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Deacon Tom Writes ©
One of my lingering childhood memories
is that of my mother calling from the bottom of the stairs, “Tommy Joe, rise and shine! It’s time
to get ready for school”. It’s a pleasant memory. To this day there are
times when I can still hear my mother’s words echo in my mind, especially on
those rainy days when I just want to roll over and go back to sleep…. and then,
“Tommy Joe, rise and shine! It’s time to get ready…”
As people who profess Christ’s
Resurrection, we realize that we who have been baptized with Christ into his
death will one day also rise with him to eternal life. There will come a time when
we all will “rise and shine” forever;
a day when we will possess the fullness of life that Christ has promised to all
who believe in him and follow his ways.
Yet, I don’t believe that the promise of
rising to new life is one that is reserved only
for the next life. We are meant to “rise
and shine” today…. because we share in the Mystical Body of Christ…. We “rise and shine” today because God has
chosen us to be the stewards of all of creation and we have said, “yes” to that call. We “rise and shine” today because we have
committed ourselves to follow Our Lord and his teachings about love and putting
others and their interests before our own. We “rise and shine” when peace, justice, and holiness become the rhythm
of our lives.
We “rise
and shine” every time we chose to imitate Christ by forgiving others who
hurt us; when we offer up our sufferings to be a part of his suffering; when we
embrace others’ sorrows as if they were our own… (So many suffering from the
ravages of war, violence, trafficking, victimized by those who profit from
human misery… their suffering must be ours as brothers and sisters in
Christ). We "rise and shine" with every effort we make to persevere to the end as Christ did and not lose hope.
On this most wonderful day, may we, like
Christ, awaken to God’s call to “rise and
shine” so we may live life to the fullest, now and forever… ALLELUIA!!!
Happy Easter! May the joy and peace of the Risen Christ fill you this day
and always.
Deacon Tom
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