Gospel reflections – 2nd Sunday of Easter
11 April 2021
A Reflection on EASTER… in Its Three Kinds
Happy Easter to everyone!
If people ask me, “Fr Ramon, how do you like your coffee?”, I would probably answer, “I want it black. Just coffee, no sugar, no creamer. Kopi O kosong.”
But you know, if somebody would ask me, “Fr Ramon, how would you like your Easter?” I would surely answer, “I want my EASTER to be THREE IN ONE.”
I think… there are THREE KINDS OF EASTER.
The first Easter is that “Easter in HISTORY”… that which happened historically, years ago, on that most glorious first day of the week, in that tomb belonging to that Joseph of Arimathea, there in Jerusalem, at around 33AD; when Jesus, our Saviour, suffered for us, was killed, died, and rose again; when Jesus conquered sin and death for our sake.
Easter in history means that Jesus is our victor. That is what our Second Reading tells us today, in the first letter of John (1 Jn 5:1-6). And that we also become victors if we are one with Christ who became victorious over sin and death. That, my friend, is ‘easter in history’.
The second Easter is that “Easter in HUMANITY… in the here and now… in society, community, family”…. It happens when we allow God to conquer evil; when we become God’s instruments so that His grace will overpower the sin and wickedness of the world. Whenever good triumphs over evil, the second easter happens. (Hopefully, not just in some places but everywhere, not just sometimes but always)
That is what we have heard from the First Reading (Acts 4:32-35) today. From the Book of the Acts of the Apostles, we see the early Christians living as one. More than selfishness and cold hearts, what prevailed were oneness, compassion and fairness to all, and that love for one another in God’s name. That is ‘easter in humanity’.
And the third Easter is that “Easter in YOU and ME”… a personal Easter. When Easter does not remain a mere historical and religious event but a personal experience. It happens when in my life, Jesus IS the winner. It is far more than just good conquering evil, truth conquering fake news, kindness to all winning against any form of racism and superiority complex, generosity and self-sacrifice overpowering sickness and death caused by COVID or all the other evils worse than COVID.
This third Easter means the good in me has reigned supreme over the evil in me. It happens when I am feeling lazy to pray and yet I still chose to pray. It happens when I forgive that someone who has done me a big wrong and has hurt me big time. It happens when I am the one asking for forgiveness from God and from that someone whom I have offended. When such happens then “Divine Mercy” becomes not just a celebration in liturgy or a devotional act of piety but a lovely reality in my life. This is what it means to have ‘easter in me’… when the God in me conquers the evil in me, when the good in me (with God’s grace and only through God’s grace) conquers the evil in me.
In our Gospel today (Jn 20:19-31), we see the doubting Thomas, so unbelieving. And then we see the resurrected Jesus, appearing to them again and more so appearing to him personally. And such is the third Easter, that easter that happened in Thomas. From a doubting apostle, he became a firm believer. From “Nooo, I don’t believe… unless I see and touch the marks of the nails in his hands and put my hand into his side.” into “My Lord and my God!” Easter has become a personal reality, a personal experience for Thomas. Big thanks to Jesus, appearing personally to him.
And may this move us to pray. “Lord, thank you so much for that ‘easter in history’. You conquered sin and death for us, for me. And I keep on praying, Lord. How I wish that that huge triumph of yours may continue on and on, be visible in the lives of people everywhere. In society, may your victory prevail. Let the Easter spirit reign. But I know, Lord, that all of these wishes will come true only if, in your grace, your Easter will be in me, in my life, in my heart. And that is… if in my thoughts, words and actions, there is Your resurrection.”
You know what? That first easter, that ‘easter in history’, Jesus rising from the dead… that already happened, right?
But what about the second easter, that ‘easter in humanity’? Lord, when will that easter happen? When will all society be ok? When will that time be when there is no more corruption, no more dirty politics, no more one nation or race or religion against another, no more bullying and hurting whether in school or in society or even in family?
I think… this second easter will only happen if and when the third easter is already happening. When the good in us conquers the bad in us, then and only then will there be easter around us.
And so again if you ask me, “Father, how do you like your coffee?”, I will reply, “Just black.” But if you ask me, “Father, how do you like your Easter?”, I will firmly tell you, “I like my Easter the way God likes our Easter to be… a blending of that Easter that happened in history and that Easter that hopefully happens in society which can only happen if that third Easter happens in you and me.
Happy Easter to everyone!
Fr Ramon Borja, SDB
Commission for Youth
