By Antony Christy, SDB –
Unusually these days here in Italy, among the children I keep hearing repeatedly the term Big Bang! It is an unfortunate reminder that the younger crop of teachers don’t anymore care to teach anything about the theory of Creation! Or is it the curriculum of the State that is directing them? Anyway, they wish to be scientific and consider everything that is written in the Bible a farse!
Interestingly, a parent was sharing with some of us: the kid in the family was once very confused and when asked by the grandfather, what the issue was, the kid said: ‘Nonno, you say the God created the world! My teacher says Big Bang caused the world! I am totally confused!’ After a little pause the grandfather, smiled at the child and asked, ‘Alright, what do you say’. The kid seemed to have responded saying, “hmmm… I say, God created the Big Bang which caused the world!” Ah! That was the wisdom of the Child! We have hope in the future, after all.
I am not going to share about the Big Bang or about the Creation but about something that all of us are called to reflect on today! To reflect on that event that came like a Big Bang… and caused all the Changes we see today – the event of Resurrection! It happened and nothing has remained the same after that – the disciples changed, the people converted, the Church was born, history was divided into two and entire humanity finds itself in front of it: either to accept it or not! Yes, Resurrection is all about Transformation!
The Risen Lord calls us to Transformation, a three-fold transformation!
The first is from death to life. We are called to transform ourselves from a culture of death to a culture of life. What is a culture of death: it is fear, it is discouragement, it is negativity, it is pessimism, it is a sense of helplessness, it is desperation! It is our choice to transform ourselves to a culture of life – it is hope, it is courage, it is creativity, it is optimism, it is a sense of confidence, it is faith! The world is immersed in a culture of death as Pope Emeritus Holy Father Benedict the XVI would often repeat. We are called to stay clear it, promote a culture of life and bring people to life – that is an experience of the Risen Lord, the first of the transformations that is expected of us.
The second transformation is from life to new life. We are called to transform from a style of life that is given into failure and monotony to a life that is ever changing and anew every day. Every day we are called to experience this new life when we begin a new day! Let everyday you awake into, become a new journey, a new beginning, a new experience, a new hope and a new celebration with the Lord. Allow the Lord to do new things in life – Behold I make something new for you; new heavens and new earth. The Lord can create something tremendous from your troubles, your temptations and your struggles. Allow the Lord to transform it for you. Allow the Lord to work on you.
The third transformation is from new life to life to the full. I have come that you have life, life in all its fullness, declared Jesus. And that is what he gave us at his resurrection, life to the full. We need not fear death anymore. We are recipients of the fullness of life that the Risen Lord gives. We cannot live life somehow. After they met the Risen Lord, no one could live life in a somehow… they had to live life to the full by all means – they had to stand up and speak, walk all the way to a place and just start back in the middle of the night, they could not keep silent even when they were threatened with their lives, they went far and wide – as far as Rome and as wide as Asia… because they were overflowing with enthusiasm, it was life to the full! That is the sign of having met the Risen Lord – have you met the Risen Lord yet?
As we celebrate the Risen Lord today, let us in someway get to understand the challenge posed by the Lord to transform ourselves. Where do we find ourselves: overpowered by the culture of death? Struggling to live our lives? Enjoying the New life that the Lord gives? Let us accept the challenge towards living our life to the full… a life that reflects the Risen Lord, a life that is in anticipation the life of Resurrection that awaits us all!
Fr Antony Christy is a Salesian Priest from 2005, who has a Masters in Philosophy (specialisation in Religion) and a Masters in Theology (Specialisation in Catechetics). He is currently pursuing his doctoral research in Theology at Salesian Pontifical University, Rome. Walking with the Young towards a World of Peace and Dialogue is the passion that fires him on.