Easter

Each year I learn more about my faith, more about the Christian life and Church calendar, and I learn more about what the death and resurrection of Christ truly mean to me.  This is the second year that have read through the Mosaic Holy Bible's readings on Lent.  They are very meaningful and present both an ascetic (visual- artwork), historical (writings, meditations, prayers) and contemporary presentation of this key time in the Christian Calendar.

As I grow in my faith, I learn more about the freedom that we have when we allow Christ to be the head of our lives and direct our paths.  This isn't easy and takes a lot of practice to determine and to recognize but when we allow God to direct us we are allowed a lot of freedom from our own limitations.

This year there were a few readings that really spoke to me and reminded me of what the Christian life presents and what God offers us.

One reading was in response to Lent:

"Our temptation in Lent is to be so impressed by our sins and failings and so overwhelmed by our lack of generosity that we get stuck in a paralyzing guild, a guild that leads to introspection instead of directing our eyes to God.  It is guild that becomes an idol and form of pride.  But Lent is precisely the time to break down this idol and to direct our attention to our loving Lord...."  Henri J.M. Nouwen


The second is in response to Easter and to the resurrection of Christ and the importance of this act to the belief of Christians.  Without the resurrection, God is a loving deity and Christ a hopeful martyr.  The resurrection of God as Christ is key to our belief as Christians and the understanding that God truly died for our sins and was raised from the dead.  Likewise, we can die to our sins when we accept God's love and agree to follow him as our Lord and we are raised from this past with a new and glorious future.

"The God who is in, through, and beyond creation does not love us from afar.  He springs forthe with light from darkness, order from chaos, with cries from a Virgin's womb and joy from the grave.  And hope springs forth likewise in a universal invitation, a passionate wooing, that every single person might discover a place as a beloved in his story, his family, and in his eternally adoring heart."  Alex Davis (from the writing "Awaken")


As each year passes I hope and pray to know God more through his son and I desire that my steps would be directed and led by my faith in Him.  I pray that he would watch over my husband and daughter and help us to be a family that relies on him every day and worships him in all we do.

He is risen, He is risen indeed.