In spite of all the Alleluias this Easter season, do you sometimes find your faith tested and your heart heavy? Daily we hear in the media another item added to a universal litany of woes: terrorist attacks in Paris and Belgium, insufficient responsible action being taken on the urgent environmental and social challenges facing the world, inhumane conditions on Aboriginal reserves, helpless immigrants fleeing war and certain death in their countries, concerns about Canada’s assisted suicide decision and the list continues.
As a teenager in the ‘60s with its flower children, opposition to the Vietnam War and valiant efforts of the Peace Corps etc., I truly believed that our generation could make the world a place where peace, love, equality and justice would reign. I have often lamented about the sad state of our common home today and its failure to realize our lofty dreams.
Now, fifty years later, with persistence in centering prayer, contemplative living and a growing shift in consciousness, I find myself better able to come to terms with the world as it is. I strive to work for peace in my own sphere of life and to not lose heart. My enhanced view of the world allows me to see seeds of hope being sown in our dear world at the same time as we come face to face with global violence and conflict. The clash of armies and cultures will eventually lead to laying down arms and seeking peace.
In my Easter musings, I have been inspired by the age old message of the Pascal Mystery. Jesus’ suffering, death and resurrection are a model for seeing the troubled state of the world with fresh eyes. Recall Jesus’ words to the disciples on the road to Emmaus, “Was it not necessary for the Messiah to suffer these things and then to enter his glory?” (Luke 24.26)
Following the November terrorist attacks in Paris, Cardinal Andre Vingt-Trois urged his people, “May no one allow himself to be defeated by panic and hatred”. In a similar vein, the words of St. Pope John Paul II encourage us: “Do not abandon yourselves to despair. We are Easter people and halleluiah is our song”.
Yes, deep in my heart I do believe that we shall overcome some day.
Jean Moylan, CSJ