For Christians, Easter is the celebration of the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and the fulfillment of God’s promise for deliverance of man.
But what precedes God’s rising again is his agony and death, which to me is also a poignant manifestation in His own life, the message delivered in John 12:24: “Truly, truly, I say to you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it stays alone: but if it die, it brings forth much fruit.”
“In the depth of winter, I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer, ” wrote author Albert Camus, which personally reminds me that no matter how difficult and hopeless our present circumstance in life may be, we just have to remember that we have been blessed with the grace of faith that we can tap into.
This will strengthen us and fill us with God’s hope to weather the cold and storm of winter, in faithful anticipation — that the joys and harvest of spring and summer won’t be far behind.
Yes, this to me is the gift of Easter. Every year, we are reminded that no matter how many times we have failed, we are blessed with the opportunity to start all over again. Indeed, every new day is the beginning of the rest of our lives.
Let me share with you some of my favorite quotes to inspire you this Easter Sunday and everyday of your life:
“There is only one day left, always starting over: it is given to us at dawn and taken away from us at dusk”. – Jean-Paul Sartre
“The resurrection gives my life meaning and direction and the opportunity to start over no matter what my circumstances.” – Robert Flatt
“A sunrise is God’s way of saying, ‘Let’s start again.'” – Tod Stocker, Refined, Turning Pain into Purpose
“Souls reconstructed with faith transform agony into peace.” — Aberjhani, The River of Winged Dreams
“We must be willing to get rid of the life we’ve planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us. The old skin has to be shed before the new one can come.” – Joseph Campbell
“When you feel that you have reached the end and that you cannot go one step further, when life seems to be drained of all purpose: What a wonderful opportunity o start all over again, to turn over a new page.” – Eileen Caddy
“The best thing about endings is knowing that just ahead is the daunting task to start over.” – Jodi Picoult, Keeping Faith
“It’s humbling to start fresh. It takes a lot of courage. But it can be reinvigorating. You just have to put your ego on a shelf and tell it to be quiet.” ― Jennifer Ritchie Payette
“That last page turned is a perfect excuse to write a whole new book.” – Toni Sorenson
“Look at life through the windshield, not the rear-view mirror.” – Byrd Baggett
“The secret to living the life of your dreams is to start living the life of your dreams today, in every little way you possibly can.” – Mike Dooley
“Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
“What you need to know about the past is that no matter what has happened, it has all worked together to bring you to this very moment. And this is the moment you can choose to make everything new. Right now.” — Author Unknown
“Let us ask the Lord to give us a share in his Resurrection. May He open us to the newness that transforms. May He make us men and women capable of remembering all that He has done in our own lives and in the history of our world. May He help us to feel His presence as the one who is alive and at work in our midst. And may He teach us each day not to look among the dead for the Living One.” — Pope Francis, in his first Easter vigil message
HAPPY EASTER!
