No Pain, No Gain

 

My first experience hang-gliding gave me a good appreciation of the Paschal Mystery. It was at Kitty Hawk (I took the picture above in far eastern Oregon.) Carrying the glider up the high sand dune in blistering heat was hell. Floating back down was heaven. Pain and joy go hand in hand. The Paschal Mystery is the death and resurrection of Jesus.
"Paschal" comes from the Hebrew word for Passover (which this year is a month later than Easter.) Some version of the word, in fact, is the name for Easter in many countries. Spain has Pascua; French,Paques; Italian,Pasqua. The angel passed over the houses of the Hebrews. God delivered the Israelites from slavery in Egypt and wandering in the desert into the Promised Land. Passover celebrates this great event.
The death and resurrection of Jesus happened during the Jewish celebration of Passover. God delivers Jesus from death into new life. To the two disciples at Emmaus Jesus said, "Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer before entering into his glory?" In Philippians Paul says that Jesus emptied himself by becoming one of us and dying on the cross, and God raised him up.
God will raise us to new life as well, but first we must die. Death and new life go hand in hand. Hardship and glory are two sides of the same coin. In the days ahead Christians take part in this Paschal Mystery.