Trying to sustain the euphoria of the Easter Vigil or of Easter Sunday Mass is a tall order, especially when confronted by the headlines these days ranging from sexual abuse among the clergy and alleged coverups or denials, bullyings, robberies, murders and even the disappointing night for the Red Sox and Celtics. The tension between the positive and the negative is as old as creation itself. To keep our faith and nourish our optimism, we need to be grounded in the undeniable truth that Jesus is risen, has conquered evil, and nothing can prevail agains us, no matter how gloomy it appears. Julian of Norwich, the English mystic, wrote with conviction in her SHEWINGS OF LOVE: "All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well." This text was expanded into a poem by Timothy Dudley-Smith in 1976, and put to music by Fr. John Foley, S.J. in 1985, when I first became aware of it 25 years ago when making a 30 Ignatian Retreat. I loved it and 10 years later, taught it to my Rwandan students, who, in the context of a country shaken by genocide, found it especially relevant to them. I offer it here as a solid base on which to maintain our Easter joy:
All shall be well! For on our Easter skies/ see Christ the Sun of Righeousness arise.
All shall be well! The sacrifice is made;/ the sinner freed, the price of pardon paid.
All shall be well! the cross and passion past;/ dark night is done, bright morning come at last.
Jesus alive! Now on our Easter skies/ see Christ the Sun of rigtheousness arise.
Jesus alive! Rejoice and sing again,/ "All shall be well forevermore, Amen!"
Note the number of exclamation points. Bring on the headlines, bring on the skeptics and maligners. Nothing can overturn or over-run these facts!
Bro. Rene
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