An Insight for Easter

In the heights he flowed like a river;
He came from Mary like a shoot;
He hung on the tree like fruit
And returned as first-fruit to heaven.

Stanza from Hymn 1 On The Resurrection by St. Ephrem

Every now and then a line of poetry or prose will pop out at me, giving me fresh insight into some spiritual truth I thought I’d plumbed to its depths—as if that’s even possible.  I read this stanza the other day and the highlighted line hit me between the eyes.

This year’s Easter Season seems somehow special because we have a new pope with a decidedly different outlook and direction for the Church.  Not one that is in true contrast to his predecessors, but rather complimentary in its goals.  So, it seems good that we take another look at the meaning of Christ’s death and resurrection.

“He hung on the tree like fruit.”  What an insightful line.  I don’t know enough about the early saints and Church Fathers to know if St. Ephrem employed an original image for the crucifixion, but I do know that I’d never thought of it like this before.  I’d always known that Christ’s death was redemptive and so bittersweet, but it never occurred to me that it was fruitful.  It seems so obvious now as I think on it.  The idea opened new vistas in my understanding of Christ’s sacrifice.

The first thing that struck me is that it’s Eucharistic.  Jesus told us that his “flesh is real food” and his “blood is real drink” (Jn. 6: 55).  What does one do with a lovely piece of ripe fruit if not bite into it and enjoy not only its flesh but its juice?  What does fruit do for us if not provide nourishment, refreshment and enjoyment?  The Psalmist said, “Taste and see that the Lord is good” (Ps. 34:8a).  What sweeter fruit could we wish for than that of Christ’s body and blood which he himself instituted in the most holy Eucharist?

It tells us many truths about our God.  I realized that God provided before we knew what we would need or that we’d have a need.  What did he create before he created man but the fruits of the earth for us, and the other creatures, as our sustenance?  In this we see that God has planned things “for our welfare and not for evil” (Jer. 29:11).  And he still provides ahead of our need or our asking.  He gave us life, and parents to love and nurture us.  Christ and the Sacraments of Church to bring us to eternal life.  Friends, spouses and children to gladden us.  Communities in which we can be one with others in his love.  And the list could go on and on.

If I were to attempt to list all the fruits of Christ’s death and resurrection I would need to write many books.  But suffice it to say that although no loving person would have wanted to see Jesus tortured and crucified—Peter didn’t nor his disciples—still it was not merely bittersweet, but was, and still is, the fruit of life that ripened with his resurrection and the promise of everlasting life to those who believe in him and do his will.

First blog post from Della....

After writing and posting on Catholic forums for many years, I felt it was time for me to start a blog to talk about all things Catholic, as I have seen and experienced them.  At this point in my life I feel I would be remiss if I didn’t share what I’ve learned and have come to understand about being Catholic as a woman, a wife, and an American.

The story of how I became Catholic was printed in This Rock Magazine, September 1995: http://archive.catholic.com/thisrock/1995/9509fea1.asp.  I have to say that if I were to write my story now, it would be less polemical.  Practicing my Catholic faith for over twenty-five years has softened my judgment of others while hardening my resolve to embrace the truth.

Let me begin by explaining what religion means to me in the two main lessons it has taught me.

My first lesson, one that has kept me grounded through many trials and tribulations: God  is (Hebrews 11:6).

“God is” sounds simplistic and naive in today’s secular world.  However, as a child growing up in America, God’s existence was a given.  Indeed, our public schools taught it, and our culture and laws supported it.  Today, doubting God’s existence has become more than an intellectual exercise.  Faith is being attacked on every side, especially by the elite. Therefore, I believe it is vital we restate the simple fact that “God is.”  We Catholics need to defend this truth. If and how we do it will affect every aspect of our lives, believers and non-believers alike.

My second lesson comes from the second part of Hebrews 11:6: “God rewards those who seek him.”

This isn’t an “I’ll get candy from mom if I’m good” reward.  It’s the reward of union with God, a union closer than that of husband and wife because it completes all others in the perfection of divine love.  In order to come to that we must please God by having faith in him  and doing as he commands.  Again, this may appear simplistic, but because so many have given up practicing or rejected the truths of the faith to “go with the flow,” it needs repeating, again and again.

The verse from Hebrews is the foundation of my life in Christ and his Church.  It’s what led me, at last, to full union with Christ’s Church.

I think it is fitting to remind ourselves of these simple truths during the Lenten Season.  And, the election of a new pope gives us the opportunity to renew our commitment to the faith.  Each of us must determine how God wishes us to fulfill his commands to believe and to act out the faith.  Christ, through his Church, has given us the Sacraments, the prayer life of the Church, and the means to do good works so that we can be holy and do good for the benefit of our loved ones and our world.  It’s up to us to do it.