Easter Thoughts

The birth of Christ will have no meaning if He did not die on the Cross to save us from our sins.
- an excerpt from Fr. Remo Bati's homily, Easter Vigil 2008

Happy Easter to all. :) I never really blogged regarding excerpts on homilies or Christian teachings, but the above quote really struck me and somehow compelled me to share something about it.

Comparing Easter and Christmas, most people seem to think that the latter has more significance compared to the former. One cannot exactly blame them, since Christmas has always been festive and people seem to be in high spirits. There's the normal get-together with families, gift-giving, and also the anticipation that a New Year would come (with the holiday coming exactly a week before the next year). Employees get their 13th month pay and bonuses, and students get a 2-week or so hiatus from school.

The commercialism that Christmas brings, however, disillusions people of its true meaning, which is the coming of God as man. People always seem so wrapped up with preparing for Christmas dinner or buying gifts, that when Christmas Eve comes, a lot don't even bother to go to church to thank God for the blessings we have received for the past year. It's really sad and disappointing.

For me, however, it's even more disappointing that people seem to take Holy Week and Easter for granted, when it is much more significant than Christmas. While it is true that there wouldn't be a Holy Week or Easter if Christmas did not take place, Christmas would not even have meaning if Holy Week and Easter did not happen. Jesus Christ would be just like you and me, a human who lived and died. A bit extraordinary, perhaps, what with the miracles He performed. But Christ's ultimate mission was to pay for our sins through His death, since only death (both in the physical and spiritual sense) can serve as payment for our sins (Romans 6:23).

I guess one excuse that people give when they don't attend the Easter Vigil or Holy Week services is that there's too many things to do. (This is especially true for us Lasallians, since the Holy Week comes only as a 4-day vacation within the 3rd term.) For me, however, nothing can serve as a reasonable excuse for us to not give up a few hours to commemorate Christ's passion, death and resurrection. He gave up a lot for us. He gave up His LIFE for us. So why can't we spare Him a few hours during the Holy Week to thank Him for that?