His Love Endures

A Reflection on the Psalm for April 17th, 2022:
The Solemnity of Easter Sunday

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Psalm 118

R. Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his steadfast love endures forever. Let Israel say, “His steadfast love endures forever.” 

R. Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

“The right hand of the Lord is exalted; the right hand of the Lord does valiantly.” I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the Lord. 

R. Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

The stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvellous in our eyes. 

R. Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

With each passing year, the experience of Triduum becomes more significant to me as I reflect on the steadfastness of God’s love. I vividly recall a Good Friday over 20 years ago when the parish I was attending re-enacted the crucifixion. As the sound of the hammer crashed down on the wood, I was sent to my knees with the realization that, over 2000 years ago, Jesus had endured this human agony with me in mind. That sacrificial act reached out over those thousands of years to pierce my heart with sure knowledge in that moment. He died to take away my sin, and yet I continued to live as a sinful person. Inwardly, I was a believer, but the journey from my inward belief to my outward actions and appearance was, and remains, incomplete. With every sinful action and thought, big or little, I was rejecting Him and His sacrifice, yet I was being given another chance to redeem myself.


Considering His sacrifice, how can I continue to hoard His love selfishly? Why is it that I struggle with openly proclaiming what has saved me and sharing it with others? The fascinating thing is that I have never once experienced rejection when I have shared Christ with others, yet I remain hesitant to do so in the areas of my life that aren’t explicitly Christian. I have no trouble expressing my love for Him and showing gratitude for His love when I am with other Christians, but when I am at work or with non-Christian friends, I hesitate.  I have even hesitated at wearing symbols of my faith for fear of rejection. Yet His love for this petulant child of His endures.


In the Triduum 2022 edition of Living with Christ, Halifax’s own Marilyn Sweet says “God’s great love for each and every person has no expiry date. God our Creator, our Redeemer and our Sustainer never tires of holding us in life and love.” Easter Sunday celebrates His resurrection and challenges me to my own personal resurrection. It is a time of joy in our Catholic church and a time of invitation. Because His love endures, I have been given the gift of another day with which to encounter Christ, share His love, and go and make disciples. Easter reminds me that there is indeed no expiry date on God’s great love for His people. His love is the same today as it was yesterday … as it was 2000 years ago … and as it will be tomorrow.  Let me not squander this day.


Let us pray.


Lord, thank You for Your sacrifice and great, constant love that spans the years. Grant me the confidence to share Your love with others, sure in the knowledge that this unworthy child can be a vessel to bring others into Your everlasting light and love. Let me never doubt the power of Your reach, and help me to be Your hands and feet here on earth. Amen.


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Sandy Graves
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