I have mentioned before that Baxter is a creature of habit. He likes routine and the familiar, yet, every once in a while, Baxter surprises me. He starts something new. Recently, he began to lie on a table I use when I want to eat dinner in front of the television. He never bothered with it before, but now it has become one of his favorite spots. Sometimes he surprises me with his eating preferences. Usually, Baxter is a strict kibble cat food muncher with some salmon, chicken or tuna thrown in occasionally for a special treat. But then, out of the blue, he will beg for some vegetable I’m eating. Asparagus and cabbage seem to tickle his fancy, and sometimes a bit of carrot. I guess variety is the spice of life, so Baxter wants a dash of something different from time to time to season his diet.
God works with us that way as well. He has a set routine that He usually follows. Sunday Mass, the ten commandments and teachings of the Church, the practice of the works of mercy, and the cultivation of the virtues are the hallmarks of our ongoing Christian formation. Yet, from time to time God throws a surprise into the mix. He gives us something new to chew on from our faith perspective. Maybe it’s an unexpected blessing like a job promotion, a windfall of wealth, a cure for a chronic health condition or a reconciliation of a longstanding hurt or misunderstanding. On the contrary, maybe the surprise is bad news--the loss of a job, a life-threatening diagnosis, a break in a life-long friendship or the end of a marriage. We can’t predict what lies ahead for us in life, and when it comes our way, we have to be ready and willing to incorporate the event into our faith. That might call for some adjustments in the way we see God and in the way we see ourselves.
With God, we may welcome the positive things as signs of His goodness to us, the good people. But when it comes to the hardships, then we ask, “Why me?” We don’t deserve such affronts to our happiness. After all, we go to church and live correctly. Where is our reward? With ourselves, we may begin to doubt our goodness and the significance of our lives. What did I do to deserve this hardship? I don’t know if I can handle this condition. What can I do to make it better or even get rid of the burden?
The death and resurrection came as a surprise to the first disciples. While Jesus tried to tell them that things would fall apart in Jerusalem, they didn’t want to hear it. While He gave them clues to the new life that would be won by His suffering and death, they couldn’t conceive of what He meant. Good Friday to Easter Sunday was a roller coaster ride for the disciples. Dashed to the lowest point they had known in their discipleship and raised to the splendor of an unimaginable victory over sin and death, they had to be disoriented and confused by the events they witnessed. Nothing was routine here. The worst and the best had happened within three days. Now what do they do?
They had to change their ideas about God and themselves. They had to see life’s pain, suffering and loss not as God’s punishment but as the dark side of God’s abiding presence, supporting and sustaining them. They had to see themselves not as the victims of life, but as partners with God in overcoming the powers of darkness. They had to change their way of living the faith. No longer could they be simply observant believers. They had to become apostles of the new way, the Way Who is Jesus become the Christ to save us. They received the very Spirit of God through the transformation of Easter. Now, they had to learn to live by that Spirit, so that they could share it in all they said and did.
Baxter surprises me from time to time. We all surprise each other occasionally. But God’s surprise at Easter is the greatest of all. Don’t miss it or reject it. Embrace it, and it will eventually change your life.
