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CKG / XI / 5 / 2012
Sadbhavana, Bangalore
Karnataka-Goa Province
Circular : April 5, 2012
The National CRI (Men’s Wing) is gearing up to the
celebration of a Mission Congress on 17-18 April 2012 at Dharmaram, Bangalore. I
am asked to present a paper on “Let your light shine brighter.” It is befitting
that we now ponder a little on the Easter Mystery, which is sine qua non for any
mission proclamation. As we take a closer look at each of the co-conspirators
who played a direct role in the trial and death of Jesus Christ, it's important
to remember the Lord's words in John 10: 17-18: "The Father loves me because I
sacrifice my life so I may take it back again. No one can take my life from me.
I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want
to and also to take it up again. For this is what my Father has commanded." It
is pointless to argue about who killed Jesus, blaming the Jews or the Romans.
Jesus, having the authority to lay down his own life and take it up again,
voluntarily sacrificed it. Who killed Jesus need not be a point of contention.
The people responsible for handing down the guilty verdict, those who cried
"crucify him," and the soldiers who nailed the nails, only helped carry out the
destiny Jesus Christ came to fulfill by offering his life on the cross. And
remember, too, Jesus died for you. He died for me. Our sins nailed him to the
cross (Romans 5: 6). So, in essence, we all share some responsibility in the
death of Jesus. This truth, no matter how painful to consider, is not meant as
an accusation, or a reason for us to hang our guilty heads in shame. No, it's
simply a jarring reminder of God's immense love for us: "Greater love has no one
than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends" (John 15: 13). The
wonderful conclusion recorded in the Bible is that Jesus rose from the dead and
returned to God. He is forever our representative before God. He enables us
today to enjoy fellowship with God, peace with our fellow man, harmony and joy
within our family/community relationships, and to exercise proper dominion over
this world in which he has placed us. We need only to pray and ask him to come
in and rule in our hearts and lives. Simply talk to God and say, "Thank you,
God, for loving me and sending your Son to die on the cross for the wrongs I
have done. I now choose to make Jesus the Lord of my life.”
Easter is always celebrated on the Sunday immediately following the Paschal full
moon. In the past, "Easter was calculated on the Sunday immediately following
the first full moon after the vernal (spring) equinox." This statement was true
in 325 AD, when it was established by the Council of Nicea. However, the course
of history has modified the meaning of this instruction, and therefore, a
clearer, more accurate explanation is necessary today. There are, in fact, as
many misunderstandings about the calculation of Easter dates, as there are
reasons for confusion. At the heart of the matter lies a very simple
explanation. The early church fathers wished to keep the observance of Easter in
correlation to the Jewish Passover. Because the death, burial, and resurrection
of Jesus Christ happened after the Passover, they wanted Easter to always be
celebrated subsequent to the Passover. And, since the Jewish holiday calendar is
based on solar and lunar cycles, each feast day is movable, with dates shifting
from year to year. The Paschal full moon can vary as much as two days from the
date of the actual full moon, with dates ranging from March 21 to April 18. As a
result, Easter dates can range from March 22 through April 25 in Western
Christianity.
At the close of the Easter Week, we will rejoice with eleven of our brothers who
will be ordained Carmelite Priests. As our Province represents the expanding
universe, we need more and more labourers to toil in the vineyard of Christ. I
congratulate the ordinandi and I wish you all a very happy Easter! May the Risen
Lord charge us with new energy to proclaim loud and clear, “I have met Jesus who
is Risen, Alleluia!”
I wish you all a rich share in the blessings of the Risen Lord. Happy Easter.
Fr. Archibald Gonsalves, OCD
Provincial Superior |
