Holy Week – A Season of Renewal
The glory of Easter is demonstrated each year to all Christians who believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This manifestation takes place during the weeks leading up to the days of Holy Week, inclusive, through our preparation for the death and resurrection of Jesus. The preparation for Easter is called Lent and it is during this period that Christians are asked to cleanse their minds, hearts and souls. This cleansing takes place in various ways on an individual basis and it is through these individual efforts that some find themselves in direct communication with the spirit of God. Through prayer, meditation, and other practices, we ask God to come into our lives for direct inspiration, healing, and cleansing. Those fortunate enough to have mastered the ability to still themselves in dedicated prayer and meditation are more apt than others to reap the spiritual benefits that the Easter season can provide. It is this commitment to prayer and the ability to contact God that so many of us long for but so few realize. The struggle to “find” God is often daunting for many Christians. Only when each of us realizes that God can be found in each of our individual hearts when we make the effort to look deep within, do we understand the closeness of our daily relationship with Him. God is with us always! There is no separation from Him. It is not only on Resurrection Sunday that his son Christ Jesus rises in our souls. He rises in our souls every day if we only ask him to.
It is in this realization that new life springs forth for each of us. Our daily life is energized and we become “alive” in Jesus Christ. How do we know this? How do we know that his presence is near? One of the ways this becomes clear is by acknowledging the presence of Christ in every person and object in the universe. God lives and is represented in everything before us. When we recognize the closeness of him, we begin to see life, its triumphs, trials and tribulations in a completely different light. We begin to measure the importance of regularly occurring events in a different way. And we quickly realize that most of the things we come across on a daily basis aren’t that important after all.
We should take pleasure and comfort in knowing that God is with us. In fact, it is He who grants us the freedom to express and execute our God-given talents in any way we choose. Of course, He wants us to use those talents appropriately and according to the divine plan He has for each of us. What is that plan and how are we to know? Do we have any input? How do we take advantage of it and how do we know if we are on the right track? The answer lies in our trust in God and our belief that through active prayer and meditation, He will guide us to fulfill His divine plan for us. God is the Way Shower. It is our responsibility to demonstrate our love for Him in our willingness to submit and release our ego’s desires to His Will. Many of us struggle with the idea of giving up our false concept of “control.” Many of us have lost sight of the basic laws that govern our spiritual existence. It is in this “lost” existence that many of us do not live up to expectations. Or, we find other false gods that are not as worthy of our focus and love. The search for these false gods often results in anguish for us and our loved ones. Whether it is the lure of money, alcohol, drugs, or some other earthly temptation, all of these troublesome activities can be eliminated when we accept Christ Jesus and the Most High God as our true sources of strength, courage, and love. Make room for Christ. Discover his presence in your heart. Acknowledge his desire for you to realize that he is always there for you. It is our spiritual goal to reach this realization and live accordingly.
So how do we reach this spiritual goal and why don’t we see witnesses of more people successfully reaching this understanding? Great questions. The answers are contained in each of our individual searches for our own hearts and souls. The great inner discovery! And the confidence to live in “spirit”, not in ego. God is not in a distant heaven. He is here, right now! We need to dedicate ourselves to achieving it in our own hearts, and we do this through prayer and silent meditation. I’m sure you’re saying that this is easier said than done. You’re right. But, without the effort to achieve it, we can never fully realize our true purpose in this life. And that is the “Easter” mission. With great faith we begin this spiritual journey in human form to know, love and serve God. Our searches take us to quiet places in our own hearts where we search for that quiet place where God can communicate with us. That silent place where we can experience the touch of God’s own hand guiding us along the divine path that He has created specifically for each one of us. We can only imagine that this place is filled with nothing but love, beauty and peace where we are united and one with our God.
The beauty and new hope of each passing Easter season is in the knowledge that more and more of God’s children are realizing that it is in God that our true spiritual strength and inspiration lies. God is our only source of all that is good. The beauty is in realizing that our God exists here and now in each one of us. The beauty is in realizing that heaven is not some far away place that exists only for a select few, but can exist right here for ALL of us. The spiritual revolution that is currently gaining momentum around the world comes at a time when it is sorely needed. Through the continued courage and strength of world leaders around the world and people who believe in the existence of a Higher Source, the world can reach new heights where God himself can continue to expand his territory and the love of him for EVERYONE. Through belief in God, the realization of a world that exists in peace can come true.
Easter is a season of renewal that must remain with us with each passing day. Why can’t every day be marked with the blessings and happiness of the risen Lord on Easter Sunday? It’s not possible? Of course it is. With God’s help and guidance, each of us must take personal responsibility to “expand” his territory. I encourage all of us to join this spiritual journey. Yes, Christ is risen! Yes, the land is now redeemed! God bless you! Happy Easter.