First witnesses to the resurrection

Why women? Why were women the first witnesses to the empty tomb? Why were women the first to receive the news that Jesus has risen?
Why women? Why was Mary Magdalene the first to talk to the Risen Christ?

Women have been much maligned in history as the "cause of the fall", of men, of families, of governments, of civilizations, even of the entire human race.
Today is a special day for us women. We are vindicated.
But this post is not about women's vindication.
This post is about recovering a very special gift that we, women, have, which we often take for granted. And of course, it is not a gift that is reserved to women alone, though we have a special openness to it.
And what is that? We are not afraid to look at pain, at suffering, at death in the face, and to feel its intensity to our very bones. Because of this, we are more attentive to the signs of life and of hope, no matter how faint or small they may be.
Easter is the feast of new life. It is not a life that comes from zero; nay, it is "life that has overcome death".
Easter is a promise, a sign, and a certainty, that "if we die with Christ, we shall also rise with him". If we go deep into the mystery of brokenness, suffering, and death, then we will be ready to rise again when we hear Jesus' voice calling us by name as He did more than two thousand years ago, "Mary".

Look to Jesus

The death of Jesus shows us His complete solidarity with the human race. He didn't only take on our humanity; nay, he took it to the extreme, sharing the lot reserved only to the worst criminals - death on a cross.
Contemplating Jesus on the cross makes me realize how no one, absolutely no one, is excluded from God's mercy.
By Jesus' wounds we are healed, healed of shame, of despair, of meaninglessness.
Look up to Jesus, and in that disfigured man on the cross, see your Savior.

Who do I invite to my table?

Who do I invite to my table?
When I invite the poor, those who are different from me, those farthest in my heart, it means that I exclude no one.
This is the essence of the Eucharist: to partake in the love that knows no bounds.
At the Last Supper, Jesus showed the extent of His love. He came to serve, not to be served. He gives us an example that we, His followers, ought to learn from.
When we choose to give without expecting anything in return, or choose to serve those who cannot pay us back, we can truly call ourselves Christians.