A 5th Sunday after Easter Thought to Start the Week Off Right

How does this 5th Sunday after Easter find you? Last week we mentioned our "2nd Easter." It brought us an extra shot of Easter joy, even though we couldn't attend Mass in the Byzantine Rite as we have for so many years. Last year there was no Mass. This year, with distancing and mask requirements, there just wasn't enough room for everyone who normally would attend this traditionally jam-packed church. So we just attended Mass at our local parish.

I did miss our years-old tradition of Easter in the Eastern Rite. But it reminded me that, whatever rite we attend, love of Christ remains the real motivation to be at Mass, not mere obligation or any preference for one rite over another. And if we keep the fires of that love burning, we will naturally look to Him as not only Our Savior, but as our example in all that we think, speak, and do every day.

Of course, for most of us, Christ's example may be a stretch, an ideal to which we aspire. But that doesn't mean we don't keep trying to reach that ideal. Each time we try to imitate Christ, but fall short, we ought not be discouraged.

Some of us may even have certain misunderstandings when it comes to following or imitating the example Our Lord left us during his brief life on earth. The Reverend George Zimpfer explains:

“‘Imitation of Christ’ does not mean that we must seek an exact parallel of incidents in our lives and that of Jesus. It means that we must strive to think and act according to His spirit, as we should judge He would speak and act or think in any given circumstances. The hundreds of expressions of our spirituality are our own, just as the events of our Lord’s life were peculiarly His own. His day was not as our day; His circumstances of life were not as ours. Yet he lived, and he asks us to live in like manner. It is an ideal, of course, and we strive to approximate it. We must look beneath the outward circumstances, the mere activities of Christ’s life, and try to discover the deep moral truths and principles which guided them. Most of our Lord’s life was unexceptional, if viewed only in these circumstances. He was not always working miracles, but he lived among men and women graciously. What made Him a Light among men, a Light that shone with ever increasing brilliance until today His figure stands as the greatest in human history, was His inner life, His spirit. He came not only as the Son of God; He came to us also as the Son of Man. He not only died for us, but He lived for us as well, to show us how to live.” (Rev. George Zimpfer)

So Our Lord came to save us and to lead us. A great leader leads by example. Jesus Christ is our Greatest Leader. This Great Leader knows each of us as the unique individuals we are. He sees beneath the outward appearance that most people see. Some of our loved ones see beyond that appearance, but none can know us as He knows us. None of us can see beneath the appearances of Our Lord's life as deeply as He can see beneath our appearances. But each of us, in his or her own way, can take the time to try to dig deeply into the words of the Gospels. Indeed, we have a lifetime to do so. If we do, we will know Him better. We will understand his words and actions better. The Light of His example will serve to draw us closer and closer to Him. He lived for us so that we might live for Him.

There's a lot to consider here and Sunday gives us the opportunity to take some time to do so - that is, if we truly observe the Lord's Day. 

A quick final thought: Our C-Virus Mess could possibly have helped some of us to be more so observant. For along stretch many of those activities that have supplanted the Lord on the Lord's Day have been unavailable. (A good example: parents who spent a good chunk of Sunday shuttling kids to sports. I know many do this and use it an excuse not to attend Mass at all. Great example for the kids!) In my own case, while I did try to "keep holy the Lord's Day," the Mess has been a robust boost. Will I keep the gain or give it up now that the world seems to be asserting itself again?

Happy Easter!