Because He lives

On Tuesday I got a call from a friend who asked if I wanted to go up to Baguio; their place was available, for the first time in years, since no relative or friend had called to reserve it for use this Holy Week. Used to having other people make use of the house, they had made other plans.

Tempting as the offer was, I passed, having made other plans as well: I was going to market and cook on Thursday, then vege out on Friday, doing nothing more serious than cleaning my cabinet, watching television and harassing my dog. The rest of my family planned a drive up to Dagupan, but the mere thought of all those hours in the car made my butt hurt. So I opted for the joy of staying home, doing next to nothing and then resting afterwards. In his inimitable manner, one editor chided me for opting to stay at home and not "taking advantage of this opportunity to see the rest of the country". "You have the rest of your life to stay at home," he growled. "You’re going to grow roots!"

Holy Thursday and Good Friday are the only two days in the year when our office closes down, since there is no issue on Good Friday and Black Saturday. A few of my colleagues are actually going home to the province, but most are similarly going to enjoy doing nothing, although there was a perceptive increase in the lending and borrowing of DVDs around the office. I dared not ask how many were actually tending to spiritual concerns as the season demands; one editor claimed to be fasting, eating only kaimito and orange juice and, in keeping with the season, I gave her the benefit of the Holy Week doubt.

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Easter Sunday is rightfully the climax of the season, because it is the Resurrection more than the Passion that is the cornerstone of Christianity. It is Christ’s triumph over death that gives us the promise of Life. His death was temporary, His resurrection eternal. While it is through His passion, His suffering and death that the sins of mankind were paid, it is in His regaining life that we gain life in God’s presence.

"Because He lives, I can face tomorrow" goes a favorite hymn of the season, and indeed in the promise of our new life in Christ can we find the grace and strength to face the trials and the challenges of life today. A blessed Easter to all.