Oblates of St. Francis de Sales

New DeSales World Newsletter - Summer Edition

Easter Sunday (April 16, 2006)

Readings Acts 10: 34a, 37-43 Ps 118: 1-2, 16ab-17, 22-23 Col 3: 1-4 or 1 Cor 5: 6b-8 Jn 20: 1-9 or Mk 16: 1-7

Suggested Emphasis

"Clear out the old yeast!"

Salesian Perspective

The words from Corinthians come from the earliest Easter Homily found in Christian literature. "Clear out the old yeast!" Keep this Easter imperative in mind as we run with John and Peter to confront the mystery of the empty tomb. Paul tells us that clearing out the old yeast is a prerequisite to experiencing spiritual growth. Drawing on Jewish tradition he illustrates the need to remove anything that holds us back from reaching our full spiritual potential. In doing so we are ready to solve the mystery of the empty tomb and to understand that it means that Jesus has freed us from a blighted vision that had convinced us that death somehow triumphs over life.

Following the celebration of Passover, Jewish families removed every trace of old bread, bread with yeast, from their homes to prepare for the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which immediately followed Passover, and during which only unleavened bread, bread without yeast, was eaten.

Paul knew that it doesn't take much yeast to raise the dough. Likewise, it doesn't take much sinful behavior to disrupt a person's life, an entire family or even a whole community of believers either. He maintained that this corruption was the product of the yeast of malice and wickedness. Perhaps he also had in mind the corruption of authentic Jewish life and law under the influence of legalistic religious leaders, which Jesus consistently rebuked. In any case, it is in Jesus' passion, death, resurrection and ascension - the Paschal Mystery - that our spiritual house is emptied of the disturbing influence of evil and we are once again prepared for life in a Christian community.

Mary, John and Peter had to shed their old understandings about death and its apparent power when they found the tomb of Jesus empty. Their old and corrupt understandings of the power of death and evil were no longer adequate if they wanted to understand and experience new life with Jesus.

St. Francis de Sales challenges us to acknowledge that our old ways of malice and wickedness are expressions of a very inadequate way of understanding our potential for growth in the devout life. The very essence of practicing devotion is to acknowledge our need to purify ourselves of the corrupting influence of sin and temptation and to recognize that Jesus makes it possible for us to do so. Like Mary, Peter and John we become conscious of the new possibilities available to us.

Salesian spirituality is a day-to-day investment in the new vision made possible by Jesus' death and resurrection. It is the consistent effort to "put off the old man, and put on the new by forsaking sin and removing and cutting away whatever obstructs union with God." This purging "neither can nor should end except with our life itself." (Introduction to the Devout Life: Part I, Chapter 5)

Conscious attention to our need to "clear out the old yeast" and prepare for this new and great feast is a great indication that we have unlimited potential for spiritual growth.

Alleluia!

Rev. Michael S. Murray, OSFS, is the Executive Director of the De Sales Spirituality Center.