THE POWER OF RESURRECTION, WHAT DOES IT HAVE TO DO WITH YOU?

In June, we will be ending the holiday and most extraordinary time in the liturgical year that the Church invites us to celebrate; Easter, that remarkable season, culminates with fulfilling our “Father’s promise” with the Holy Spirit coming in Pentecost. The words of the Apostle Paul, in his first letter to Corinthians 15, reverberate in my heart “And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is our Faith.”

Our Faith is not in vain, nor is our preaching for Christ indeed resurrected, Hallelujah!

The other day, during my radio and TV show, La Hora del Encuentro, I spoke about something I think is appropriate to share with you again here, especially with those who did not have the chance to hear it that day; I invited my brothers and sisters from the audience to think about the true meaning of the fact that Christ overcame death and its impact in our lives. Part of what I shared had to do with how I lived my Faith for many years, superficially. I called myself a traditional Catholic, meaning that I would go to Church every Easter because it was expected, but I did not understand the transcendence of what was being celebrated then and there. Although I received the body of Christ, I did not understand; I just did what I saw others do and what my mom (may she rest in peace) taught me when she tried to instill the Faith in me.

It was not until I had an encounter with Christ and started understanding His Word and the Church’s teachings that I managed to gain such conviction, assurance, and understanding of what we celebrate every year during Holy Week, the Paschal Triduum, and of course the true impact of the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ in my life. Now, I understand that Jesus’ passion, death, and triumphant Resurrection, changed not only the history of humankind but, more importantly and transcendentally, transformed the way we live our lives and reopen the doors of Heaven after having been shut down by the sin of Adam and Eve.

I hope Easter’s major event will have the same meaning and relevance for you. May it always be a transformational experience in your life so that we can say, Jesus Christ has risen, and we have risen with Him, hallelujah! (If you want to see and hear this reflection in full and listen to the key points to fully understand and live a permanent Easter in your life, please visit ESNE’s Facebook site and search the name of this letter dated April 19, 2022.)

Let us never forget that the magnificent event of the Resurrection confirmed the Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ and His remarkable impact on humankind at large, beginning with His disciples who, as a result, began to understand the contents of all Jesus’ teachings. Thus, tears and sadness turned into joy; fear turned into courage, closed doors were opened, and a limited vision of life turned into a purposeful life.

But Easter did not end with His Resurrection. And the purpose for us is revealed by someone who will be celebrated in a few days, the third person of the Blessed Trinity, the Consoler, the Helper, the Father’s promise fulfilled upon the apostles during the great Pentecost.

Before leaving His apostles for His Ascension to Heaven, the Lord warned them about leaving Jerusalem and said, “Wait for the gift My Father promised, which you have heard Me speak about. … For John baptized with water, but in a few days, you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 1:4-5) In this passage, Jesus specifically refers to receiving the Holy Spirit so that the apostles may be His witnesses and that the Good News could be carried to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:6-8). This is the Mission of the Church and, by extension to each of us, the baptized and evangelized. This is my brothers and sisters, our major purpose.

The Virgin Mary, the Mother of the Lord, was present in that first spiritual community. This Spirit poured out in that community is the same Spirit each of us receives in the Sacrament of Baptism. Sadly enough nowadays, many Catholics do not know, understand, or take an interest in the value of receiving the Holy Spirit, a gift par excellence from above; God’s strength acting upon the believer and manifesting powerfully upon those who trust Him.

Being unaware of the Holy Spirit is like having a powerful weapon to defeat the enemy who seeks to destroy you and not use it because you do not know its power. Hence, you live your life as a victim instead of victoriously. If we abide by the Holy Spirit and His power, the fruits of His presence begin to manifest abundantly (Galatians chapter 5).

Remember that the Holy Trinity; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, is the power that covers you and may be relied on every day of your life. Do not ever feel alone. For you are not!

Once again: Thank you!
I seize the opportunity to express my gratitude for your generosity, your ability to offer, and your seeds, for without your major economic contribution, we could not reach as many people as we are reaching now. Our purpose is to reach many more. We are firmly determined to reach those places where no evangelization means are available. Therefore, I kindly ask you to consider doing everything you can to support our next JOURNEY in June to support the new evangelization projects that the Lord continues to entrust to us as the need to bring the souls to Christ is still huge.

I pray that the Holy Spirit may renew us with His power so that we may be faithful witnesses to the Risen Lord, united with the Star of Evangelization and Saint Mary of Guadalupe, who asks us to take Her Son into this world that so desperately needs Peace, the Peace that results from a personal encounter with Christ, the Peace that comes from God. Amen.