Unlike those antediluvian creation myths of early pagan cults, wherein violence among wrathful deities required placation or bribery often by blood sacrifice, Sacred Scripture is profoundly different.  Genesis repeats in joyful chorus the inchoate origin of divine beauty in creation: "...And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good." The Genesis narrative also records that humans were made to enjoy the company of their Creator and to delight in creation, along with their God. Indeed, even today, peering into the electron microscope, scientists wonder at the tiniest of nanoparticles. The largest of living creatures have their part, too, in sacred creation. Huge sperm whales can dive more than a mile into the black depths of the ocean, then return to the surface for breath and socializing with others of their kind. Positioning their giant heads near the surface and their huge bodies straight upright, whales sleep together perfectly still in pods, like a grove of trees suspended in water and carried along by the tide. Through out the ages, along with the astrologers and natural scientists, countless artists -- authors, poets, hymnists, and painters -- continue to co-create with God, who makes all things beautiful in his own time! Even the inanimate rocks praise God in their fossilized remains from 300 million years ago in the Carboniferous Era of creation; nothing is lost in God's stockpile of eternal love. In perpetual return, the earth-bound bulbs of daffodils push their beauty upwards; through winter's snow their yellow trumpets rise each year and forever, all proclaiming: "Spring bursts today, / For Christ is risen, and all the earth is at play" [Christina Rosetti]. Yet, beyond the beauty of God in the natural realm, it is in the supernatural dimension where deepest beauty originates. The Gospels, like the great whales, dive into the depths of God's mercy, and record in all the Biblical narratives the wonder of salvation history. There, in the darkness of the unknown, God's masterpiece of mercy for humanity is conceived in the Immaculate Conception of Mary, who is a harbinger of the Incarnation, like the Spring daffodil. The Verbum Dei of Jesus Christ echoes Genesis. In that meeting of divine and human, when the Archangel Gabriel appeared to Mary and by her Fiat, the world was recreated, and the fullness of divine beauty in the human vocation was revealed in its earliest form, the Causa Nostrae Laetitiae. Mary in her Immaculate Conception is truly the cause of our joy, carrying the gestation of both divinity and humanity of the preborn Jesus within her own body. Jesus, who is Life itself, carries both human and divine natures in himself. The Church, created by Christ's divine wounds and prepared by Mary's divine motherhood, invites all people into supernatural life. First, in Baptism, the Church invites people to receive that which cannot be attained on our own, even by our most powerful efforts: an innocence of soul and purified nature, cleansed of toxic residue in our spiritual and genome heritage. St George Preca wrote a most lovely hymn to our Lady in the "Vestis Honoris". God chose Mary. If we accept Jesus's love and honor his holy mother, then the sadness of sin and tyranny of violence can gradually be overcome by his indwelling. "God created mankind in his own image ... and it was very good." Our Lady, intercede for us. Ruth D. Lasseter SDC Associate Indiana, USA

Christ’s Resurrection invites us into a moment of profound wonder, where death is not the end but the doorway to eternal life. On Easter, the silence of the tomb is broken by the triumph of love, as Christ rises in glory. He stands among his beloved Apostles, not as a distant figure, but as one who bears the marks of his sacrifice. Showing them his wounded hands and feet, he transforms fear into faith and sorrow into joy. His gentle words “Peace be with you” echo across time, reaching every restless heart today. In this sacred mystery, we are called to meditate on the Heart of Jesus, wounded, yet victorious; pierced, yet full of divine mercy. His heart beats with a love that has conquered every darkness and every enemy of God’s name. As we pause in stillness, we begin to see that his victory is not only his own, but a promise for each of us. Through him, brokenness can be restored, and despair can be lifted into hope. Let our prayer rise from within: that our hearts may become like his, compassionate, courageous, and alive with grace. In humility, we repeat: Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us. Lord Jesus Christ, make my heart like unto yours. Offering ourselves to the Father, we unite our lives with the Divine Heart of Christ, believing that we too are called to rise into new life. And so, with grateful hearts, we proclaim: praise be to God, for his love has conquered all.

