THE TASTE OF VICTORY - RC Spirituality

FIRST MEDITATIONFIRST MEDITATIONMatthew 28:2 — The Angel and the EarthquakeMatthew 28:3-4 — OtherworldlyIn verse two, Matthew tells us:In the next two verses, St. Matthew shows how theResurrection is an otherworldly event, a divine invasionof our earthly realm. He writes:And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angelof the Lord descended from heaven, approached, rolledback the stone, and sat upon it.St. Matthew is the only Gospel writer to mention theearthquake. It mattered to him, because it symbolizedthe end of one age of history and the start of another.The age that was ending was the one that had begunwith the Fall, and the exile of the human family from theGarden of Eden. From that time on, the human familyhad been under the rule of evil.But that age is over now. Now the age of Redemptionhas begun. Jesus has conquered the powers of evilby taking everything they could dish out — betrayal,abandonment, injustice, torture, humiliation, and death— and still coming back.Just as an earthquake changes forever the seeminglyunchangeable shape of the earth’s landscape, soChrist’s resurrection changed forever the seeminglyunchangeable shape of human history. It unleashedholiness and an entirely new kind of hope, which will beembodied through the centuries in the life and the saintsof the Church.As the women witness the earthquake, they also witnessthe appearance of the angel, who descends, approaches,rolls back the stone, and sits on it. The angel rolledback the stone to show that the tomb was empty. Jesushad already risen from the dead.The angel sits on the stone as if to emphasize how paltryand weak were the powers of this fallen world that triedto destroy and bury Jesus, the incarnation of God’s lovefor mankind. The stone symbolizes everything that triesto separate us from God and his love.The Lord is much more powerful than all of those things.When we feel like we are stuck behind stones like that,we need to invoke the Lord, and beg him to send hisangels to roll them away.FIRST MEDITATIONHis [the angel’s] appearance was like lightning and hisclothing was white as snow. The guards were shakenwith fear of him and became like dead men.– Matthew 8:3-4Those guards were not wimps; they were tough guys,rough-and-tumble guys. But the presence of the angel,the presence of the super-natural, unmans them.Sometimes I think we allow ourselves to become tooused to Jesus. It’s good that he is close to us, and thathe lowers himself to our level. And yet, He is still God— the all-powerful, the eternal, the magnificent.Part of what gives Easter its particular flavor of victoryis the taste of reverence that surrounds these unheardof events.FIRST MEDITATIONMatthew 28:5-7 — The Resurrection Is AnnouncedThe angel ignores the stupefied guards, and addressesthe women, the ones who loved Jesus and are searchingfor him.In the next three verses, Matthew records the angel’sshort speech:Then the angel said to the women in reply, “Do not beafraid! I know that you are seeking Jesus the crucified.He is not here, for he has been raised just as he said.Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quicklyand tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead,and he is going before you to Galilee; there you will seehim.’ Behold, I have told you.”– Matthew 28:5-7“Do not be afraid!” Such a common phrase in theGospels, throughout the entire Bible! Isn’t it truethat God’s interventions in our lives, or his possibleinterventions, often spark fear in our hearts?3

We are children of Adam and Eve, and so, as PopeBenedict XVI once put it,. we all carry within us a drop of the poison of thatway of thinking, illustrated by the images in the Book ofGenesis. The human being does not trust God.And yet, isn’t the message of the Resurrection preciselythat we can trust God? He died for us; he has risen forus; in him we have all we can ever desire or need. Theangel then shows the two Marys that he knows whatthey are doing, when he says, “I know that you areseeking Jesus the crucified.”The crucifixion, the most horrible sin mankind has evercommitted, has become a title of honor for Jesus. OurLord is “Jesus the Crucified,” God the savior, who tookupon himself the full weight of evil and sin, so as todestroy it.Isn’t this what Christianity is all about? Experiencing thepower and the beauty of God’s merciful love, allowingthat love to conquer our discouragement and hesitancyand give us new life, and then to boldly give to otherswhat we have received.The taste of victory can’t be fully enjoyed unless it isgenerously shared.FIRST MEDITATIONMatthew 28:8 — Overwhelmed with JoyHow did the two Marys respond to this announcement?Matthew describes it precisely:Then they went away quickly from the tomb, fearful yetoverjoyed, and ran to announce this to his disciples.