Article by Don Francesco Armenti
1. Since that morning, the Angel’s announcement: “Do not be afraid… he is risen”, has never stopped resonating in history and in the world. And even today He resonates in the heart of each of us: “Do not be afraid” because the Risen One lives in your life, in your desire for good, peace, justice and love. Like those women, we too must “raise our gaze” and be able to see beyond the stones of selfishness, violence, war, poverty, injustices, our bitterness and pain. Easter is illuminating our internal deaths and our solitudes, Easter is the strength to remove the stones of fear and uncertainty that prevent the light of life, hope and joy from entering our existence. Easter is transforming death into life, love into donation and fear into courage.
2.The announcement of the Resurrection is preceded by an act of love and consolation: the women go to the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus. If we also want to be resurrected with Christ we must love, because it is only in love that Christ allows himself to be encountered. It is only by loving that we will experience the resurrection in our daily lives. It is only by loving, that the Spirit of the Risen One anoints us with ” the oil that consecrates, with the oil that perfumes, with the oil that heals wounds and that illuminates” our darkness.
3. Easter is letting Christ wash our feet as he did his disciples. Why? Rising again means letting Jesus, the Risen One, save us with his mercy, letting God, through his son Jesus, become our servant in love. Easter is letting ourselves be served by Jesus so that we too can serve and love humanity and make the light of God’s love shine in the world.
A New Zealand song by Richard Gillard says: «Will you let me be your servant? \ I will hold the Christ light for you. \ In the night time of your fear\ I will hold my hand out to you.\ Speak the peace you long to hear \ Will you let me be your servant?\ Let me be as Christ to you» Only in this way will Easter be, for you, today, tomorrow and always.