Enter into the joy of Easter

A few weeks ago, I fell into a conversation with someone. He was asking me how I had found certain opportunities. I was explaining briefly how they had come about, and he listened to me, but I could tell he didn’t really care for my answer.

“Well,” he said, “I’ve never had anything handed to me like that. I’ve had to work for everything I’ve gotten.”

I was a little taken aback. I didn’t know how to respond. I didn’t feel that much had been handed to me. I try to be open to where God might be leading me, but I work hard and say yes more than I say no. His comment stuck in my mind, and I couldn’t figure out why it bothered me so much.

Eventually, though, I decided that maybe it bothered me because in many ways it is true. Every opportunity in life could be seen as an unexpected, undeserved gift. What if everything I have received has simply been handed to me?

The love of my parents and siblings, my husband, and my children.

Scholarships for school, teachers who invested in me, employers who were willing to take a chance on me.

Every door that has opened along the way.

Maybe I would approach life with even more gratitude to think that it’s all been handed to me. In many ways, it has.

And here we are celebrating Easter. We marvel at an empty tomb, knowing Jesus has conquered death. Even after my Lenten journey, I am certainly not any more worthy of Christ’s sacrifice for me than I was 40 days ago. Jesus knows that well. He sees all my sins and weaknesses and failings—and hands me all his love. He knows I might not deserve it, but he loves me. He believes in me. He knows I’m human and that I am trying to follow in his steps. Even though I am very much a work in progress, falling short every day, he offers me eternal life.

He offers it to each of us—without reservation, with all his love.

There’s such a beauty to Easter, the miracle that God loves us so much that he sent his only son to die for us. I certainly don’t deserve for our Savior to have taken on all my sins—and all past and future sins of humanity—and to die for us.

Yet Jesus hands that to us—with all his love. He invites us into the tremendous, everlasting joy of Easter. He humbled himself to do this for us—and he does it willingly, lovingly, completely, making the ultimate sacrifice for each of us.

He extends his grace, invites us to feast at the Eucharistic table, and welcomes us home.

What an incredible gift.

Indeed he is risen. Alleluia, alleluia!

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