WHY WE CALL “EASTER” RESURRECTION SUNDAY

WHY WE CALL “EASTER” RESURRECTION SUNDAY
By Richard Lineberry

The naming of the day celebrated as the day Christ
resurrected as “Easter” has been a controversial issue since it began. After all, what does Christ have to do with
bunnies and colored eggs?

The earliest Christians left no records that they celebrated any specific annual festivals but gradually various days
began to be named fir the deaths of famous martyrs.

You can research as much as you would like, but you’ll not find a specific time when “resurrection day” was officially installed. Of course the early Christians were much aware of the Jewish calendar, especially Passover but that was not the same as celebrating the day Christ arose. The
Roman pagans had numerous holiday celebrations for the pagan gods and goddesses. Rabbits were always
considered as symbolic of fertility and increase. Eggs were a symbol (to some) as new life. The pagan goddess, Oestra, could have been the origin of the word “Easter”.

As the early church became less Jewish and more Gentile, they desired to adopt special days to honor their faith. Not all of the old Jewish festivals seemed to fit. Thus, the
Christian calendar began to develop. The Council of Nicea (325) established “Easter” t be the first Sunday after the full moon following the March equinox. Therefore is was a
recognized celebration by that time. It was not unusual, due to the centuries long momentum of mythical and pagan thinking, that special events kept their pagan names, Just check out the origins of the names of our days of the week or months. It’s  pretty hard to totally distance ourselves from pagan names and religions that have been around for centuries.

This, of course, doesn’t mean that we celebrate something the same days as pagans would have. We know that
Resurrection Day reminds us of the day Jesus rose from the dead to bring about redemption. Hunting Ester eggs or celebrating bunnies has nothing to do with Christianity and they were never used as Christian symbols. When I
celebrate Resurrection Day I am celebrating the greatest event of all time: the day Christ accomplished our
salvation!

SPEAK, LORD, YOUR SERVANT IS LISTENING

SPEAK, LORD, YOUR SERVANT 

IS LISTENING
 

When Samuel hear’s God’s call, he says, “Speak, for your servant is listening” (1 Samuel 3:10). This is the true spirit of prayer; not, “Listen, Lord, your servant is speaking!” Jesus shows that by prayer we attempt to submit our wills to the will of God, “Thy will be done.”  Prayer must never be an attempt to bend the will of God to our desires. When we submit our wills to his, miracles happen, and there is no greater miracle that the inner transformation of repentance and faith. Some years ago a very loving and humble elderly priest formed a prayer and study group for prisoners. At the end of the session, they all received a Christmas package. But they had to attend each session in order to receive the package. One prisoner, with a  life sentence for murder, heard about the prayer sessions with instructions in the Faith and wanted to attend. His sole purpose was the gift. However, after attending, he was deeply moved but the Catholic Faith and the offer for repentance from a merciful God. He asked for baptism. On fire with love, he is now a catechist. He has offered his life in prison for the salvation of his mother, a single barmaid who never knew love. This is the fruit of genuine prayer: 

one loving soul sets another on fire.


Reflection based on Matthew 6:7-15

Father Emmerich Vogt, O. P.




Father in Heaven, I willingly offer myself to you
to do with me as you will. Help me
to witness to your power, your love,
and your way of life.

A Blind Teacher Can Teach The Blind To See

A Blind Teacher Can Teach 

The Blind To See

by Dwight Cunkle

 

My first piano teacher was blind, Mrs. Fumigalli. Dad bought a piano and wanted we three kids to take lessons while providing a little income for this single mother. On Thursdays we would all eat his version of lasagna or spaghetti and I would try to convince Mrs. Fumigalli that I had practiced that week. She was not fooled. She was hard to understand with her thick Italian accent, and though blind she could not only “see” but correct my mistakes.

It never, ever occurred to me that Jesus could or would heal her blind eyes.

On the other hand, Blind Bartimaeus, on hearing that Jesus was passing by, cried out, "Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me" (Mark 10:47). He lacked eyesight, but he possessed “True Vision.” His experience of bitter darkness did not led him to despair, but rather to look forward to encountering Jesus. 

Bartimaeus refused to measure himself by what was lacking in his life. The fact that he had eyes which couldn’t see was a sign to him that he had been made to see. It filled him with expectations. His insight turned his life into one of hopeful vigilance..

