing since Ash Wednesday. This year as Holy Week approached, I found myself anxiously anticipating not only our services here, but the entire spirit of the miracle of the Resurrection.
Friday at the Good Friday services we went to at Saint Thomas of Villanova parish, I sat contemplating what it meant for the disciples of Jesus to be witnesses to the death of their leader. Jesus was charismatic and somehow convinced everyone to get on board with this whole "salvation" business by performing miracles and teaching the people mercy, justice and love. At the time of his death, I can't even begin to imagine how his followers felt not only at his death but at the prospect that perhaps their "leader" wasn't legitimate at all. When they laid him in the tomb on Friday, their entire comprehension of salvation and their entire faith in God was on the line. Had they opened up the tomb Sunday morning and found Jesus' lifeless body still wrapped in the burial cloths, salvation would only be something that we continue to long for in this day.
As I began to reflect on patience, I realized that my impatience is no match for the disciples of Jesus on that Saturday two thousand years ago. Much more was on the line for them. If Jesus was in that tomb, their discipleship would've been mocked and they would be admonished by all those who sought to discredit and undermine the presence of Jesus as Savior. A lot was at stake and all they could do was wait. It makes my suffering seem a bit more manageable.
So as I approached our Easter Vigil last night, I got more and more excited. You see, we know that Jesus wasn't in the tomb and yet we still maintain this anticipation of the benchmark of our salvation history. It should be that way, that we still get excited, still act as if we don't know what's going to happen. The renewal of our baptismal promises is a reaffirmation of our faith in God's loving kindness for us.
For God so loved the world that He gave His only son

May the coming fifty days of Easter be a time of renewal of hope and faith! Blessings to you!