A Box of Chocolates

Many of us likely remember the Forrest Gump movie line, “Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you are going to get.” Well, we certainly will have our fill of chocolates on Easter Sunday. There is something about those yummy morsels that satisfies the taste buds and tops off a good meal in a sweet way that no other food can.

Setting chocolates aside, let us ask ourselves: Are we ready for our fill of God’s heavenly graces? Practicing penance for 40 days is meant to help us rely more on God’s love and less on earthly wants and attachments. Nothing can compare to the gratuitous gift of grace which is “a participation in the life of God,” [CCC 1997] particularly as we celebrate:

The Resurrection of our Lord

Christ’s Resurrection fulfills the loving promises made by God, opening for us the pathway to new life on earth for eternal life in Heaven. When we choose this path, we are not alone. Christ promised, confirmed by His Resurrection, to be with us always. With God’s graces, may we keep the promise we are called to make—for our salvation and the salvation of the world—to live not for ourselves but for Him who for our sake died and rose again for our redemption.

Divine Mercy

God so loved the world, He gave His only Son “so that everyone who believes in him might…have eternal life.” [John 3:16] Christ’s entire mission was an act of God’s merciful love. With His forgiveness, our souls are cleansed, enabling us to share our mercy through charitable acts of kindness and forgiveness, thereby carrying on with Christ’s mission—spreading peace and joy with those around us.    

The Ascension of our Lord

With His Ascension, Christ gives us access to His Father’s house and at the same time, Christ dwells on earth in His Church. Each with the express purpose of raising us up in holiness. Christ was raised up on a cross for our sins and following His Resurrection, He was raised to Heaven. “And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself.” [John 12:32] Only through Christ can we reach the Father’s Kingdom and through Christ we are assured of the “permanent outpouring of the Holy Spirit.” [CCC 667]

Pentecost Sunday

Christ calls on us to receive the Holy Spirit. With this gift of love, we also receive wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety and fear – wonder – of the Lord [CCC 1831] to guide us in our daily lives and work. Through the grace of the Holy Spirit, the first fruits of eternal glory (charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control and chastity [CCC 1832]) form within us to be shared through us as we live as loving children of God.

Like a box of chocolates, we do not always know what we are going to get in life, but we do know what we get when we share in God’s good graces—the sweetness of our Lord’s merciful love to be with us always.