Fr. Frank Majka, SJ – The Bridge

Jesus’ Easter and Ours

In the Resurrection, Jesus broke through to a fullness of life that none of us has experienced. What we know about the risen Jesus, however, can tell us what awaits us.

First of all, matter, which can often act as factor that limits what we can do, will no longer weigh us down but will share in the freedom of the sons and daughters of God. Matter no longer limited Jesus’ ability to appear even in places that had been locked to keep anyone from entering. In fact, St. Paul says in Romans, chapter 8, that nature itself longs for us to be glorified so that it, too, can be transformed along with us.

In the risen Jesus we also see that our dearest and deepest relationships will continue to exist. When he appeared to the disciples, Jesus still called them his friends and showed his trust and love for them. We can expect the same to be true for us, too, and can anticipate that heaven will be filled with friendship and love.

Finally, the risen Jesus remained a human being, not swallowed up into some kind of amorphous state, but truly staying an individual, even to the extent of bearing the marks of the wounds of his crucifixion and death.  We, too, will be ourselves, having passed into a different way of being, for certain, but remaining who we are.

So, the mystery of Easter shows not only what the fullness of life is like for Jesus, it also gives us a glimpse of what it will be like for us — a future we can anticipate with joy.

Happy Easter!