– Matthew 28:8The Church will never let us forget this supremeexpression of God’s love. Every place of worship, infact, where the Eucharist is regularly celebrated, isrequired to display a crucifix.They didn’t waste any time trying to figure everythingout; they launched out on their God-given mission.And how did they feel? “fearful yet overjoyed.”But the crucifixion wasn’t the end of the story! Theangel goes on to announce that the tomb is empty, Jesushas risen from the dead, and he wants to meet with hisfollowers.Have you ever wondered how those two things can gotogether? Have you ever been greatly afraid and fullof joy at the same time? The fear has an element ofreverence, of awe.This truly is the Good News, the Gospel, the brand newevent that transforms everything. No other religiousleader in the history of humanity has even claimed torise from the dead — not Buddha, not Confucius, notMohammed.They recognize that they are on holy ground, that thedivine realm is bursting in upon their lowly, humbleearthly realm. And they weren’t expecting that; theyhadn’t understood Jesus’ own prophecies about hisresurrection.Only Jesus has died and risen, and so only in Jesus canwe hope for eternal life. This is his great victory: finally,good triumphs over evil. If Jesus hadn’t risen from thedead, he would have been just one more good guy whofinished last.But at the same time, the news itself fills them withgreat joy: it means that the hopes, the dreams, thepromise of a new life with meaning and everlastingpurpose have not disappeared in the dust of thecrucifixion! The story continues — marvelously.But by rising from the dead, he makes all the fairy talescome true, he gives hope to history, he conquers aneverlasting Kingdom. And once the angel fulfilled hisduty to announce the Resurrection, he gives these twodisciples a mission to spread the word, to pass on themessage.On those rare occasions when we attend Mass andaren’t tired, distracted, or preoccupied, sometimes wetoo feel the awe and the joy that the two Marys felt onthat first Easter.FIRST MEDITATIONThe awe comes from knowing that in every Mass heaveninvades earth anew; and the joy comes from discoveringafresh that God is thinking of me, and that he wants tostay with me in the Eucharist, to be with me, forever.4

FIRST MEDITATIONFIRST MEDITATIONMatthew 28:9 — Jesus Can’t WaitMatthew 28:10 — Words of CommandFull of awe, full of joy, not knowing what to think, thewomen rush off to tell the other disciples, but theydon’t get very far before another surprise stops them intheir tracks. St. Matthew describes what happened:Jesus doesn’t let the two Marys stay very long inadoration; after a little while, he calls them to action.And behold, Jesus met them on their way and greetedthem. They approached, embraced his feet, and did himhomage.– Matthew 28:9I have often wondered why Jesus waited to appear tothem. Why did he send the angel first, if he knew thathe himself would show up just a few minutes later?Maybe the two Marys had to make an act of faith in theResurrection before he was able to let them see theirResurrected Lord. Maybe Jesus wasn’t planning onshowing himself to them at all, but when he saw themrunning back to the Apostles, so full of faith and hopeand love, he just couldn’t hold back, and he had to cometo them.Whatever the reason, “Jesus met them on their way,”and that Gospel phrase can fill us with comfort andconfidence. Jesus will always meet us on our way.As we go through our journey of faith, trying to fulfillour Christian mission each day, just as the Marys weretrying to fulfill theirs, Jesus will never abandon us; hewill always be with us; he will always give us whateverlight, strength, or encouragement we need: “Jesus metthem on their way.”And their response to this dramatic development is justwhat ours should be: they approached, they embracedhis feet, and they worshipped him.This is the same response