Butterflies and Easter

Before a butterfly becomes a beauty that it is, it starts as a caterpillar fulfilling the purpose that
it knows – to eat and grow. But the time comes for every caterpillar when the urge to eat and
grow diminishes and it instinctively begins to encapsulate itself in a chrysalis. The chrysalis
hardens and you'd think that the caterpillar is gone. But a time comes when the life inside the chrysalis begins to struggle, the top opens, and a beautifully formed butterfly comes out. For a long time, it will stand stretching and drying its wings, moving them gracefully up and down.
And before you know it, the butterfly glides effortlessly riding the currents of the air, flapping
its beautiful and colorful wings from one flower after flower.

We find the miracle of butterfly fascinating perhaps because a butterfly is a living tale of the
promise of Easter.

On resurrection morning, the disciples saw Jesus; graveclothes lying on the rock still wrapped round the corpse. Only the corpse was gone, like an empty chrysalis left by a butterfly who has left to fly free. "He is risen as He said," an angel told the confused disciples. Later that day, Jesus appeared to the disciples, that even Thomas didn’t doubt for long that He was risen from the dead. And in the following weeks, Jesus also appeared to many more people.

As followers of Jesus, what do we say in the face of death, especially in this time of pandemic
when we are affected by death more than we used to? We have many questions, but a couple
of things some of us believe for sure. That death is an enemy, something to fear. But second,
and more important, Jesus' resurrection from the grave is God's proof to us that death is not
the end. The empty tomb and the Spirit within us testify that Easter morning is God's triumph
over death. And since Jesus is our Lord and our Savior, His victory is our victory. In celebrating
His resurrection, we celebrate our own assurance of ultimate triumph over death.

Rey Lambatin, Choir Director