Twenty-three years ago I sat beside the ‘cross on which hung’ my beloved husband Joe. I could touch only his shins as the bone cancer had invaded every other ounce of him. He was planning his funeral. He specified the songs to be sung, his altar boys, and his Sacred Hearts’ priest buddies, along with Fr. Lowell Fischer, to celebrate his Mass. I nodded numbly and then said, “What shall we do after your ashes are sprinkled?” He laughed and said, “What do you think, ‘woman’? Have a party. We are at the beach, let the kids have fun. Laugh and dance…this is Hawaii! I will be with God. I will have no more pain! Rejoice with me. Rejoice with me.” So we did as he said. Most of our parish community flooded the church, then headed to our yard to “Rejoice” with Joe! I could almost hear him laughing.

And what of the gang who stood beneath the cross, who hid behind locked doors, who trudged the miles to Emmaus with long faces? Each of us have stood beneath the cross within our lives … the loss of a loved one, a serious medical illness, fear of the uncertain, the constant inability to shed ourselves of recurrent sin or memories of abuse or rejection. We, too, have hidden behind the locked doors of false personas or bitterness. We, too, drag ourselves along the journey of life whining and complaining that what we “expected” didn’t materialize.

But the tomb was empty! Mary Magdalene rushed in with the news, the fellows paid little attention, and suddenly HE stood there in their midst. His first words were of peace. His wounds gleamed. Their hearts leapt within them. “It is the Lord!” He ate with them, broke bread with them, set out a picnic breakfast for them, and forgave them. He does the same for us on a daily basis! Hip! Hip! Hooray!

Jesus is risen! Jesus is in our midst! Death has been destroyed. We will live forever. Listen carefully to His hearty laugh as He speaks to us this Easter, “I am with you always. You are mine. Rejoice, my beloved one…let’s party!”

Tags: Miscellaneous, Holy Week