In Search of Authentic Easter

On Easter afternoon, restaurants are brimmed with people. Pews are also full in many churches on Easter, even though they are usually almost empty.  Yes, Easter is an occasion of joy. Both churches and restaurants are packed to mark the festivity. At least, that is how the world presents itself on Easter. However, what is the real “Easter”, described in the sacred scriptures? In fact, on the original “Easter” day, there was no party…no Easter bunny, no egg hunting….  The people in Jerusalem were not eating and drinking in eateries merrily on that Sunday of the Lord’s Resurrection, almost 2,000 years ago. In fact, they did not even know that he was risen and did not seem to care.  On the other hand, the disciples first experienced “Easter” with fear and skepticism. The mood of the original “Easter” was far from joy, and the disciples fear and skepticism were pretty much due to their ignorance.

It is easy for us to be duped by what the world tells about Easter. Even some preachers, especially who tend to avoid preaching on the meaning of the Crucifixion, can give us a misguiding notion of Easter. We must focus on what the sacred scriptures tell what Easter is all about.

As the scriptures narratives describe, the disciples, including Mary Magdalene, began their “Easter” experience with fear and skepticism because of their lack of understanding of the Old Testament prophecies, especially on the suffering Messiah in Isaiah 53 and the teaching of Jesus, such as in John 2:19; Matthew 16:21; 17:23; 20:18-19.

It is not to say that we must tremble with fear to experience Easter. It is not to say that we must wonder if the Resurrection was true.  Rather, it is important that we put ourselves in the positions of the disciples and reflect as if we were them, facing the empty tomb. In this reflection, we ask ourselves, if we are more like Mary Magdalene or Peter or John. The scriptures indicate that it was Mary Magdalene who first realized that the tomb of Jesus was empty, and it how the original Easter started.

No, Mary Magdalene did not call the rest of the disciples to party with Easter bunnies in front of the empty tomb.

There is a reason for the Eastertide to span for 50 days until Pentecost. It is because it takes a while for the real Easter to really sink in our hearts and kick into our actions as real disciples of the risen Lord.  To be faithful to the scriptures, the way we appreciate Easter and experience Easter joy is rather gradual. It is a 50-day process.  In fact, Pentecost is our consummation of Easter. Through the baptism of the fire of the Holy Spirit, all the meaning of Easter sinking and settling in our hearts during the 50 days of Eastertide, will get fired up and spring into our apostolic actions.  For this real Easter experience, we do not have to have Easter brunch or Easter party.

Yes, after these Lenten abstinence days from singing gloria and alleluia during Mass, we can now sing gloria and alleluia joyfully because the Lord has risen.  At the same time, we must remember that the original “Easter” did not start with Mary Magdalene singing gloria and alleluia in front of the empty tomb. As we begin Eastertide, let us be more mindful of the disciples’ struggles to come to terms with the Resurrection of the Lord, while singing gloria and alleluia. 

Our Easter experience is a gradual toward Pentecost. To some, doubt may linger. Everyone experiences Easter differently, depending on their spiritual maturity in their faith and their life circumstances.

Let us not forget that many people are, in fact, struggling in experiencing “Easter” on their personal levels, because of their ongoing sufferings and struggles. No, Easter Sunday does not necessarily wipe away challenges in their lives. They wake up on Easter morning with pain. In fact, people are dying even on Easter Sunday.  We must reflect how they will experience “Easter” amidst increasing pain and sudden grief.

When I spent one Easter Sunday in hospitals, not as a patient but as a pastoral minister,  many patients, whom I was called to meet,  were crying out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?!” (Psalm 22:1; Matthew 27:46). Not only their health conditions had kept them from celebrating Easter in their churches but also their ongoing suffering and prospect of dying made it difficult to experience Easter joy. At the same time, away from where these patients were, people were flocking in restaurants for Easter brunches after churches.  

As a pastoral minister, I see that the original “Easter” is much more closer to the original “Good Friday” than to a kind of “happy” Easter that the world presents.  At the same time, just as Good Friday is not a day all about grief, the real “Easter” is not all about crying out to God because of ongoing sufferings and struggles.  Remember, on Good Friday, the closed gate of heaven was opened and graves of holy people were opened when Jesus expired at three o’clock in the afternoon (i.e. Matthew 27:51-53). Our “Easter” hope was already growing amidst the day of suffering and grief.

If we are truly embracing “Easter”, then, we always experience the joy of the Resurrection together with ongoing and even worsening struggles and sufferings – though they may lead us to confront our own mortality and frailty.  Then, we also realize that we cannot reduce real “Easter” to mere materialistic festivities.

Even if you are facing difficulties in experiencing “Easter” joy now, let’s be patient, allowing the Holy Spirit to be poured upon you and letting the Spirit bear its fruits, especially forbearance. This way, you shall experience more fruits of the Holy Spirit, such as joy, peace, and love, as your faithfulness grows.

