An Easter Message from Alto Cayma

From the sand and dust of Alto Cayma, we are pleased to post an Easter message from Father Alexander Busuttil. Father Alex is a long standing partner of HBI and a true champion for peace and social justice in the world. He is one of our favorite people on the planet. Now, the Easter message from Father Alex:

"I am sure that it is not the first time that we heard the statement “God is love.” Probably we take it for granted that it means that God loves us. For me it is by far deeper than that. In fact for me God is Love, one and same thing. No two sides of one coin but the metal that makes the coin, the very fiber.
 
We speak of God being almighty, meaning that nothing is impossible for him, and his love being infinite and has no limits and breaking all barriers. This “no limits” does not limit itself to how far his forgiveness can reach, it means also surpassing all limits of science and is able to surpass also the impossible. This means that love being a spiritual reality (non-material), can become human and that is the incarnation of love in the person of Jesus. Love becomes human. The resurrection of Jesus is the surpassing of human limits in the almightiness of the Almighty: Love that cannot be subjected to death.
 
It is so significant that in the story of creation, while everything is created by an order: let there be…, in the creation of the human being there is a direct intervention represented by the breath of God. That breath is what makes us human beings what we are, human beings. God being Love in itself, one and same thing, means that our fiber and substance as human beings is love. In fact I think that we should not be called human beings but loving beings, because it is love that makes us who we are through the direct infusion of Love in the moment of our creation. God / Love who communicates himself to us so we can have life, and life to the full.

This is the meaning of the resurrection, our own resurrection. It means to dig deep into our roots and rediscover the life that flows out of the love we all bear inside as “human” beings, or better still “loving” beings. It means to let our lives be lead by the spirit of love and let power of God / Love be fully alive in our own life. This is what it means that Jesus’s resurrection is also our own resurrection. 

This concept is so inclusive and outreaching that there are no limits whatsoever as the only condition to benefit from the fullness of life is to let one’s life be lead by Love, the source of life itself. This explains why people of different creeds or no creed at all can achieve life to the full, because they let their life be lead by Love. Tough the concept of God / Love being the same and one thing may not be clear, the life that flows from Love cannot be limited to human reasoning and therefore still gives life and life to the full. The deeper one realizes this truth, the fuller the life one can live.
 
My message this Easter is to encourage each and everyone to ask a fundamental question. Do I let my life be lead by Love in whatever I do or say? To die with Christ means to pass through the pains of the transition of letting one’s life be lead by whatever, to a life be lead by Love. Those who experience this death to the old self with Jesus on the cross will resurrect with him to a new life: to start living instead of existing; to be born again; to live life to the full. This is the true meaning of freedom. A freedom that comes from inside and lets you love and be loved as a loving being. This freedom does not result from rights given by human beings or by imposing laws and giving sanctions to those who do not comply. True freedom is a free decision to let one’s life be lead by Love.  Love expressed through respect to everyone and everything that has life. It is so inclusive to respect humans of all creeds, color, ideas, or whatever differences we may think of. It means respect to all that exists, including nature in all its diversity, shape and form.

Finally I would like to say that in a world of so much confusing ideas, poverty and death, we are to be heralds of Love and Peace. We should never be indifferent to what goes on around us or far away anywhere in the world. Our legacy should be of having lived a life to the full as loving beings. This is the way to experience our own resurrection when we decide to start all over letting our life be lead by love.
 
For me as a Catholic the best way to be guided through this process of my resurrection to fullness of life is found in the Word of God, (Love itself that teaches us the way to go), and more over through the sacraments and especially the Eucharist (Love that gives life as in the moment of creation once again). This is a personal experience and is definitely not the only way. Let us just be lead by Love and thus let God be God in our lives, and be open to let what we always thought was impossible, happen. There are a lot of surprises out there and Love is almighty.
 
United in one mission of building Peace on Earth through Faith and Service may you have a Happy Easter and enjoy your resurrection. Welcome to a new LIFE TO THE FULL!
 
Fr. Alex Busuttil, mssp"