A few days back we celebrated the Easter Vigil.

The Easter Vigil is called as the mother of all vigils.

>> In the liturgy of the Easter Vigil, a Paschal Candle is prepared.

The priest marks the candle, in the shape of the Cross, Alpha and Omega – the first and the last Greek letters and the present Year, 2019

He uses the following words:

… Christ yesterday and today (on the vertical arm of the cross)

… the Beginning and the End (horizontal arm of the cross)

… the Alpha (alpha above the cross)

… and the Omega (omega below the cross)

… All time belongs to him (numeral 2 in upper left corner of cross)

… and all the ages (numeral 0 in upper right corner of cross)

… To him be glory and power (numeral 1 in lower left corner)

… through every age and for ever. Amen (numeral 9 in lower right corner)

These words declare the Supreme authority and Heavenly glory of Jesus, the Son of God.

However, it can happen so, that at times, in our life…

… such fundamental factors of faith are taken for granted…

… such basic truths of our spiritual life are presumed as known…

Therefore,  it is sometimes good take a pause in our spiritual life, and ask ourselves, this fundamental question,

•      ” Am I really trusting and believing in Jesus, as the True Son of God, the One who is all-powerful and Holy”?

•      “Is my faith and spirituality truly built on the great foundation, that the Lord is the ultimate beginning (Alpha) and the end (Omega) of everything?”

The Gospel of the day is an invitation to make this examination of the basics of our faith and spirituality and to renew our belief and trust in the Lord.

The Gospel passage begins with the verse, “The One who comes from heaven is above all” (Jn 3: 31)

This verse refers to the Divine origin of the Lord.

At the Annunciation, Angel Gabriel had announced to Mother Mary that Her child “will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High” (Lk 1: 32)

This Divinity of the Lord was affirmed by Him through the various works of wonders and great deeds…

… of healing many in afflictions and sicknesses

… of accepting many of the rejected and unwanted

… of strengthening many of the oppressed and the abused

… of preaching many on the need for repentance and striving to enter the Kingdom

•      His personality shone with Divinity….

•      His character radiated with Holiness…

He sought to become the Way-revealer, the Truth-instiller and the Life-giver.

He is the One “Whom the Father loves” and “to Whom the Father has given everything” (Jn 3:35)

•      Have we given our lives entirely to Him, who is above all things?

•      Have we entrusted ourselves entirely to Him, who has been entrusted everything by the Father?

At the Holy Mass, one of the most beautiful prayers is called as the “Doxology”.

In this, we render all the praise to the Father, through the Son, in the Holy Spirit.

>> “Through Him, With Him, In Him…. O God Almighty Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honour is Yours, forever and ever, Amen!”

It would be good, to make this prayer of the Doxology, our own, in our works and activities.

•      This could be a conscious way of acknowledging the Divinity of the Lord in all our activities.

•      This could be a meaningful way of saying that the Lord reigns in all our works and deeds.

Let us revive our hearts to firmly install the Lord as the True Alpha(the beginning) and the True Omega (the end) of all our activities… and our life itself!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

——————————–

Quotable-quote-a-day-with-St Francis de Sales (SFS) – “Walk always near to God, for the gentleness of His Shadow…

… is more healthy than the brightness of the sun!”

——————————–