that the Three Wise Men hadwhen they were filled with joy at the sight of the starand found Jesus with Mary in the house at Bethlehem(see Matthew 2:1-12).Is it our response? How often does the victory ofGod’s mercy over the fallen world bring us to our kneesand lift our hearts in adoration? How often should it?This too is part of the taste of victory.FIRST MEDITATIONThen Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go tell mybrothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”– Matthew 28:10But I don’t think he does this rudely. I always picturehim helping them to stand up and looking into theirfaces with a smile — what other expression could be onhis face when he says, “Do not be afraid”?And then he gives them a share in his mission,reaffirming the task laid upon them by the angel. Heinstructs the women to pass on the message of theResurrection to the Apostles, but he doesn’t call themhis disciples, his apostles, or even his followers: rather,he calls them his brothers.This is the first time in the Gospel of Matthew thatJesus calls them that Something has changed in hisrelationship with his followers after his Passion, Death,and Resurrection. Two things, actually, have changed.First, Jesus has now experienced everything aboutthe human condition: he has suffered in every wayimaginable during his Passion, and he has descendedinto the frightful darkness of death. Now Jesus isfully our brother; he has been through the valleyof darkness, just as all of us go through it at somepoint during our earthly pilgrimage. How his heartmust rejoice to be able to assure us now thatnothing we suffer can separate us from him, whosuffered everything for our sake!And second, Jesus has finally repaired the damagedone by original sin. Now the floodgates ofgrace have been opened, and through that grace,believers now share the very life of God — we havebecome children of God, and brothers and sistersof God’s Son.This too is included in the taste of Christ’s victory oversin, death, and evil.5

FIRST MEDITATIONConclusion & Further ReflectionTake some time now to bask in the bright light of theResurrection, to feel the powerful earthquake of God’slove, to let your hearts be filled with awe and joy, tokneel at the feet of the Resurrected Lord, and to feelthe warmth of his smile upon your face.Hear him tell you: “Do not be afraid!” And let him giveyou anew your task, your mission in his Kingdom.Jesus wants you to tell him what’s in your heart, and hewants you to find out what’s in his.1When have I experienced most intensely the Tasteof Christ’s Easter Victory? Savor that memory andthank God for that experience.2How would the world — and my life — be differentif Jesus had not risen from the dead?3How much does the way I celebrate the Lord’s Dayevery week reflect the victory of Easter? Whatcould I change to reflect it better?But if Christ is preached as raised from the dead, howcan some among you say there is no resurrection ofthe dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, thenneither has Christ been raised. And if Christ has notbeen raised, then empty [too] is our preaching; empty,too, your faith. if Christ has not been raised, your faithis vain; you are still in your sins. Then those who havefallen asleep in Christ have perished. If for this lifeonly we have hoped in Christ, we are the most pitiablepeople of all.– 1 Corinthians 15:12-19, NABRFIRST MEDITATION / SECOND MEDITATIONPeter proceeded to speak and said: “You know what hashappened all over Judea, beginning in Galilee after thebaptism that John preached, how God anointed Jesusof Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power. He wentabout doing good and healing all those oppressed bythe devil, for God was with him. We are witnesses ofall that he did both in the country of the Jews and inJerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on atree. This man God raised on the third day and grantedthat he be visible, not to all the people, but to us, thewitnesses chosen by God in advance, who ate and drankwith him after he rose from the dead”– Acts 10: 34a, 37-41 NABRGive thanks to the LORD, for he is good, his mercyendures forever. In danger I called on the LORD; theLORD answered me and set me free. The LORD iswith me; I am not afraid; what can mortals do againstme? The LORD is with me as my helper; I shall look intriumph on my foes. Better to take refuge in the LORDthan to put one’s trust in mortals. I was hard pressedand falling, but the LORD came to my help. The LORD,my strength and might, has become my savior. Thestone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.By the LORD has this been done; it is wonderful in oureyes. This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoicein it and be glad.