Transcript

Holy Week has brought us to the very heart of our faith, the life, the death, and the resurrection of Jesus. Over these days we have walked with him, listening to the Passion, sharing the Last Supper, standing at the cross. And today we come into the light of Easter morning. And Easter is not only about what happened to Jesus. It is about what is happening in us. Because the message of Easter is this: the resurrection is not just his story. It is ours too.

In his letter to the Philippians, St Paul says, 'I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection' (Phil 3:10). That is something living and real, something we can experience day by day. So how do we come to know that power in our lives? The Church gives us three simple ways in which we can come to know Christ and the power of his resurrection: Prayer, the Word, and the Eucharist.

First, prayer is where our relationship with God grows. Prayer is not about getting the words right. Prayer is about showing up, again and again. The Carmelite Saint, Teresa of Avila, described prayer as a close sharing between friends, taking time frequently to be alone with him who we know loves us.

Prayer is about making space for that friendship regularly, simply and faithfully. A few quiet minutes in the morning, a pause during the day, a moment of stillness. Each one opens the door to the presence of the risen Lord.

Secondly, another way we can come to know Christ and the power of his resurrection is in the word. In the word God speaks to us. We encounter God's word at Mass, Sunday by Sunday, day by day. And we can also take it into our own hands; a gospel, a short passage from the Bible, a few lines that stay with us. The Word of God is alive. It has a way of meeting us exactly where we are and gently shaping how we see our lives. A small, steady habit of reading opens us to that voice.

Thirdly, a final way in which we can come to know Christ and the power of his resurrection is in the Eucharist. In the Eucharist we meet the risen Lord most deeply.

Here, he gives himself to us. His life, his presence, his strength. We don’t just think about the Lord when we come to Mass. We don’t just hear about the Lord when we come to Mass. We receive him. We receive the risen Lord. Each Mass is an opportunity to be renewed, to be strengthened, to be filled with his life. And as we receive him, we begin to share more fully in the life of the resurrection. So, prayer, the word and the Eucharist. Through these, the risen Lord comes to us, stays with us and transforms us.

And this is our hope: that the life of Easter is already at work within us and will one day be complete. Lord Jesus, you are the risen and glorified Lord, the resurrection and the life. Help us to know you and to know the power of your resurrection each day of our lives. Alleluia. Amen.

Courtesy of Fr Simon Nolan OCarm, Prior Provincial of the Irish Province of Carmelites.