Moving on

The story is told about a man who informed his wife that he was taking the 9 a.m. flight to Shanghai. Unfortunately, the plane crashed and neither the plane nor the survivors could be found. The end? No. because instead of taking the 9 a.m. flight to Shanghai, the husband took the 9 a.m. flight to Osaka, Japan, with his girlfriend. He is alive! The problem is: How will he explain that to his wife?!

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Today is Easter Sunday. Happy Easter, everyone! The Lord is risen and He is alive! In today’s Gospel (Jn. 20, 1-9), we hear the account of St. John about the first Easter morning, a morning that was filled with sadness, surprise, joy, and mystery. Those who went to the tomb early in the day thought that it was the end, only to find that it was not. “They did not yet understand that He has to rise from the dead.” The empty tomb and the burial cloths gave light and hope to their hearts filled with gloom.

Easter gives us the message of hope, a message we need so much to hear today in our present world and time. We need to hear that the situation is not hopeless, and that there are possibilities open to us. A fresh start and new beginnings! We need so much to be assured that life is not absurd or meaningless. The powerful message of Easter that there is life after death gives us hope, meaning, and assurance.

For the world to hear the Easter message, there must be Easter people who will tell and retell the Easter story not only by words but by their very lives. The empty tomb and the burial cloths were silent witnesses to the Resurrection. The disciples became the loud, enthusiastic, and unstoppable preachers of the Resurrection not only by words but also by their lives, and deaths.

Easter is a gift, and also a mission. We are Easter people filled with joy and gratitude for our Risen Lord, but the joy and gratitude are also our gift to Him and to His people. Let us not be like stones or burial cloths that are silent; rather, let us become walking, loving, living Easter people, bearers of Easter hope and joy.

Some events of our lives can change us forever. The Lord often allows things to happen to us, good or bad, happy or sad, in order to wake us up or prod us on in our journey. One such event in my life was the death of Mama. There have been so many realizations and fruits of Mama’s passing, but the most important is my firm resolve to go to heaven and be reunited with our Lord and with our loved ones again someday.

Mama always told us: “My greatest wish is that you remain united in love and that we all will be reunited in heaven someday. I will be sad if you are divided here on earth, and I will be sad if one of you will not make it to heaven.” Simple and powerful words from a mother. The promise of Easter!

The last spoken words of Mama to me three days before she died were: “You go now, Jerry. You still have something to do.” Simple and powerful words from a mother. The challenge of Easter!

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“Moving On.” This was the theme of our Annual Family Palm Sunday Recollection at the Meralco Theater last April 13. We listened to Dr. Joel Estrada and his son Joey, Ruth Collantes and Helen Ilagan, sharers who told the audience and the whole world through PTV 4 their stories of brokenness, sickness, sinfulness and even hopelessness, and how the Risen Lord helped them to move on. How?

Because they focused not on the empty tomb, the stone, and the burial cloths. They focused on the Risen Lord who turned their mourning into joy.

Fr. Eliseo Santos, SDB, and Fr. Fernando Suarez helped us with their teachings, and the Oasis of Love Praise Ministry, Dr. Didoy Lubaton, Cocoy Laurel and company, and the Angelos lifted us up with their music and songs.

How did you spend the Holy Week that was? How you feel on this Easter morning depends on how you spent the Holy Week. If you “invested” your time, talents, and treasures to make the Holy Week meaningful, then your Easter is real. If you did not, then your Easter is empty.

Easter is about moving on into the light.

Remember that Satan was called Lucifer, bearer of the light, before the fall. After that, he became the bearer of darkness. In so far as we live in sin, or scatter negatives, and play the blame and accusing game, then we become his followers. Let us move on from darkness and come into the light.

Easter is also about moving on from gloom to joy. In so far as we focus on what is missing instead of being grateful for our blessings, then our lives are heavy and our journey burdensome. In so far as we focus on our consomisyon, we forget our Easter mission. Yes, Easter is moving on, joyfully!

Bantay Matanda invites you to a lay forum on Alzheimer’s disease on April 26 at Janssen Hall of Christ the King Mission Seminary,

9 a.m. to 12 noon. For inquiries, please call 3732262/9982548/09174167849.

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A moment with the Lord:

Lord, let nothing and no one stop me from moving on to Your heart. Amen.