Jesus has risen!!! Jesus has defeated death! He has given us new life! Jesus became human so that we can become divine. Easter is the celebration of new beginnings. It is easy for forget how crazy that first Easter morning was. Jesus’ disciples were sad, confused, and scared. The man they had put not just their faith in, but lived their whole lives for had been declared a criminal, killed, and buried. If they didn’t watch themselves, maybe they would be next. Now, on the third day, some women claimed that the stone was moved and the body gone. This is even more confusing and worrying. Now what? And then they meet Jesus. Sadness instantaneously moves to disbelief. This is where Doubting Thomas is. Finally, disbelief gives way to jubilation. Their buddy, their great friend, Love Himself is alive. What could be greater?
Jesus, the Second Person of the Trinity, God Himself has entered history, His-story. History is the history of God saving us. Jesus is the center of human history. Human history, the history of the universe does not make sense except with Jesus. Is Jesus the center of your history, of your life?
As with Christmas, and in some ways, even more so, the Church celebrates Easter not just for one day. We have the Octave of Easter. This means that for eight days, the Church celebrates Easter. For eight days straight we celebrate, we rejoice, we party. Then there is the fact that the Easter season lasts 50 days, even longer than Lent. Catholics are not a doom and gloom people. The Church us wants us to rejoice in our salvation, our resurrection, new life. So you have my permission to eat steak eight days in a row. Or do whatever you need to do to celebrate the eight consecutive days of the Octave of Easter.
I wish you a happy and blessed Octave of Easter,
Father Vogel
Father Andrew Vogel's Blog 