Back in Holy Week during Lent, starting Spy Wednesday, throughout Paschal Triduum, the darkness increased, as reflected in Tenebrae reflection. Now, this Lenten darkness will gradually give its way to the light of the Resurrection. Not experiencing the Resurrection light right away on Easter Sunday with a worldly “joy” may make our Easter experience more authentic, because that was how the disciples’ original “Easter” experience started. The Risen Lord will come to even those who are doubtful, like Thomas, and transform their skepticism into belief with joy. We just make sure that we can meet the Risen Lord, whenever he comes to us.

Let us celebrate Easter more authentically, allowing the Risen Christ, to meet and touch us,  so that we can culminate our Easter experience on Pentecost!

   

批判と非難：礼儀ある批判、礼儀知らずの非難

“君の言っていることは間違っている”、“君の主張は的外れである”、“君の言っていることは屁理屈で何を言っているのか分らない”。

こうした発言は“批判”なのか、それとも“非難”なのか？それらの分水嶺は、このような発言の後に続くフォローである。

例えば、“君の言っていることは間違っている。なぜならば、君が示したAという議論は、XYZというAそのものが意図することから逸脱していると考えられるからだ”、という理論的な理由付けをするのが礼儀である。また、科学的な議論においては、エヴィデンンスや相手の方法論を理論的根拠でもって批判するのが常識。しかし、こうしたフォローなしに、ただ、“それは間違っている”というだけでは論理的に正等な批判なのか、それとも非難なのか相手にとってはわかりにくいので失礼である。

批判すると言うことは真実の探求の為に、私情を抑えできるだけ客観的に、それ故、論理的に相手の主張の間違いと思われることを指摘し、相手が自ら自分の議論を再検証し改正できるように促すことである。こうした礼儀ある行為が議論における礼儀というもおである。しかし、こうしたフォローをするという礼儀を欠き、ただ相手に対して、“君の主張は間違っている”、というだけでは論理的に正等な批判、礼儀に沿った批判とはいえない。

誰かの意見や主張、論説、を批判する時ほど、自分が使う言葉の重みを実感し、その責任を全うしなければならない。ただ、感情のままにこうした発言をすると、それこそ、屁理屈同様かそれ以下の非難でしかない。

知的な会話、議論、において批判はとても重要である。なぜならば、理論的な批判なくしては真実の探求は健全に行われず、それ故、学問の進歩もない。批判のない議論なんていうのは、同じ考えしかできない人たちの内輪の集まりでしかなく、違った意見や見解を自分達のサークルへの脅威と直感的に捕らえてしまい、過剰に批判的になる。それでも、論理的に批判できるならいいのだが、感情に支配されると、人間の心はどうも前頭葉の機能が大脳辺縁帯のそれよりも相対的に弱くなり、面倒な論理的な批判をするよりも、ad hominenの愚を犯しがちになる。

まさに、夏目漱石が“草枕”の冒頭で言った、“智に働けば角が立ち、情に竿させば流される”、です。つまり、理論的にあれこれ議論すると必ず誰かと衝突するのは当然のことで、それを恐れて、つまり、自分の論理を主張したくてもこうした意見の衝突に対する不安や恐怖といった感情に流されてしまってうまく言えずに葛藤の陥る、或いは、自分の考えに対して挑戦的な議論をしてくる人を自分の感情のまま非難するようになる。

真理の探究によって発展する学問にとって批判は不可欠であり、批判すること、されることを恐れていては、正等な議論はできず、そのような人は学問発展にとって貢献し難い。そうした人ほど、ただ自分の感情の流れるままに相手の議論を論理的に批判するというよりも、相手そのものを非難するad hominenという礼儀を欠いた行為をとるものである。智に働けば角が立つのは当たり前であり、そうした論議の上で必然的な角を違う観点から論理的に切磋琢磨しあうことで角は丸くなり、やがて角に隠れていた新しい真実が見えてくるのである。そうしたことを可能にするのが礼儀のある論理的に正等な批判なのである。

Foretaste of the Kingdom of God during Lent

No “gloria” singing at the beginning of Mass.  No “alleluia” before the Gospel reading.  Veiling crosses and statues in the sanctuary from the Fifth Sunday  of Lent on.  These are just a few changes you notice about Lent, if you pay attention at Mass. 

