Resurrection

"It seems to me the victory over death is when somebody, because of the good he’s done for others, becomes part of future humanity, which will be resurrected. Even though your death is obscure and nobody remembers it, you stay alive in the consciousness of humanity. And what the disciples saw in that little moment is the glory of that future humanity.” Richard Rohr "Connecting with out Ancestors"

Much of the language we use in our Christian journey seems difficult for the rational mind to fathom... Virgin birth and Resurrection being two of the terms I'm thinking of right now. However, there are ways of observing those terms in everyday life which might enhance our understanding of them when used as proper nouns.

For example, a virgin birth is beautifully described by Thomas Merton as le point vierge (the virgin point) which refers to the innermost spiritual center of a person, a place of pure, untainted truth and divine connection that is untouched by sin or illusion. It is a hidden spark of God within everyone, accessible through contemplation and a surrender to silence and grace, much like Mary in the Annunciation story. Where is your "virgin point," and how often do you access it?

Likewise with resurrection. The rich examples of resurrections we see in nature, in the human condition and as Richard Rohr suggests above, in people who have died but whose memories are maintained in our humanity.

We can also think of morning as a time of resurrection - bringing back to life a new day after the "death" of the previous day. As Macrina Wiederkehr says, "Morning is a call to our own resurrection, and so we reflect on what needs to rise in us."

When we grieve the death of a loved one, and we do not cherish and savor the memories of that beloved, we are missing a part of the victory over death which Jesus brought us. Bringing the memories into our consciousness is one beautiful way of celebrating that person's life and legacy.

Is there a beloved one for whom you grieve whose memories you might savor in order to resurrect him or her? As the first point of light dawns, might we intentionally bring to mind those we love whom we see no more, just as the day and the sun are resurrected? That might be a beautiful beginning to each day.