St George Preca, following the guidance of other great spiritual masters, recommends the practice of the Memory Exercise in order to instil and preserve within us the spirit of Jesus Christ. The Memory Exercise consists in applying all that we know about Christ to every situation we encounter and to every action we perform, reflecting on how Jesus himself spoke and behaved. During these days, when we are more focused on the Passion of Jesus, it is suggested that, in order to remain in his presence, we allow the ordinary things around us to remind us of the events, things and places associated with the Passion, the people involved, and what Jesus himself endured. When you are thirsty, remember Christ crucified, who said that he was thirsty. When you are undressing to change your clothes or to wash yourself, remember Christ, who was stripped before being crucified. When your friends forsake you, remember Christ, who was abandoned by the apostles when he was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane. When you are counting money, remember Christ, who was betrayed by Judas for thirty pieces of silver. When you are praised, remember Christ, who withdrew when the people wished to crown him king. When you hear shouting, remember Christ, who was cried against by the crowd before Pilate: “Crucify him!” When you sweat, remember Christ, who sweated blood in the Garden of Gethsemane. When you are praying, remember Christ, who prayed with his face to the ground in the Garden of Gethsemane. …and so on. The person who wishes to remain in the presence of God should let everything lift his mind to the Lord God and adore him in all that he does. Lord God, seek me to adore you!

A terrible evil had been done to me as a young adolescent, and my family community was shattered. My Protestant friends advised me: "Just forgive and forget... You don't want to be bitter, do you?"  Indeed, bitterness was attached to me like the bark on a tree, and it continued for years, despite my trying unsuccessfully to find some cure and peace. After some years, I sought psychological help into myself and the fearful world of dreams and symbolism, where (to borrow from the poetry of Fr Gerard Manley Hopkins): "... O the mind, mind has mountains; cliffs of fall  Frightful, sheer, no-man-fathomed. Hold them cheap  May who ne'er hung there..." My elderly therapist was a blessed companion into the inner life. Having attended Oxford University, raised a family, and studied under Carl Jung, she was educated and sensitive. However, even with the best of guides, psychology is limited. While psychology might help in understanding and improving relationships, it cannot forgive. I could go through the motions of reconciliation but still have no forgiveness within me to give. If forgiveness was not possible, then I needed absolution, not more self-analysis. If I were Catholic, then maybe I could go to Confession and feel real forgiveness, not just the motions of reconciliation in a show of "kiss and make up". Done! My first Confession was made to a Ugandan priest, who listened attentively. He then asked: "Are you trying to take revenge?" No, I was not taking revenge. But I wondered aloud why, no matter how I tried, there were no feelings of forgiveness. He replied: "Your feelings do not matter. You have done your part and made your confession. Remember that only Jesus can forgive. He forgives for you, and he will enact forgiveness in his own time." Some days later, after having received absolution, I noticed that bitterness was gone! There was no longer that sad memory knife against my throat! The toxin had just vanished, and I was free. Since I came into the Catholic Church as an adult, my faith has been a life-long learning experience. I have learned that the little word "yet" is necessary for spiritual growth, and especially in approaching the Sacrament of Confession. There, at the deepest core of reconciliation, the intimate conversation involves just two living beings: me and my maker. The Lord Jesus inquires gently: "Do you not yet have the courage to accept my love?" I have too often had to admit with sorrow: "Not yet... please help me find that courage!" In the Sacrament, even with an imperfect contrition, there is still help for the helpless. The voice of God's Love advocates for courage to a disciple who longs, even yet, to find the strength to proclaim: "Yes! I want to serve and can accept Your Love. Thank You, Lord Jesus; forgive me, Lord Jesus." The forgiving embrace that follows forgiveness is an enduring mystery. The reality of true reconciliation with God spills over into all creation and every created being, into all human communities, from family relationships to the farthest shores. Reconciliation is peace, the very foundation of our human life's construct. When a quivering "not yet" becomes an exuberant "Yes! Fiat!" then the stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. Ruth D. Lasseter SDC Associate Indiana, USA