Author: Catherine Loh, Diocese of Palm Beach Director of Marriage, Family Life, Faith Formation, and Youth Ministry
We have finally made the journey through Lent, through the Passion, and now we can celebrate Christ’s Resurrection! Happy Easter! We are an Easter people!
However, let us remember, without that 40-day journey toward the Passion and the actual Passion itself, we cannot get to the Resurrection. Without Christ’s suffering, death, and resurrection, we have no hope for restoration as God’s sons and daughters, co-heirs to Christ’s Kingdom. Perhaps we should take some time to look back and contemplate our Lenten journey.
First, let’s consider where we were when it all started. Were we blissfully journeying through life? Or did we notice some clouds on the horizon? Or were we already immersed in a period of struggling and suffering, a “Dark Night of the Soul” as described by St. John of the Cross? Did we have a plan for Lent? Perhaps we desired to grow in holiness and to grow closer to the Lord. Perhaps we wanted to overcome a bad habit or develop a new virtue. The good news is that we did not have to make the journey or achieve our goal all on our own. Jesus issued an invitation to each one of us to journey with him, to accompany him towards the Resurrection.
Just like the blind man in the Gospel of Luke 18:35-39, Jesus asked us, “What do you want me to do for you?” In one biblical translation, the blind man responded that he wanted to recover his sight. “Recover” is an interesting word. It means to regain or return to a normal state. That means the blind man was not always blind. Somehow, he had lost his sight, but now he placed his hope in the Lord Jesus to recover his vision.
How did you respond when Jesus asked you what you wanted? What did you hope to recover? Had you lost something you once possessed or enjoyed or maybe even took for granted? Had you somehow lost your vision? Had it become cloudy? What obstacles did you encounter?
Like the blind man, did you tell Jesus what you hoped to recover? How did Jesus respond to you? Did he immediately grant your request? Or did he come alongside you on the road to that recovery? Did you allow him to accompany you toward the Resurrection?
Maybe you are still waiting or even struggling to recover what was lost. The Resurrection is not a destination but a promise. We are all on that journey toward our own resurrection. Allow the Lord to remain with you on your journey and keep heading in the right direction. Avoid turning back and giving up what has been or is still in the process of being recovered. Stand firm in the promise that “with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26). Let us not lose hope. We are an Easter people whose hope rests in the Lord (cf. Psalm 71:5). Behold, with the Lord, all things are new.
Here’s what Scripture has to say:
Luke 18:41 – …Jesus asked him “What do you want me to do for you?”
Matthew 19:26 – But Jesus looked at them and said, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
Psalm 71:5a – You are my hope, Lord;
Revelation 21:5 – …Behold, I make all things new.