Bishop McManus offers Easter reflection

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
 
As the grieving women walked to the tomb in the pre-dawn darkness of Easter Sunday, their companion was not only grief but worry.
How would they remove the stone that blocked the tomb
so they could anoint Jesus’ body?
When they arrived at the tomb the women found the stone removed. To their amazement, they also found much more–an angel and the
announcement that Jesus had been raised from the dead!
Overjoyed, the women ran to announce the good news to the disciples.
That evening, two of the disciples were leaving Jerusalem on the road to Emmaus.  Grief and disappointment hung over them as they discussed the events of the last three days. Just as worry about the stone distracted the women from recalling Jesus’ promise, the events of Good Friday, shattering their hopes, prevented the disciples from believing the women’s report.
Many times worries and disappointment over the immediate events of life cause us distraction. When that happens, do not forget Christ’s promises. Do not forget history’s greatest event, Christ’s resurrection.
The women’s worry about the stone proved to be a trifle. God would move the stone. The expectations of the disciples on the road to
Emmaus were inconsequential when compared to God’s plan fulfilled in Jesus. When the angel told the women that Christ’s promise was
fulfilled, they were overjoyed. When Jesus enlightened the disciples about the prophecies of Scripture, their hearts burned. The women’s worry and the disciples’ disappointments were utterly dispelled
by the joy of the Resurrection.
May we live in the light of Easter–full of hope and anticipation.  
May we never let our worries or disappointments distract us from the realization that God’s love provides us with the means to overcome
every fear and to live in the confidence that God’s promises will
exceed our most fervent hopes.
 
With every prayerful best wish for a joyous Easter, I remain
 
Sincerely yours in Christ,
 
 

Most Reverend Robert J. McManus
Bishop of Worcester


Photo by Father Lawrence Lew, O.P. - Detail from a mosaic in the Rosary Basilica of Lourdes.