Psalm Reflection: Easter Sunday The Resurrection of the Lord (Cycle B)

“This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad.” - Psalm 118

In the famous and often quoted poem “Invictus,” poet William Ernest Henley concludes with the lines:

I am the master of my fate,

I am the captain of my soul.

These lines are similar to also often-quoted line from the The Friend by Sigrid Nunez: “I am the architect of my own destiny.”

These ideas are very much a part of our mindset today. You have probably seen them plastered over sunset photos on Pinterest, or skillfully scriptures over pastel backgrounds on Instagram. These ideas harken back to the 19th century American concept of Manifest Destiny, which we all still believe: that we have a mission or a right to achieve success and to reach the goals we set for ourselves. We are told and believe that we can do anything we set our minds to, and if we work hard enough, pull ourselves up by our bootstraps, and want something badly enough, it will happen.

Essentially, we believe that we are the authors of our own lives. In a sense, these beliefs are somewhat true: we have free will and a unique mission or calling in life that only we can fulfill. However, we cannot forget WHERE that free will came from, and WHO gave us the gifts and the mission. 

We may be able to make choices that determine the course of certain events in a day, but it is God who gives us the day. Each and every day is a gift from the Lord to us. If God was finished with you on this earth, this would be your last day and He would call you home. So, by the very fact that you are reading this right now, living and breathing on this right where you are today, you can know definitively that God is not finished with you yet. God is still actively willing you into existence for a specific plan and purpose. Each day is a new gift, another opportunity to love, grow, make friends, strive, fail, mourn, restart, rest, play, heal, change, achieve, pray, and do whatever it is that God is calling us to do. It is all a gift. Tomorrow is not promised, but this is the day the Lord has made, so let us rejoice and be glad. As we celebrate the Resurrection this glorious Easter Sunday and the promise of new life in Jesus Christ, let us not gloss over the gift of new life we are granted each day. Every morning, we rise again by the grace of God.

Every day this week, when you wake up, make a morning offering. Get on your knees and thank God for the gift of a new day. Ask for His guidance to do His will and to be a faithful steward of His endless gifts, so that when He does choose to call you home He can say to you: “well done my good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21, 23).

I am praying for you, please pray for me, and I will see you in the Eucharist.

Matt