Easter - a time of Glory! A time of Victory! A time of Freedom!

This freedom won for us by Jesus is ours for the asking. Yet, this freedom also has to be lived. Jesus said that we will be free only if we know the truth. We can only know the truth if we make his word our home ?? if we live in his word.

The Word of God is important in our lives of freedom. It is in the Word of God that we find Jesus and live in him. This is why the Church teaches that the Word and the Eucharist are of equal importance. Both are celebrated in the Liturgy ?? on their respective altars. This is why we worship Jesus ?? both in the Word and in the Eucharist.

As Catholics, we are blessed to have the same privilege as the disciples of Jesus. They listened to Jesus and they also enjoyed his presence. We too, as Catholics, are able to listen to Jesus in scripture AND enjoy his presence in the Eucharist. This is why these two cannot be separated because they are vital to our life in freedom.

Jesus is the Word of God. Scripture is the Word of God. So Jesus IS the scripture. Reading scripture is reading Jesus. It is encountering Jesus intimately.

As Catholics, we believe that Jesus is in the Eucharist. If not, it is idolatry to bow and worship a piece of bread and a cup of wine. We believe that the bread and wine we take is the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of our Lord Jesus. So we come before him to adore him. We enjoy his presence.

In his encounter with Martha and Mary, Martha was busy serving their guests. Mary, in the meantime was busy ?? enjoying his presence. And Jesus commended Mary for that. I would think that Martha also heard the words of Jesus. When she puts food on the table, even when she was in the kitchen, preparing the food, she heard Jesus speak. BUT she was not enjoying his presence. So Jesus had to gently rebuke her for that.

For me, devotion to the eucharist is NOT enough, devotion to the Word is NOT enough. It has to be both or nothing. All the saints have a devotion to the Eucharist AND The Word. This was what gave them the courage to say Yes to Jesus always.

Listen to the Word AND enjoy his presence. This is the only way to have courage to say YES to the Lord. This is the only way to live a life of freedom, the only way to live a life of power, the only way to live a life of victory in Jesus.

Happy Easter!