Word: Followers of the Resurrected Christ seek what is above.
Order: “Think of what is above, not of what is on earth.” (Col 3:2)
Reflection:
Easter is the greatest celebration for all Christians throughout the world because it signifies Christ’s victory over sin and death. The Resurrection is the foundation of our Christian faith giving us the promise of a brand new life. Unless Christ rose from the dead, our faith is in vain. “…and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins.” (1 Cor 15:17). Through His Resurrection, Jesus Christ destroyed the hold that death has on us and saved mankind from the bondage of sin. Like Jesus, we too will conquer sin and death, and gain eternal life.
Easter is the culmination of our observance of the 40-day Lenten season, officially marking the end of a period of prayer, fasting and almsgiving. But does it really signify an end to our spiritual struggle and self-denial or is it merely the beginning? Our word for the month of April says it all: Followers of the Resurrected Christ seek what is above. And the order of the Lord for this month is clear: “Think of what is above, not of what is on earth.” (Col 3:2).
While we rejoice in Easter’s promise of sharing in Christ’s glory, we face daily struggles that keep us from lifting our thoughts to God. While we seek what is above, we are burdened with our human concerns that keep pulling down our desires to the mundane. Our worldly pursuits revolve mainly around earning a living and making money rather than on building up spiritual treasures that will prepare us for heaven. This is the paradox of life. While we live physically here on earth, our souls, hearts and minds must focus on our life eternal.“Thus will it be for the one who stores up treasure for himself but is not rich in what matters to God.” (Luke 12:21)
How then do we seek what is above? Let us look at our weekly themes as a guide for the month of April.
Week 1 (The Resurrection of the Lord)
“BLD is a community of disciples inspired by the Holy Spirit, to be living witnesses for transformation in Christ to bring about a world of justice, human development and true peace.” This is a statement of the Vision of the Bukas Loob sa Diyos Covenant Community that is reaffirmed by our theme for the 1st Sunday of Easter: We seek what is above when we bear witness to the resurrection of Christ. We are commanded to preach the Good News not only by what we say but more importantly, by how we live. The first reading declares, “He commissioned us to preach to the people and testify that he is the one appointed by God…” (Acts 10:42). This comes with a promise of forgiveness, “To Him all the prophets bear witness, that everyone who believes in him will receive forgiveness of sins through his name.” (Acts 10:43).
Week 2 (2nd Sunday of Easter)
We have all been unbelieving Thomases at some point in our lives. When petitions take forever to be answered or a big loss or disappointment comes our way, does our faith begin to waiver? We hear a small voice within us sounding like Thomas in our Gospel reading, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”(John 20:25). Our theme for this week reminds us: We seek what is above when we believe in Jesus, though we have not seen Him. It comes with a promise: “You may come to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God, and that through this belief you may have his name.” (Jn 20:31). Today we also celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday, a good time for all BLD members to be more merciful like Jesus. Despite our disbelief, neither anger nor revenge finds its way into Jesus’ heart that is full of mercy and compassion.
Week 3 (3rd Sunday of Easter)
We can only truly understand the Scriptures when we read the Word with prayer and meditation. As members of BLD, it is a fulfillment of one of our basic Pledges of our Covenant with the Lord: “We shall read, study and live the Word of God in the Holy Scriptures and in other spiritual readings, and we shall regularly share our knowledge and experience in the Word with other members of the Community at least once a week at our designated Word Sharing Circles.” Our theme for the 3rd Sunday of Easter is a gentle reminder: We seek what is above when we open our minds to understand Scriptures. So whenever we drag ourselves to a Word Sharing Circle (WSC), let us remember that we are actually building treasures in heaven. This is our promise for the week: “But whoever keeps his word, the love of God is truly perfected in him.” (1Jn 2:5)
Week 4 (4th Sunday of Easter)
Can you think of anyone you know including your immediate relatives and closest friends, who would readily and unconditionally lay down his or her life for you? But that is literally what our Lord Jesus Christ did for each of us, laying down His life on the cross in order to save us. The same self-giving act is what is expected of using our theme for the 4th Sunday of Easter: We seek what is above when we lay down our lives for others. In our community life, we are blessed to be given many opportunities to lay down our lives for others if we are willing to, until someday BLD will be one flock listening to the voice of The One Shepherd. This is our promise for the week: “They will hear my voice, and there will be one flock, one shepherd” (Jn 10:16)
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