Light of Easter

PALM SUNDAY MORNING

Robert Trabold

Lovely day – full sunshine

blue sky – no clouds – air

still cold – snow should

come tomorrow. Only crocuses

are blooming – purple – yellow.

Winter garden is quiet – still full

of brown – dull green colors.

Juice of spring is slow to come

this year.

I sit in quiet – feel

mystery of winter – spring – dull

colors but bright sunshine.

Feel mystery of Jesus – His life

death – resurrection.  Life has

many turns – up – down – backward

forward. These touched Jesus’

life – our lives

life of the world – with

violence – wars – hatred.

Let me sit in quiet -

quiet of Palm Sunday.

Sun is warm despite

predicted snow for tomorrow.

Spring will break through

give us lovely garden flowers.

Let Jesus’ resurrection break

through – give us hope for

for our lives – life of the world.

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LIGHT OF EASTERTIME

Robert Trabold

            As we enter into the Easter season, we pass through the time of Lent with fasting and penance reminding us of how Jesus suffered on the cross.  We then experience the feast of His Resurrection and we are called to share in His victory and the light of Easter morning which the holy women experienced when they went to His tomb. This passage of going from darkness into light is a symbol of our life in the world.  Certainly, we look around us and see the many injustices and violence and we realize that these things are what Jesus came to correct. The Christian churches share in this darkness and are having a hard time to adjust to the modernity of today.  They still feel more comfortable in the medieval way of thinking and acting as such and many of the church structures are dying and fading away. The de-Christianization of Western Europe continues on without abatement. In these United States, we see also the decline of many church structures; 30% of people under the age of 30 do not believe in God. This country is about 50 years behind Western Europe in this regard. Latin America and the Caribbean nations are quickly converting to the Pentecostal Churches and these are also spreading in Africa and many parts of Asia bringing a birth and rebirth of Christianity there. 

            All these changes in the churches and the world cause us confusion and concern but there is also a hopeful sign in all of this. Since the 1960’s in Western Europe and the Americas, we are experiencing the rebirth in Western Christianity of contemplative and mystical prayer. This rebirth happened when religious leaders of the West, like Thomas Merton, Thomas  Keating, the German Zen leaders, etc., discovered the Christian mystical prayer tradition that had been lost since the Reformation. It was a silent revolution that entered the churches. This reentrance of contemplative prayer was and is being led by ordinary men and women who live in the world making their living and raising their families. The many and different contemplative prayer movements are basically lay people who are living the silent and contemplative movement in their daily lives. They are building and participating in monasteries without walls. It is a silent revolution that is making its presence felt in the various Christian communities and is a source of optimism because through this prayer, Christians are encountering in a deep way the Lord Jesus who is ultimately the source of salvation for ourselves and the world we live in.

            When we get discouraged with the problems of our world which seem to be unsolvable and the immobility of many Christian churches to face the challenges of today, we know that through our prayer we are in touch with the source of redemption, Jesus. In our prayer life, we develop a deep relationship with Him who will transform us and we can be that light in the world which is so needed. Those fruits of the Spirit that the scriptures speak about – love, peace, joy, patience, kindness, goodness, fidelity, gentleness and self-control, which we manifest in our lives will be noticed by the people around us. Hopefully they will show to our neighbors and communities a new way to live and act in the world. Through our contemplative prayer, we are participating in the silent revolution which can make a difference in the way we live. In this Easter season we remember the victory of Jesus and His Resurrection, the light and hope He brings to us. We need not be stuck in the darkness of our world and the stuttering of the Christian churches. We are faithful to our discipline of silence in meditating twice a day knowing that ultimately it will make a difference in our life and that of the world. Jesus brings us this light on Easter morning - our source of hope.

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