Tag: Easter

No Coronavirus Easter

Strange. No Passion, except on TV/internet. Tomorrow, no in-person Mass on Easter Sunday. (We have been “watching” Mass on CatholicTV live from the Basilica of the Sacred Heart on the Notre Dame campus—Beautiful!!!). This Lent has been a real desert in terms of isolation. Maybe that has helped us identify with the isolation Jesus felt those 40 days in the desert. Maybe it will help us get out of the deserts in our lives after this crisis is over (and it will be over!!!). For now, we should blossom in what tomorrow represents—the glory of Jesus rising from the dead. There will be no coronavirus in Easter tomorrow!

The Israelites wandered the desert for 40 years before crossing over to the Promised Land. Jesus isolated Himself in the desert for 40 days before His brief 3-year ministry. Many/most of us in the U.S. have now been quarantined in our houses for going on 40 days—some working at home, others out of work. And there are “deserts” everywhere—on the sidewalks, streets, highways, and etc. depending on where you live.

I have tried to use this time, on top of a lot of work at home, to really think about what is important in life. I fly a lot for work. On airplanes and elsewhere I am always in the midst of a lot of people. I spent a lot of time in Washington D.C. on Capitol Hill. I can’t count the times I have wanted not to fly for a while, to get away from people, and to really get away from the politicians. Well, I got my wish. Now I want that wish to go away.

I’m fortunate to have the work and position I have. Along with my faith and my family, it’s a gift from God. I know what I do—advocating for patients and cancer care—is a calling. And sometimes I forsake that gift and calling because I focus too much on myself, and not on others.

I’ve done a lot of soul searching during this coronavirus “desert” I have been in this Lent. It’s time to come out and allow the Risen Lord Jesus to rise me up. There will be no coronavirus Easter this year. The isolation will continue for a while then the world will come out of this. And I will come running out of it! Faith, family, work, cause, and doing my little part in making the world a better place. Time for all of us to stop wandering and isolating, and to do our parts in making this world a better place.

Wishing you all a blessed and glorious Easter!!!

Easter Everday

Easter Sunday. The day we celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Easter Everyday. Every day we celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. One is a day event. The other is an everyday event. Jesus rises every day and we rise with Him. More religious mumbo-jumbo? No. Just a different way to live.

I don’t want to stop the glory of Easter. A one day event when the world stops (a bit) for Christians to rest and reflect on the enormity of the sacrifice that God made for us in His Only Son. I want every day to be Easter. We celebrate Easter maybe 70-80 times in our lifetime. I want to celebrate Easter at least 25,550-29,200 times!

How?

Simply by remembering what Easter means. Purpose. Sacrifice. Hope. Glory. And I can think of a lot of other words to describe Easter but I’ll start with those four and how I want to live my life.

Jesus had a God-given purpose in His life. I want to have purpose in my life, not just walking aimlessly through life. I want to understand and realize the special, unique purpose that God has for me.

Jesus sacrificed His life for me. He doesn’t expect me to sacrifice my life (maybe) but He expects me to put others before me. And he commands me to love. Check out John 15:12.

Jesus rising from the death after experiencing a demeaning, terrible death gives hope to the world—and each one of us. I want to live in hope.

If you try, you can feel the glory of God on Easter Sunday. I want to feel that glory each day. It’s easy to get overcome by the darkness in this world. Glory is a bright shining light. There is no darkness in glory.

This may not seem very practical to you; may even seem a little contrived and cute. But it is very practical and real-world to me. You just have to spend a little time thinking about Easter and bringing it into everyday life. Easter Everyday.

Have a GREAT day today! Happy Easter Everyday!

God-less

Sad but true. We are moving forward with less God in our lives. No wonder why this world seems lost and spinning more of of control each day. Less God. That’s really sad!

If you want to see how this plays out, read about Moses and the Israelites in the desert. It took 40 or so years of wondering to travel what should have taken about 11 days. False idols, infighting, and complaining. Sound familiar? The same story that played out thousands of years ago is exactly repeating itself today.

Why? Back then the Israelites turned their backs on God. Fast forward, today we are doing the same thing. Less people in church. More people saying they don’t believe in God and have no “religion.” Lost then. Lost today.

I can tell you that I would be totally lost—maybe even dead—without God in my life. I’m no saint. Far from it. World’s best sinner more like it. But for every step back in the desert I do my best to take 2 steps forward. With God. Everyday with God. Father/Creator, Jesus/Savior, and Spirit/Advocate.

I’m determined not to be lost and wondering in a desert of my life. I’m heading to that Promised Land with God leading the way. Without that, life is truly an endless desert.

Walk forward. Walk with God. Everything becomes clearer in life, especially the path forward. Trust me. Just call out to God to light your way.

Have a glorious, blessed Easter if I don’t sign on before then!

Rise with Jesus!!!

Time to rise, just like Jesus did over 2,000 years ago. What I mean in a very practical sense is to leave any of your old self behind that you don’t like. Then, move forward with your best self. Make a commitment that your “new” self will indeed be your “best” self.

Sure, we all take steps back at times as we move forward on the path of life. Just make sure the steps forward outnumber the steps backwards.

Now is a great time to look at your life, assess, and move forward with a better self. It’s time to rise—just like Jesus did.

Have a wonderful Easter season! 

Do You Recognize Jesus?

Easter’s over. We say that, “Jesus Is Risen!” But do we live Jesus is risen? Are we like the two disciples transfixed talking about Jesus so much that we can’t even recognize Jesus walking with us? Like most you probably say, “Of course, I would recognize Jesus if He were walking with me!” But do you know that Jesus will be walking with you today and I bet you don’t recognize Him at all! Continue reading “Do You Recognize Jesus?”

You’re Nailed to That Cross!

You may think that Jesus was the only person nailed to the cross but you are right there with him. That is, your sins are nailed there as well. And they are your sins so you are nailed as well. The trick is how you get down. Continue reading “You’re Nailed to That Cross!”

Did You Know It Was Jesus?

The two disciples were so engaged in conversation that they failed to recognize Jesus—exactly who they were talking about on their walk to Emmaus! It wasn’t until they slowed down to eat that they saw it was Jesus, and only then when he went through the act of breaking and blessing the bread. How many times did you walk with or by Jesus yesterday and not know it was him? Continue reading “Did You Know It Was Jesus?”

Jesus Is Risen—Not Today But Every Day!

Around the world we celebrate Easter as the day Jesus rose from the dead. But the fact is he did not rise in the past tense but rises every day. And if we walk in Jesus’ footsteps we rise with him each day. Continue reading “Jesus Is Risen—Not Today But Every Day!”

GREAT Friday!!!

Am I saying that this Good Friday is a super, fantastic, great day? Well, yes, in a very special way. It commemorates one of the greatest days in human history when Jesus Christ gave up his life for each one of us. Not for humanity as a whole, but for each one of us individually. And then 3 days later, on THE defining day in human history, Jesus rose from the dead. Great? Great is an understatement! Continue reading “GREAT Friday!!!”

God’s Mulligan

In golf a “do over” is a mulligan. God’s mulligan is grace. You have it, over and over again. It doesn’t go away—ever! Translation to all of this—you have unlimited fresh starts with God. In fact, every second of every day is a fresh start with God. Continue reading “God’s Mulligan”

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