RESURRECTION....Easter is for everyone!

Many of you already know that I lost my Mother Marian a few weeks ago.  I know that you know because I had the pleasure of seeing you at either the wake or the funeral. My mom would have been amazed at the number of people who showed up.  It was as if a great dignitary had passed.


My mother was 82 years old...exactly!  You see she died on her 82nd birthday.  In the Catholic Church we celebrate Patron Saints Days, which is actually a celebration of the day of their death, not their birth.  The reason for this is because we are actually not celebrating death, but rather rebirth in heaven.  My mother was reborn into her eternal life on the same day she was born into her mortal life 82 years ago.  


I have no idea what the chances of that happening really are, or if there is any hidden significance to it, but if you knew my mother you would say that it was so that we would always remember the day she died.  My mom was big on family, tradition, and her majestic role as a mother.  Needless to say, I will forget neither her birthday nor her re-birth day.  


As a Christian, I am grateful for my faith, not because it is something I can profess to others but because it reminds me of why we are here in the first place.  In difficult times it is our faith that helps us move on.  I for one am terribly happy for my mother right now.  I know she is with my dad who passed almost 17 years ago and she is probably seeing her life unfold in front of her.  I believe when we die, Jesus takes a walk with us through our entire life.  He explains to us the meaning for why we may have had to suffer and shows us the miracles that had happened to us or because of us.  I can not wait to take that walk with Him!  All of our questions will be answered and any doubts we had will be explained.  


Faith in the resurrection is more than just something we talk about on Easter Sunday (if we even do that!), it is an understanding that we are still His children, who like on Christmas morning are waiting with anticipation to unwrap our gifts.  When we participate in the resurrection we will finally be able to open the gifts that He has waiting for us, not material items, but the gifts of true understanding, mercy, compassion and enlightenment.  


When I take groups on mission trips to El Salvador I give each person just one rule they MUST follow:

PARTICIPATE NOT ANTICIPATE!

That is what we as Christians should be doing every single day....Participating in Life!  If we truly participate in our Christian life and not just anticipate about what life will be like after we leave this world, we will be overwhelmed at what our own resurrection will be like.  Like missionaries heading to a foreign land, just have faith, just enjoy what you have right now, just be prepared to be surprised!  


HAPPY EASTER TO YOU ALL.....in loving memory of Marian Trubiano Peters who was reborn into eternal life on March 28, 2012.  I love you Mom, and thanks for showing me how to be a good mom to my boys.  See you soon!