It's Not Finished

As Jesus came to the point of his last few breaths, he uttered, "It is finished." (Jn 19:30) The passion was finished the suffering was finished, his days of preaching and healing were finished, but his mission wasn't finished.  When he rose from the dead and assumed his glorified body, he commissioned his apostles to forgive sins, and to go out to the whole world baptizing  and preaching the Good News.  Now it's our work.  The glory of the Resurrection we celebrated with great joy and solemnity is not over because it's Monday.  For us, it's not finished.  This whole week is an Octave of Easter...that is a prolonged Easter Day, and the Easter Season lasts for 50 days, until Pentecost.  Our question should be, what am I going to do to live the Easter message?  We set out a program for ourselves at the beginning of Lent and tried as best we could to remain faithful to it for the 40 days.  Likewise, we need to give some thought and planning as to what we will do for these next 50 days to keep the joy and message of Easter alive.  He is Risen!  How do we show it in our lives as Easter people.  This short prayer of Gerard Manley Hopkins might be a start.  

 Let him Easter in us,  be a day-spring to the dimness of us

         be a crimson-cresseted east 

G M Hopkins sj

Bro. Rene