Today, we celebrate new life in all its wonder and fullness! Psalm 118 declares, “I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the LORD.” It is Easter Sunday and we have reached the most splendid stop on our journey, the Resurrection of our Lord. In the Gospel, we learn that Mary, Peter, and John discovered the empty tomb and that our resurrected Lord later appeared to them and to others. In the reading from Colossians we learn that our lives are hidden in Christ and that one day we, too, will appear with Him in glory.
In a sense, our journey continues. As Catholics, we are a pilgrim people with a destination in heaven. During Lent we looked inward, inviting our Savior to work on the broken and messy places of our hearts. Our post-Lenten pilgrimage switches our focus to an outward one, in which we allow ourselves to be a reflection of the love and mercy we have received. There is new life within us and we are called to share it with the world!
At the National Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche in St. Augustine, FL, the Gospel of Life is celebrated and proclaimed – in its eternal form as well as birth into human life. Housing an image of Our Lady of Milk and Happy Delivery, it is the oldest Marian shrine in the United States. Pilgrims come from all over the world to pray for the Blessed Mother’s powerful intercession concerning fertility, the health of their children, and safe delivery for those expecting. By the grace of God, life continues from mother to baby and from death to resurrected life.
As another Lenten season closes and as we look forward to our eventual destination with God in heaven, your friends at NASPA ask you to join us this Easter in praising and thanking our Savior, Jesus Christ, for the beautiful gift of human life and the glorious gift of eternal life.