Celebrating Life

This year will mark a significant wedding anniversary for myself and my wife and is well worth celebrating. Celebration is at the heart of what it means to be human and is therefore important for us all.

Put simply, celebration is showing we are happy about something. Happiness can be expressed in any number of ways.

People of Faith celebrate “Rites of Passage,” birth, coming of age, marriage and death in particular. For many christians this speaks of the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Matrimony and Funerals. For Catholics a Sacrament is a sacred moment which makes real what it symbolises. The presence and power of God is manifested in the moment both in the person and communally in the body of believers gathered for the celebration.

The Christian story is one of celebration which is told in worship, prayer and liturgy. A teenage peasant girl is visited by an angel to announce the greatest event in human history; God the Creator becoming present in his creation. This event contains within itself the promise of the liberation of humankind from degradation and futility brought about by sin and separation from God. Eternal life no less in a resurrected body, made possible by the Jesus’ death and Resurrection which is what Christians have just celebrated at Easter.

What’s more, this saving event upon which all else that really matters is based, is celebrated and made present in the Eucharist offered on altars all over the world each day.

Today the Church celebrates “Good Shepherd Sunday.” Like the good shepherd, Jesus lays down his life for his sheep. That’s not only for the Jews but for everyone – you and me. Jesus wants to reach out to everyone including those who do not value or celebrate life from conception to the grave or oligarchs who do not celebrate democracy or freedom. Mary’s “yes” makes change possible for everyone.

Christians are undergoing terrible persecution throughout the world at this time but we continue to celebrate all that’s good in life.

How sad for those who don’t. Being truly human and celebration are synonymous.

But the victory has been won and there is no going back. Christian martyrs are at the forefront of this new Easter Life both now in the present moment and in eternity. Worth celebrating?

We are an Easter People and Alleluia is our song.