Living The Risen Life

If we look at the events in the 50 days between between the Resurrection and Ascension, we see glimpses of what is expected of us: Jesus reassures, eats with his disciples. confirms their faith and commisions them to proceed in confidence, fired by the Holy Spirit to preach and baptize to the ends of the earth. He also stresses the power of forgiveness, giving the apostles the ability to forgive sins, as he did. In sacramental form, it is called the Sacrament of Reconciliation, or Penance, or simply Confession. In addition to these formal moments of forgiveness, there are the daily informal occasions that arise as part of the human condition. A man recently told me of how he hurt his family without realizing what he was doing, but how his daughters were able to sit him down and listen, while they explained what they experienced and how they felt about his behavior. It was done in the context of love, and done peacefully, so that this man was moved, not to resist, or continue to strike out, but rather to ask forgiveness. That act of love on the part of the daughters, provoked a matching act of love on the part of the father. The healing of the family has begun as they experience death and resurrection. Living the Risen Life is part of the ordinary, and sometimes extraordinary, circumstances of family or professional life. It is not simply something for "church" or Easter Sunday. Christ is Risen, Alleluia, and so we must rise, in our own everyday life, with him.
Bro. Rene