He was looking for God, His Maker and “recognized” him in Jesus Christ when the Lord drew near. His blindness brought him to conviction of faith and action-calling out for healing, for faith is a way of seeing… seeing in a manner that goes beyond the eyes.

Is Jesus passing by? Does faith move us to cry out, "Jesus,  have mercy on me!" Jesus hears your cry. Jesus is calling you to come to him. "Take courage get up, throw off the cynic’s cloak or the prideful mindset that you have to try harder or do better. Ask Him what you will. " Bartimaeus threw aside his cloak sprang up and came to Jesus” (Mk 10:49-50).

Exchange those cloaks for what Christ says and gives you.

(based on an article in “The Magnificat” February 2013)

“What does He see in Her?”

“What does He see in Her?”

By Dwight Cunkle

     Sometimes when we look at a couple the question arises in our mind, “What does he see in her?” or “What does she see in him?” because we do not have their eyes for that person. Sometimes “love is blind” and we wish that they knew something that we knew, to save them pain. 

      The Almighty Lover of Souls saw in us the poor forlorn and ruined nature which he had in the beginning filled with grace and light. Not what merited his favor; not what would adequately respond to his presence; but what would illustrate and preach abroad his graces. Christ came into the world to make a new world; to regenerate it in himself; to make a new beginning; to be the beginning of the new creation of God, and to

gather together into one both the old and new. 

      This is how the Lord Jesus looked upon us. What did he see in us? A song by Misty Edwards "I knew what I was getting into when I called you," says this well. 

“I knew what I was getting into and I still want you. I knew what I was getting into and I still like you. I knew what I was getting into and I still chose you.” 

       Jesus in Luke chapter four, opened the scroll and read, "the Spirit of the Lord is upon me. He has anointed me preach good news to the poor…” He saw the sick who needed healing, saw those in bondage who needed deliverance, he saw those wearing the cloak of depression and sadness and wanted to give them beauty for ashes.     

      Truly he came to love and to give and to restore us to the image which he and his father and the Holy Spirit had originally fashioned. May this lift our hearts to know how he still looks upon us-still wants us-still chooses us. And may we look upon ourselves and others through his eyes. Love is not blind in this case; rather love is over-coming; love is eternal; unconditional; love covers a multitude of sins; love transforms;  Receive his love anew today and be changed into his likeness. See and love others as we have been loved and as we love

ourselves.

 

WHAT YOU AREN'T SAYING IS LOUDER THAN WHAT YOU ARE

WHAT YOU AREN'T SAYING IS LOUDER THAN WHAT YOU ARE 

by Dwight Cunkle

 

 

This week I substitute taught second grade at Kaiser. Several times I spoke with anger and treated a few students with disrespect when they misbehaved. I need more practice in thinking and loving a child who needs boundaries. It is wrong to look down on someone who lacks training and who needs father’s love. Christ humbled himself and shared our weakness to help us.

TRUE OR FALSE - Others are more important than me?

__What you’re not saying is louder than what you say.

__Non-verbal gives more than verbal communication:

(Body Language about 57%, Tone of Voice about 36%, Actual words 7%)

__When angry covert messages nearly always are more dominant than what is being said overtly. In other words, if I say something positive to you but use a condescending tone or roll my eyes, etc… you will receive a negative message.

(Keep reading to see how to relate to others without condescension and judgment. This key will help us put on Christ’s mind of love—being concerned about the interests of others above our own. Philippians 2 So if any encouragement, comfort from love, unity in the Spirit, affection, sympathy, 2 complete my joy...,  Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Answers to the above:

#1 is the more true the more emotion is present

#2 the figures are actually an urban myth although the idea sometimes applies.

#3 is TRUE.  

Choose to think descriptively instead of judgmentally:

     When feeling angry or frustrated at someone’s actions try to refuse to place judgment on them. Try to “unpack” what is going on instead of just making evaluations of your and their worth. Comparing yourself with others just places one person above or below another.

     On the other hand, I can admit I feel (disappointed etc…) and recognize their weakness or strength (e.g. they tend to be late or not plan their time well), then make a decision to have good boundaries (e.g. not put myself in a place of dependence on their keeping to my schedule). All the while, I refrain from judging or grading the person. Then I can see them as Christ does. Perhaps I can help them in the humility and love of Jesus.