Remember Your Chains

Today is Easter Sunday. The fasting is over, we celebrate our redemption through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. There are the usual critics that claim it was all a hoax, some myth that the followers of Jesus made up as explanation for His missing body. There are those who seek to tear apart the Gospel accounts of His arrest, trial and crucifixion. What they don't understand is that the Bible was never intended to be a history book; just like it was never intended to be a science book or a book for telling future events. The Bible is God's Word. It was given to us through men under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. It was intended to give us the history and future of our salvation. It does not matter if the Bible is 100% accurate in every little detail. We must focus on the message.

We are created in God's image. We were once perfect and in perfect communion with God and all the rest of creation. The sin of our first parents changed all of that. Each of us inherit that Original Sin and are in need of rebirth. The Bible gives us a history of how God revealed Himself to us, His children. It tells us about which length He was willing to go to bring us back into that perfect communion with Him, even going as far as experiencing death. The Ever Living One became Man and died. God died. For us. For every filthy lust and lie. God the Son died as a perfect sacrifice to God the Father. It was the only way because there could never be just any human being who could do it for us. We have been redeemed by the shedding of His Blood, and now through the waters of Baptism we can have that stain of Original Sin removed. The Holy Spirit can live inside us. We can, once again have the perfect communion that God intended in the beginning.

No mere myth could have changed history so dramatically as Jesus did and continues to do. He split time in half. I don't go for this politically correct mumbo jumbo of using "Before Common Era" and "Common Era". It will always be B.C. and A.D. for me and any of my children if I am blessed with a family one day.

Millions of people don't give their lives as martyrs for a nice little fable they heard one day and had an emotional response to. Entire civilizations are not built, countless works of art, glorious pieces of music, poetry and prose aren't inspired by feel-nice fairytales.

They happen because of a profound personal encounter with a Person.

I renewed my baptismal vows last night at Easter Vigil and this morning at Mass. When my priest went through the Apostle's Creed point by point and asked the congregation if we believed, I said "I do". When he asked if we accepted all that the Catholic Church teaches in matters of Faith and Morals, I said "I do". I will never stop believing. I may doubt sometimes, but that is because I am a limited human being who doesn't always understand.

Let the critics and unbelievers heckle and bark, just as they did 2000 years ago at the foot of my LORD's cross. Let them present their vain arguments and "proof" that it was all a fable. They do not believe because they do not want to. They insist on having evidence of something no one can provide evidence for, that is, experience.

I have experienced something deep inside of me. It is tangible, concrete. It is in the core of my being. It is my reason to live. As Jesus says to Martha in the Gospels, what Mary chooses is the better part. It will not be taken away from her.

Neither will it be taken from me.

Pax Christi,
KaraLynn