Certainly, Lent is filled with sober penitential mood, which is symbolized with purple liturgical color – except for Laetare Sunday (Fourth Sunday of Lent).  As we began Lenten journey on Ash Wednesday, we were humbly reminded of our sinfulness and sins, with these words from Genesis 3:19, “Dust thou art, and into dust thou shalt return”.  What precedes these words when receiving ashes on our foreheads from Genesis 3:19 are, “By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken”.   We labor to sustain our lives by plowing earth, as a result of the Original Sin, committed by Eve and Adam, and losing Eden.  Thus, sweat symbolizes the loss of Eden because of the Original Sin. Having been evicted from Eden, we are mortal and return to earth as dust after our death. This is a consequence of the Original Sin, and reflecting our perpetual sinfulness. 

What a depressing way to kick off on our Lenten journey!  

Throughout Lent, we are constantly reminded of what we should abstain from, what we cannot do…., as if we should not have anything to smile for. Because of this, people often ask each other, “What did you give up for this Lent?”. 

Penance and abstinence…..these represent the reality of our Lenten journey. However, Lent is not all about lamenting our own sinfulness and giving up on something as a sign of our penance.  Remember Jesus’ advice on our Lenten attitudes, in regard to almsgiving, prayer, and fasting, from Ash Wednesday Gospel reading (Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18)?  Our Lenten commitments are not to be practiced obligatorily. We need to put our sincere heart in our Lenten actions, whether it is prayer, fasting, or almsgiving.  As our Lenten actions spring from our hearts, reflecting our deep hearts desires, then, we neither feel burden nor need to boast about what we do for Lent.  A healthy Lenten attitude should be sincere penance and joy.    

Yes, joy! Lent is characterized, not only by penitential and prohibitive mood, but joy!  

What our Lenten journey teaches us is this pattern: Through our humble and honest self-examination, like Examen in the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola, we recognize our own shortfalls and sins.  Then, we realize how thirsty we have been for God’s mercy – not something that gives a temporary relief.  This is an opportune time to meet the Lord, who can forgive us, through the Sacrament of Reconciliation, remembering that Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi.  Because Christ our Lord is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the word, we earnestly pray, “Miserere nobis, dona nobis pacem.  Upon absolution, we are at peace within ourselves and with God. Then, this peace brings joy. Thus, what the Lord gives us, upon taking away our sins, are “pacem et gaudim” .  Together with “justitia”, “pacem et gaudim” in “Spiritu Sancto”, characterize “Regnum Dei” (Romans 14:17). Therefore, our Lenten journey of sincere penance shall express our desire for “metanoia”  and lead us into a foretaste of “Regnum Dei” as Agnus Dei  will take away our “peccata ” , as a priest in persona Christi the dispenses the Sacrament of Reconciliation. 

On Cycle A, we have long Gospel readings from John for three consecutive Lenten Sundays: 3^rd (John 4:5-42 ), 4^th(9:1-41 ),  and 5^th.( 11:1-45).  These Johannine Gospel narratives read in the middle of Lent address our problems and how Jesus intervenes.  At the same time, these Gospel narratives also assure of us the immeasurable salvific power of Jesus the Christ, as it touches us in various problems. In the Johannine narratives for these Lenten Sundays, these problems are symbolically represented by the thirst of a Samaritan Woman (John 4:5-42), contrast of the blindness of an innocent man and the blindness of hypocrites (John 9:1-41), and death of Lazarus (John 11:1-45). 

What is common through these Johannine narratives for these three Lenten Sundays on Cycle A is that Jesus is not judgemental to the Samaritan woman, though she had lived a sinful life. Likewise, he was not judgemental to the man who had congenital blindness, though the disciples had thought of his blindness as a consequence of sin.  On Lazarus’ death, he dispelled people’s misconception about death.  Through the salvific power of Jesus, the power of God’s mercy, the sinful Samaritan woman’s thirst was quenched for good, as her heart was converted. Then, joy filled her heart and mobilized her to evangelize the Good News to those in her village, even though she used to avoid them out of her shame due to her sins. As God’s mercy in Jesus worked on the blind man, not only that his eyes opened and made him see, but he became a believer. Jesus called this miracle on the blind man a manifestation of God’s work (John 9:3). Then, on dead Lazarus, Jesus assured that his death was not the end, as he described it with a metaphor of sleep.  As he made the blind man see, Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, as if a sleeping man were awaken, by the divine salvific power in him. Then, everyone who witnessed this no longer think that death is the end of life, as they came to believe that resurrection is true and made possible by God.  Imagine how joyful those who became believer of Jesus, experiencing and witnessing the astonishing salvific power of Jesus.  This power opened a heart of stone in the Samaritan woman, opened the blind eyes, and opened the grave of Lazarus, to give them new lives.
We, too, receive new lives upon the Sacrament of Reconciliation. As touched by the same salvific power in Jesus, our penitential Lenten journey will sure to lead us into joy with justice and pace. 

As the Holy Week is fast-approaching, let us be sure to experience a foretaste of the Kingdom – joy, peace, and justice in the Holy Spirit, being affected by God’s mercy in Jesus, before Palm Sunday.