The Resurrection and the Rabbit

We Americans can be such fools. I mean really....why would someone in their right mind choose to celebrate and perpetuate the myth of a furry bunny that hops along during the eve of Easter and delivers baskets (much bigger than itself) filled with candy and colored eggs, which it apparently lays, to children of the world?

Unbelievers would disagree with me and would pose this question: Why would someone in their right mind choose to celebrate and perpetuate the story of a man, claiming to be God, who was crucified and then 3 days later, rose from the dead?

From a totally objective, undeducated, "blank slate" perspective, one might think that both of these possibilities are just plain silly.

Someone once asked me, aren't we Catholics being arrogant to propose to the world that we have the "Fullness of Truth", and that other christian denominations only have some of the truth? I responded that yes, it would be arrogant, if it weren't true. But the fact is, we do have the Fullness of Truth within the Catholic Church, and part of that fact is the reality of the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Anyone who approaches this question with sincerity and study, will eventually find themselves coming home to the Catholic Church, the only Church Jesus founded.

The resurrection is fact, not fiction. Jesus is God enfleshed, who came down to earth to save us from eternal death and damnation by allowing the sinfulness of humanity to fall upon His shoulders so that He could carry all of it to the cross, destroy it, and win back our salvation that was lost in the Garden of Eden. Without His doing that, we wouldn't stand a chance against the gates of Hell.

Yet in our American culture, the Bunny appears to be winning, doesn't he (or is it a she? Probably a she because of the laying eggs part of the story!). But don't lose heart. This is only temporary, for the Resurrection will have the last word. You know that childrens' story about the tourtous and hare? The hare thought he was winning in that story too until the tourtous crossed the finish line, winning the race. He was slow and steady.

The Catholic Church is steadily and slowly moving forward in time, carrying this grand deposit of faith like a turtle carries its shell on its back. We don't worry about the rabbits because we already won the race a couple of thousand of years ago on a small hill called Calvary.

I would like to end my little blog tonight by challenging all the Catholics who are reading this to make Easter truly a celebration of the resurrection. If you didn't do it this year, do it next year.

Choosing the Resurrection over the Rabbit is a no brainer if you ask me. But that is just my not so humble opinion. I would say, sure go ahead and bite the head off of a chocolate rabbit and enjoy it if that makes you happy at the moment, but go beyond the ham, the eggs, and the generic "spring" family gathering, and share the real meaning of Easter with others.

Here are some tips for doing so next year:
* Participate in all the Holy Week liturgies at your parish.
* Read the resurrection stories to your children.
* Pray a grace before your Easter meal.
* Put a religious centerpiece on your Easter table - a statue of Jesus, perhaps?
* If you are going to decorate Easter Eggs, put religious symbols on them.
* Invite your priest to Easter dinner.
* Give each guest coming to your Easter dinner a little religious gift: rosary.

What else can you come up with?