Easter is a season of rebirth. Rebirth is experienced through Christ who has triumphed over the tomb. We experience this same rebirth from the waters of baptism. It is for this reason that the baptism of adults is typically held at the Easter Vigil. It is here, from these Easter mysteries, that we call to mind our baptism and how from these waters we were sent forth as a new creation who has been ordered to Christ.
Verse 21: “When a woman is in labor, she has pain, because her hour has come; but when she is delivered of the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a child is born into the world.”
This image of giving birth is used throughout the Old Testament in order to describe an intense pain. This image was used by the prophets in order to make us realize of the birth of a new people who have now been ordered towards God. Now we as the Church have been brought into existence. Christ brought this about through the pains of His own Passion as would the apostles who were willing to lay down their life in order to serve Christ and the Church. The woman rejoices at the birth of her child as the Church is now able to rejoice at the birth of a faithful soul who ha been born into eternal life.
If we think for a moment concerning the saints we would realize that their feast days are typically held on the day in which they had died and were thus raised to eternal life. We too should desire to be taken to this great celebration of the saints by the way in which we choose to order our life. May we always decide it is towards Christ that our life ought to be ordered.
In the spiritual life we will pass through moments of pain. We will trudge across a lot of hardship along the way. We will discover that path in which we are to walk is not as easy as we would of originally hoped. Nevertheless, we as Christians cannot turn back nor can we allow ourself to lose hope at these moments. We must remember that Christ has triumphed upon the cross and thus we are called to move forwards towards the rewards of eternal life.
At the moment of hardship we have received an invitation to accept the cross. If we allow ourself to embrace the cross we will discover from it the joys of our Lord’s Resurrection. So many are not willing to embrace the cross because from it is cast a great weight. Nevertheless, in scripture we are instructed: “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”