– Psalm 118: 1, 5-8, 13-14, 22-24, NABRSECOND MEDITATIONEaster’s Name Is JoyWhat is the primary sentiment of Easter? Without adoubt, it’s joy. Joy is the melody of the Easter liturgy, ofthe entire Easter season.Just think of the Prefaces we pray during the Mass onEaster (the Preface is the prayer of thanksgiving thatintroduces the Eucharistic Prayer).The priest is free to choose from five different Prefaceswhen he celebrates Mass during the Easter season. Eachone of them highlights a different aspect of the Eastermystery. But then, every single one of the Prefacesfinishes with this phrase: “Therefore, overcome withPaschal [Easter] joy.”6

That is the heart of Easter — being overcome withPaschal joy, the joy of Christ’s definitive victory over sin,evil, and despair.Here is how the Fourth Preface for the Easter Seasonputs it:It is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation, atall times to acclaim you, O Lord, but in this time aboveall to laud you yet more gloriously, when Christ ourPassover has been sacrificed. He never ceases to offerhimself for us, but defends us and ever pleads our causebefore you: he is the sacrificial victim who dies no more,the Lamb, once slain, who lives for ever. Therefore,overcome with paschal joy, every land, every peopleexults in your praise and even the heavenly Powers, withthe angelic hosts, sing together the unending hymn ofyour glory.Joy is the mark of Easter, the joy of everlasting victoryover the enemies of God and man. Easter’s name,indeed, is joy.SECOND MEDITATIONThe Nature of Christian JoyBut what is joy? It’s one of those words that we thinkwe understand, until we ask ourselves what we reallymean by it. Joy is a kind of pleasure, an experience ofdelight, satisfaction, and jubilation.But what causes it? Catholic philosophy and theologyhave a long and rich tradition exploring this topic. St.Thomas Aquinas makes a distinction between pleasureand joy. He calls joy a spiritual pleasure.Pleasure, according to St. Thomas, is the experienceof satisfaction and contentment that we have whenwe come to possess something good that we desired.When dessert finally rolls around and I get to eat thatbrownie, I experience pleasure, a material pleasure.Joy is a pleasure of a different kind. Joy is that deepspiritual pleasure that comes from possessing notmaterial goods, but spiritual goods. When I know thatI am loved, for example, I experience joy, even if theperson who loves me is nowhere around me. Thatknowledge of being loved is a spiritual good, somethingwithout material limitations, and so it produces aspiritual pleasure; that’s joy.SECOND MEDITATIONEaster gives us joy, because it gives us the most valuablespiritual possession we can have: the sure hope ofeternal life. Easter shows us that, if only we stick closeto Jesus Christ, nothing that happens to us in this lifecan keep us down; as bad as things may get, we haveeternal life with Christ to look forward to — all of ourGood Fridays will be swallowed up in the definitivevictory of Easter Sunday.That knowledge, which comes to us through our faith inJesus Christ, fills our hearts with an unquenchable hope,and gives undying purpose to our lives, the purpose ofdeepening our friendship with Christ and helping othersdo the same. Easter, the victory of Jesus over sin,suffering, death, and evil, is the greatest spiritual realitythe world has ever known — and it’s all ours; that’s whythe taste of Easter Victory is the taste of Easter Joy.SECOND MEDITATIONThe Power of Christian JoyIt’s interesting to note that one of the major differencesbetween material pleasures and spiritual pleasures —joys — is that spiritual pleasures don’t wear out. This issimply because spiritual goods don’t wear out.When I eat a brownie, there comes a time when thebrownie no longer exists, and so the pleasure fades. Butwhen I know that I am loved by God, that I am promiseda dwelling place in his heavenly mansions, those thingsdon’t wear out. This is why the saints — and allChristians who