HAPPY EASTER
EASTER SUNDAY READINGS
“ Faith in the resurrection of Jesus says that there is a future for every human being; the cry for unending life which is a part of the person is indeed answered. God exists: that is the real message of Easter.”
-Pope Benedict XVI
My Dearest Friends in Christ,
With Joy of the risen Lord, I welcome you to this Easter Sunday Celebration. Shout Alleluia! Alleluia!! Alleluia!!! for He has risen indeed. Do not abandon yourselves to despair. We are the Easter people and hallelujah is our song – John Paul II.
Through the Sundays of Lent, the church invited us to fast, pray, give alms, renew our covenant with God; and to prepare ourselves to face temptations of the world, the self, and the devil. We followed our Lord closely on the path of suffering and pain. We denied and deprived ourselves of many pleasures, to equip ourselves with the grace of God. We followed Jesus on that path of suffering and shame. On Palm Sunday He was welcomed triumphantly into Jerusalem but was later betrayed, condemned to death, and crucified. On Holy Thursday, He gave us the greatest gift of His abiding presence in the Eucharist, established the ministerial priesthood, and gave us a model of servant leadership. On good Friday, He finally paid the price of our sin with His body on the cross and declared that the work of our redemption has been completed – it is finished. On Holy Saturday he laid in the grave and descended into hell but on the third day–Easter Sunday, He rose again. Glory to God!!
Who could have believed that the stone that covered the grave could be rolled away? This was the anxiety of Mary Magdalene who went to anoint His body in the early morning hours of that glorious day. Who could have imagined or believed that He who was buried in the tomb would ever rise again? Jesus demonstrated His omnipotence by overcoming the power of death –the last enemy of man. He broke the chains of enslavement that held Him captive in the grave and rose gloriously into the newness of life to reign forever as the king of heaven and Earth. The resurrection of Christ is the basis of our Christian Faith. It is the greatest of all miracles — it proves that Jesus is God. That is why St. Paul writes: “ If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain; and your faith is in vain (cf. 1cor 14:15) The founders of many religions in the world were all dead, none have ever risen except Christ and He is the greatest of them all.
My dearest friends, our earthly experience often swings between suffering and Joy. It was Christ’s suffering that brought us new life and the joy we celebrate today. God could save the world through any other means but He chose to take the way of the cross, the way of suffering and death to redeem us. He did not avoid the pains of good Friday to win the crown of Easter Sunday. He embraced the cross to win the crown of glory, this is a great lesson for us all. In our moments of pain, sorrow, and disappointments, Easter reminds us that with faith in the risen Lord, we can overcome any challenges or misfortune. It is our belief in the real presence of the risen Jesus in our souls, in His Church, in the Blessed Sacrament, and Heaven, that gives meaning to our personal, as well as to our common, prayers. Our trust in the all-pervading presence of the risen Lord gives us the strength to fight against temptations and freedom from unnecessary worries and fears.
Like Mary Magdalene, Peter, and the other disciple who went to the tomb and are eyewitnesses to the miracle of the empty tomb, we are convinced that He who raised Jesus from the dead will also raise us on the last day. The resurrection of Christ is the pledge of our beatific life (cf.Jn 11:25-26). We are now convinced that the power that broke the shackles of death will liberate us from the captivities of earthly bondage.
Dear child of God, have faith in the risen Lord. His power is manifested in the lives of those who have faith and trust in Him. Your story will not end on Good Friday, your Easter, your victory must surely come. In short, the message of Easter is that nothing can destroy us – not pain, sin, rejection, or death – because Christ has conquered all these, and we too can conquer them if we put our faith in Him.
As we celebrate the glorious season of Easter, remain firm to your Lenten resolutions. We are not supposed to lie buried in the tomb of our sins, evil habits, and dangerous addictions. Easter gives us the Good News that no tomb can hold us down anymore – not the tomb of despair, discouragement, or doubt, nor that of death. Instead, we are expected to live a joyful and peaceful life, constantly experiencing the real presence of the Risen Lord in all the events of our lives. Remember that the struggle to overcome sin continues. The devil is not asleep, so we must not go on holidays from fasting, praying, and almsgiving.
May the power of resurrection make you victorious in all your difficulties and liberate you from any force(s) that holds you bound from rising again, or any power that holds you in captivity. I declare your freedom and may you continue to enjoy the liberty of the children of God.
The Resurrection miracle is nothing to you and me if it is only an event of many centuries ago. Unless we can live the immortal life – unless we can receive God to his own home in these hearts of ours – the gospel texts are nothing to us unless our daily lives illustrate them.
We are Easter people and Alleluia is our song. Let us go therefore and proclaim the good news, spreading peace, love, and joy on earth. Let this Easter joy bring to an end all wars, conflicts, enmity misunderstanding, and unforgiveness among us. Let the light of Christ shine in our hearts again.
I wish you a peaceful and grace-filled Easter celebration.
I keep you and your family always in my prayers. ©Clem C. Aladi (2024)
