“Behold thine immortal Self resurrected with Christ in the illuminating Light of Christ Consciousness, present in every soul, every flower, every atom.”

~Paramahansa Yogananda

At this sacred time of Easter, when we honor the life and resurrection of Lord Jesus Christ, may you awaken anew to the presence of his infinite consciousness—in the unfolding of God’s beauty in nature, in every impulse to reach out to others with empathy and love, and in the growing awareness of His joy within your soul. Liberated ones such as Christ come to lift us from the illusion that we are frail mortal beings, bound by the body and the dualities of this world. They remind us of the indomitable strength within us, of the love of which we are capable, and the oneness with the Divine that we can attain if we attune our lives with God and reach beyond this little “I” to care for all as part of our greater Self.

How deeply our hearts respond to Christ’s tender compassion, for our own true nature is love. We rejoice at his victory over human limitations because within every one of us is the urge to express our boundless soul. While the world prompts us to live on the surface of life, reacting to people and experiences according to the ego’s likes and dislikes, Christ and all God-united souls blaze before us the trail to freedom and divine expansion. Gurudeva Paramahansa Yogananda said, “The love that most persons feel for dearest family and friends, Jesus felt for the whole world and every living being.” It was this all-embracing love that motivated Christ to willingly lay down his life for the welfare of others. His supreme sacrifice was the culmination of countless acts of compassion, and a strength and humility cultivated by responding divinely to many daily trials. Let us take to heart his example and embrace the opportunities each day brings to resurrect our consciousness from the ego-bound lesser self to the soul’s goodness and understanding. The spirit of Christ manifests in us when we look for the positive qualities in others instead of judging them; when we forgive instead of harboring feelings of resentment; when with deep faith and an open heart we set aside our preferences to seek attunement with God and pray, “Father, not my will, but Thine, be done.”

Above all, Christ’s ability to love purely and selflessly, the spiritual strength that enabled him to conquer mortal consciousness, were forged in the stillness of soul-communion, in the loving relationship with his Heavenly Father that was his very life and being. To follow in his footsteps, we too must go within. This Easter, renew your resolve to nourish by meditation your relationship with the Divine, and to practice Christ’s way of kindness, forgiveness and loving service to all. As you draw closer to the Source of all love, Christ’s resurrection will have ever deeper meaning for you. May the infinite love that sustained Lord Jesus fill your consciousness and flow out to all who cross your path.

Loving wishes to you and your dear ones for a joyous and blessed Easter,

~Sri Daya Mata