Resurrection | Holy Smack

Today is Good Friday.

Christians today around the world remember the scourging, suffering, crucifixion and death of our Lord Jesus Christ. Yes, it is the day we murdered God, the day He let us kill Him.

There are many things we can discuss about this: why did God let us kill Him? how can God die? why would we do such a thing? etc…

But right now, I want to share why I think we call this infamous Friday good.

Doesn’t it seem ironic that we call this day good? It’s like calling September 11th Good Tuesday. Doesn’t it seem absurd? And doesn’t it seem even more absurd to be happy about it?

What do I mean? I mean it is a great thing, a happy thing to be hated by haters. It is a good thing to be hated by what I dub:

Yes, this exists. Members of the Official Anti-Catholic Klub [OACK] include the KKK, the Nazis, and Communist Parties. There are other members too, like radical Islam, Satanic cults, militant atheists, and even some misguided Protestant denominations. All these groups are very different from one another, but they share one thing in common: they hate the Catholic Church. CatholicHaters

Why do they hate the Church? Because they want power they don’t have. They want power they can never have. They want to have a leader who leads forever. They want a leader who can create universes from scratch. They want a leader who is not only invulnerable and incorruptible, but immortal and invincible too. A leader who — even if he somehow gets killed — can resurrect Himself!

And we have that one-and-only leader in the Lord Jesus. So on this Friday twenty centuries ago, when hatred, death and sinners (you and me) cut down our Christ, we Christians call it a good day — because this day means we’re on the right side. We’re on the winning team.

We’re supposed to be hated by evil-doers. We’re supposed to be hated by the prideful, the envious, the wrathful. Because if they like us, if they call us friend… that means we’re not threatening to them, that means we are just one of them — part of their klub.

So don’t be afraid of being hated by the haters. It’s a good thing. But notice that if you hate them in return, you just joined their team…

So do what Jesus does.

Start today.

P.S. If you’ve never watched the Passion of the Christ, give it a look!

Don’t get me wrong — I love Christmas, and Easter, and Advent… but there’s a special love for Lent. I asked myself, “Why, Evan? Why do you love Lent? Lent’s so dreary, so deprivational, so austere…” Ash Wednesday

Well, I love Lent because it helps me live simpler, so that I may simply live! Lent helps me remember that I eat to live, and not live to eat. The hunger of fasting reminds me how mortal I am, that I need someone higher than myself to guide me, lead me. It puts my life in the proper perspective, and actually makes the little things in life more meaningful. Smiley Face with Ashes

And as a Catholic Christian, Lent (especially on Ash Wednesday) smacks me in the face, smears my brow with dust, reminds me that I am dust, and to dust I shall return… we are all mere children of dust.

Yet this is beautiful, because I don’t stop there. None of us stop there. Though all our possessions will return to dust, we don’t end there. Depending on our Faith in Christ, our dust will rise, reassemble, get an upgrade, and then the real life begins!

And I WANT REAL LIFE!

I want Resurrection! Didn’t you see the preview Jesus gave us when He rose? Didn’t you see how He wasn’t some zombie or half-dead corpse? Didn’t you see how He didn’t exact vengeance on Peter (for denying Him)? Didn’t you see? And don’t you want that kind of life, love and forgiveness yourself? and for your beloveds?