Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts.

Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope… A simple admonition but one that is hard to live! Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts. We always have to remember that through our baptism in Christ, Christ lives in us and we live in Christ. At the start of every day, we should remind ourselves of this simple truth. If we remind ourselves this truth throughout the day, it should change how we live our day. If Christ lives in us and we live in Christ, then we should be the embodiment of Christ for others. They should see in us the kindness of Christ. They should see in us the patience of Christ. They should see in us the compassion of Christ. They should see in us the forgiveness of Christ. Think of the practical ways that should impact our daily lives. Do you pause to allow a car to enter the road from a driveway or side street? Do you avoid tailgating when someone is driving slower than you like? Are you courteous to store employees no matter how disinterested they may appear? Do you treat all your coworkers with kindness and respect? If Christ is Lord of your heart, then this should be revealed in what you say and what you do. The reason for your hope. Even in the most difficult moments of our lives, even when a measure of darkness envelops our lives, we still have reason to hope. We believe that Jesus triumphed over sin and death and so gained for all who believe in him the hope of everlasting life. If we, therefore, live in faithfulness to Jesus Christ, then we have the sure and certain hope that suffering will yield to unending peace and darkness will give way to unending light. This allows us to pass through the difficult times of our lives with a measure of peace in our hearts because we are confident that Jesus is with us and we are with Jesus. He will lead us on to our share in the victory that he won for us. This is, indeed, good reason for hope! In this Easter season, pray for the grace that you need to honor the presence of Christ within you by the way you live your life, and for the grace to live always in the hope that is ours.

Fr. Mark Hallinan, S.J