By Catholic Stewardship Consultants
www.CatholicSteward.com
What hope Jesus’ resurrection offers to us! Indeed, had he not raised himself from the dead, our faith would be in vain, as St. Paul says. And yet, this hope is for every human being, even those who do not know him.
Jesus calls us as Catholic Christians to rejoice in the hope he gave us through his resurrection, but he calls us to share the joy of his resurrection with the world, particularly with those whose condition in life makes it difficult for them to be joyful.
As we celebrate Easter in the comfort of our homes and churches, let us do our part to reach out to those who at this time still find themselves amid great suffering. So many are still experiencing Christ’s death, as it were — the victims of war-torn areas around the world, the unwanted and abused, the homeless and the starving, many of whom cannot find a reason or meaning for the tragedy in their lives.
If there is anything worse than suffering, it is the horror of feeling alone in one’s suffering. When we devote our lives to sharing the Gospel and the love of Jesus with these poor souls, we undertake a truly awesome and meaningful task — to show those in pain that they are not alone, to assure them of the compassion of Jesus, who experienced all the physical pain, all the effects of sin, the very same sufferings endured by every person who has ever lived or will live. Who of all people is more ready to show compassion to the suffering than our precious Lord?
As St. Paul says, “We do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses” (Hebrews 4:15). But the great triumph in the tragedy of the cross is that Jesus did not merely experience suffering; he sanctified it, redeemed it and ultimately conquered it through the resurrection, thereby bringing hope to every person who suffers.
Jesus calls us to put our faith in his resurrection into action, to show by the way we live our lives that we really believe it makes a difference even in the darkest places of the world. How can we shine the healing light of his resurrection on those still in the shadow of the cross?
We do not have to travel abroad to find a soul in suffering. Perhaps there is someone in our parish to whom we can minister this Easter season, or someone in our local community.
We are all called to pray for our brothers and sisters who suffer, but perhaps we can do more than that. Even if we may not have the freedom to devote our time or talent to serve the suffering, through our prayers, we can minister to the farthest reaches of the globe.
This is one reason why supporting Catholic outreaches and charities is so vital to the church and our own faith lives. The Scriptures even say, “If a brother or sister has nothing to wear and has no food for the day, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,’ but you do not give them the necessities of the body, what good is it? So also faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead” (James 2:15-17).
Is our faith still buried in the tomb, or is it alive and bearing fruit in our lives and in the lives of others this Easter season? Let’s not shrink back from the awesome task Jesus has bestowed on us.
