By Fr. Glenn Jones:

A very joyous and blessed Easter to all!—the most sacred day of the Christian year as we celebrate the very cause of our joy: the Resurrection of Jesus the Christ on the third day after His death by crucifixion 2000-ish years ago. Once again all Christian voices all over the world enthusiastically exclaim: “Alleluia, The Lord is risen!” (the word “alleluia” from the Hebrew “hallelu-jah”, meaning “Praise God”) as we celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus from the dead.

Why? Because Jesus—both Son of Man and Son of God—had come to the world to: 1) teach us perfection in life in the loving of God and neighbor; 2) died to satisfy the absolute and perfect divine justice caused by Man’s transgressions (yes…that oft-disparaged, but remaining applicable, word: “sins”) against God and our fellow Man; and 3) rose from the dead to open the way to eternal life with God for all who accept Him as best they understand and follow goodness, attained by following His teaching and example, sustained by God’s grace. This is why both St. Paul and St. John describe Jesus as the “firstborn from the dead” (Colossians 1:18; Revelation 1:5); like a trailblazer, He opens the path for all humanity.

The Biblical Exodus served as a prefiguring example and forward-reflecting “image” of salvation history. The Israelites where mired seemingly irretrievably by slavery in Egypt. No way out seemed possible; indeed, no way out WAS possible in the earthly sense. The Egyptians were just too powerful.

But divinity intervened … and God sent the man Moses to be their deliverer, aided by God’s power in the miracles that freed them from slavery, divided the sea for their crossing, and led them through the desert to the Promised Land. They wandered in the desert for forty years (about the lifetime of people back then) not due to being “lost”, but rather because of their own infidelity. Only the two truly faithful of the original generation crossed the Jordan into the promised land.

Similarly, but spiritually rather than materially, humanity was mired in slavery to the passions, to selfishness, to sin. And the force of death and sin was too great to overcome for us to escape on our own.

But God in His infinite love for us sends the true and eternal deliverer—Jesus, Himself both divine and Son of the Father—who through grace and love frees us from eternal condemnation by His own death …. “parting the sea”, as it were, and opening for us the way to the true and eternal Promised Land with God.

And yet we, like the Israelites, are free to choose to follow Him…or not. But to NOT follow Him—to NOT believe in Him and His Word and seek to follow Him—only keeps us wandering…ever apart from that eternal union with God that God Himself has promised. And what God promises cannot NOT come to pass.

Also, Catholics, Orthodox, and a few other denominations believe that, for our life’s trek, Jesus at the Last Supper—like God gave the Israelites the prefiguring manna for their journey—left us the Eucharist, and the grace which comes from the other sacraments as well … coming through the hands of those ordained for that ministry.

On Holy Thursday Jesus gave us the example—and mandate—of humble service to one another in His washing of His students’—the apostles’—feet … echoing what He had told them: “… those in authority over [others] are called benefactors. But not so with you; rather let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves.”  (Luke 22:25-26)

Then, of course, on Good Friday we remembered His Passion and death by which Jesus takes the sins of the world upon Himself that we may be freed from the sentence that those sins we have done deserve … IF we accept His incomparable gift; it is free for any of us to reject.

All of this is done for no other reason than God’s love for each of us … and offered for each of us individually.

And now, with His resurrection, Jesus truly becomes the “first-born from the dead”, and we are called to follow, for by His death and resurrection Heaven is open to all who seek Him…all who seek to follow Him.  As we read in John’s Gospel: “…to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God…” (John 1:12)

Why believe the Resurrection? As we come to believe most things in life: because of the witnesses who left testimony of it—those who saw Him after. Witnesses who went through the world proclaiming it. Witnesses who died testifying to it. Because of the grace which has spread this singular faith throughout the world for 2000 years … faith in a lowly carpenter who suffered an otherwise tragic and pointless end.

And so, O believers, rejoice all the more; St. Peter writes of you: “…you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, that you may declare the wonderful deeds of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” (1 Peter 2:9)

So, truly, “hallelujah”!… “Praise God!”…for in the Resurrection there is only joy. And in the resurrection is promise of eternal life. In the resurrection we are assured that sorrows and pains in this earth, regardless of their severity, are temporary, for God’s love and salvation is literally forever. Thus, for the faithful Christian today there is no sorrow; only the knowledge and joy of the empty tomb and the Risen Christ…who has opened the doors not only for eternal existence, but for eternal life and happiness.

And so, we sing with the psalmist and with faithful Christians all over the world: “One thing have I asked of the LORD, this I seek; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD…  (Psalm 27:4)… Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” (Psalm 23:6-1)

Editor’s note: Rev. Glenn Jones is the Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe and former pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Los Alamos.