We hosted family on Easter, and the youngest grandkids enjoyed an egg hunt. It was fun to watch their intensity as they searched the potential hiding places. We coached when they needed redirection. The search itself was as rewarding as the treats found within the eggs. The kids treasured the whole experience, the seeking and the finding.
The strategy for finding something hidden involves considering unexpected places. We hid the eggs in obvious and unlikely places that were reasonably accessible but required a creative blend of effort, survey, and endurance. The challenge rested in moving about the house, looking here, searching there, and thinking about where the treasures could be. The children found themselves drawn into the mystery.
We labeled the eggs with the kids’ initials to ensure equity. It was not a competition. There were six eggs for each child. The hunt wasn’t about winning by accumulating more eggs. Winning was committing to the search and participating in the discovery. It was an exercise in freedom. It called for faith that the treasures could be found.
Where will I find what delights me?
It is spring around here, and the earth is bringing forth new life, plants are budding, and the birds are in chorus.
We are in Eastertime, a beautiful season to reflect on the freedom that comes with belief in the Risen Jesus.
St. Paul wrote of God’s purpose: “…to bring to light the knowledge of the glory of God on the face of [Jesus] Christ. But we hold this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing power may be of God...” (2 Corinthians 4:7)
Jesus, the incarnate Word of God, who became one of us, is now Risen – living, the light of our lives, always present to us by His Spirit.
Reconciled to God, we are free to seek Him. Like Him, we are here to serve, show His mercy, love, and bring His peace to our families and everyone we meet. He has liberated our unworthiness, our isolation. He has overcome what closes us in and, by His grace, has opened us to the treasure of a future sustained by hope in solidarity with all humanity. Our task is to find and embrace the treasure, to seek what truly delights us.
Let us pray in our families to embrace the treasure of Easter – finding the presence of the Risen Lord every day of our lives. Alleluia!