Jesus said to his disciples:
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.”  [Matthew 5:17]

Right now, people around the world are struggling to understand what is occurring. The public health crisis has taken loved ones and livelihoods—and it seems like our sense of normalcy is being temporarily abolished. However, the opening of today’s Gospel reassures us that Christ came to us to fulfill God’s love and mercy, not abolish it.

Life, Death, Resurrection. Those three words have been ingrained in my mind since I heard my home parish’s priest repeat them several times in his homily many years ago. Every Lent, I am reminded of these three words and think about Christ’s journey on Earth and his fulfillment in the Kingdom of heaven. Last month, I went on a retreat with STM’s Undergraduate Council to Stockbridge, Massachusetts, home of the National Shrine of The Divine Mercy. On the retreat, I woke up early with a couple of my friends and prayed at the stations of the cross, which traced a path throughout the Shrine’s beautiful, hilly grounds. During that serene morning, I concentrated on those three words—Life, death, resurrection—and on Christ’s Passion, love, and mercy.

During Easter, we will celebrate Christ’s resurrection, His fulfillment in the Kingdom of Heaven. For now, however, we must concentrate on how Christ persevered through betrayal and persecution, and how he kept his eyes on his duty to fulfill God’s word. During this uncertain time, we must also persevere, with each other and with Christ, and keep our eyes on our own duties to fulfill God’s word—not abolish it. When Easter comes, Christ will be fulfilled, and his love and mercy will shine the brightest.