are mature in the faith — can continueto experience true joy even in the midst of temporal andmaterial sufferings.One of my favorite examples of this comes from theremarkable testimony of the Servant of God, CardinalFrancis-Xavier Nguyen Van Thuan, who passed away in2002.Just six days after he was named coadjutor Archbishopof Saigon, South Vietnam fell to Communist controlledNorth Vietnam. Soon thereafter, the future Cardinalwas arrested by the Communist authorities. For thenext thirteen years, the Communists tried to break hisfaith, moving him between re-education camps, prisons,and solitary confinement.When he was finally released, he was permitted to goand visit Rome, but after leaving the country, he wasnever allowed to return — he died in exile, at the ageof 74.7

While the future Cardinal was in solitary confinement,he began to form relationships with the team of guardsassigned to watch over him. In spite of the deeppersonal sufferings he experienced in those years, hecouldn’t stop his Christian joy from affecting thoseguards.Here’s how he described it in a memoir written yearslater.When I was put into solitary confinement, I was initiallyentrusted to a group of five guards, two of whom alwaysaccompany me. The wardens change them every twoweeks, so that they do not become “contaminated” byme. Later they decided not to change them anymore,otherwise they would all be contaminated!At first, the guards do not speak to me, they respondonly with “yes” and “no.” It is truly sad; I want to bekind, courteous with them, but it is impossible; theyavoid speaking with me. I have no presents to givethem: I am a prisoner, even all my clothes are stampedwith big letters “cai-tao,” that is, “re-education camp.”What am I supposed to do?One night, a thought comes to me: “Francis, you are stillvery rich. You have the love of Christ in your heart. Lovethem as Jesus has loved you.”The next day I began to love them, to love Jesus inthem, smiling, exchanging kind words. I begin totell stories of my travels overseas, how people live inAmerica, Canada, Japan, the Philippines, Singapore,France, Germany. the economy, the freedom, thetechnology. This stimulated their curiosity and pushedthem to ask me about many, many things. Little bylittle we became friends. They want to learn foreignlanguages, French, English. My guards become mystudents!The atmosphere of the prison is greatly changed; thequality of our relationships is greatly improved. Even upto the police chiefs. When they saw the sincerity of myrelationship with the guards, they not only asked me tocontinue helping them study foreign languages, but theyalso sent new students to study with me.– quoted from “Five Loaves and Two Fish”by Cardinal Francis Xavier Nguyen Van ThuanSECOND MEDITATIONThat’s the power of Christian joy: It can turn a prisoninto a home, a concentration camp into a school, andenemies into friends.It is a sign of the Easter victory, a victory that keepsrolling back the powers of darkness and conquering newterritory for Christ, generation after generation.SECOND MEDITATIONConclusion & Further ReflectionEaster’s name is joy, the joy of knowing that no matterwhat happens, as long as we are united to Christ, wewill share in his everlasting victory.During the Last Supper Jesus himself explained tothe Apostles that through his passion, death, andresurrection — and the transforming grace that wouldflow through them — he wanted to give them the gift ofjoy, a joy that no one could ever take away from them.He said,I have told you this so that my joy may be in you andyour joy may be complete– John 15:11Take some time now to admire this gift that comes to usthrough Easter, to simply gaze at the wonderful realityof Christ’s victory and to taste its goodness.Reflect on how fully you have received this gift up tonow, and what may be inhibiting you from experiencingit more deeply. And don’t be afraid to ask for the graceof renewed joy, for the grace to taste Christ’s victoryonce again, if that’s what you need.1When was the last time I felt “overcome withPasc

SECOND MEDITATION The Joy of Victory The Text: Matthew 28:1-10 Matthew 28:8 Overwhelmed with Joy Easter s Name Is Joy Matthew 28:1 God Remembers Our Good Efforts Matthew 28:9 Jesus Can t Wait The Nature of Christian Joy Matthew 28:2 The Angel and the Earthquake Matthew 28:10 Words of Command The Power of Christian Joy