Resurrection of the ‘Wounded Love’

The sun is shining outside my window, the wind blowing gently, the sky seems perfectly clear. It is a normal day! Hey, though today the Christians are celebrating Easter, I don't see any difference at all from other days…! There is no breaking news on television. As usual, Bush is continuing his plans to get control over Iraq, bombs are exploding in the Middle East, terrorists are setting up to attack their 'enemies'. Many are suffering from hunger and diseases in other countries. On the other side, the Pope is celebrating Easter Mass at Vatican with a big crowd and various kinds of Easter celebrations are going on around the world. If His resurrection does not make any difference or didn't make any difference in the past, why do we commemorate it again? Don't you feel it is absurd!

I was just asking myself how the day of Jesus' resurrection must have been like… Were there any sudden changes in this world? Phew! Nothing happened particularly… only a few women and poor disciples declared that their Lord had resurrected from the dead. What change could have this fact made to this big universe? Yes it did, beyond what I would be able to imagine.

If he had not resurrected and had been just another heroic figure in history, who lived and was buried here, then the nature of this world might have been different, filled with more darkness and distress. His resurrection and the faith in his resurrection has been transforming this world for the last 2000 years. That small group of believers grew rapidly and extended downward through history to include my parents, me and you too. If I speak more concretely and personally, the fruit of his resurrection resulted in my very existence in this world, both in the common and profound spiritual senses. My common sense leads me to conclude that, if my parents hadn't believed in the risen Christ, they would not have married each other and I would not have been born. In this way, looking further back into the past, they and their ancestors would not have existed. I cannot but be fascinated by this great mystery of sequence, can I? On the other hand, in the profound spiritual sense his resurrection recreates my very being each and every moment of my life. He modifies me, shedding more light into my soul and perfects me to enjoy the true joy of his resurrection. Otherwise my existence would have been a 'non-being'.

In a similar fashion, though it is not always very obvious, I can see the transformation of the entire world and the whole of humanity through the grace of His Resurrection. This reality gives great hope and joy amidst all the tensions plaguing our world.

So, Easter celebrations are not a reality detached from this world or its progress, rather they are very meaningful and touches upon the very origin and ultimate destiny of this world. And above all His resurrection gives the certainty of life after death, which fulfils the longings of restless souls in this world for a perfect union with Him. As St. Augustine wrote clearly in the beginning of the 'Confessions'," Thou hast made us for thyself and our hearts are restless till they rest in Thee."