2013 Easter Message - Easter and the Cycle of Human Life
The normal cycle of human life from womb to tomb includes birth, growth and development, aging and death.
Real growth is a rich and varied time with joys and sorrows, hopes and disappointments, successes and failures. Then for many there is the aging process and for all, at whatever age, death.
Despite the difficulties (and for some there is much difficulty) when rightly viewed we know life is truly a precious gift and the life cycle truly amazing. It was uplifting to read recently of Pope Benedict XVIs visit to a home for the elderly run by the Sant Edgio Community in Rome.
Age is just one stage of the cycle of life. It can be seen by many as negative, a poor time and even a useless stage.
Pope Benedict had some very special words to say to these people. They were more than words because they obviously came from his personal reflections on his own aging.
He said ¦.I am well acquainted with the difficulties, problems and limitations of this age¦ At times, we may look back nostalgically at our youth when we were fresh and planning for the future. ¦although I am aware of the difficulties our age entails I would like to tell you with deep conviction; it is beautiful to be old! At every phase of life it is necessary to be able to discover the presence and blessing of the Lord and the riches they bring. In our faces may there always be the joy of feeling loved by God and not sadness.
All that Benedict says is true because of Easter - the life giving presence of our Living Lord in us.
In fact Jesus' Resurrection affects the whole cycle of our life. It colours everything. Because of his Resurrection we can say the whole of our lives have experienced a wave or even a Tsunami of God's Grace.
Without the Resurrection there is nothing - no hope, no life, no future.
With our Risen Lord we know now that Jesus accompanies us through all the stages of the cycle of our lives. He is with us in all that happens in good times and in bad. In fact our Crucified and Risen Lord is with us each moment of each day.
Our Faith as it were superimposes all that on the whole cycle of life. Our Faith especially adds divine value and so much richness and hope to our already precious human life.
Furthermore our human cycle of life does not end with death and corruption. It passes with Jesus into the Glory of the Resurrection and life without end.
This Easter may Jesus and all that he offers us affect more deeply our lives, whatever stage of it we find ourselves.