When we proclaim each Sunday that ‘Christ is Risen’ we assert what lies at the heart of the ternary mystery of faith. Without the hope of resurrection, to declare ‘Christ has died’ is of little significance. The resurrection assures us that in Jesus we are born from above into a life renewed by God, and reveals the power of God to transform and renew the whole of creation by overcoming death. It gave us hope.

Hope and Faith
On that first Good Friday, when God’s Son was put to death on a cross, it was seemingly the end of not only His life but of all that He had promised. But hope did not die. When the women returned to Jesus’ tomb in the Sunday morning they found the stone rolled away. It was not the end. Jesus rose from the dead to give us new life and to restore our hope and transform it into faith

The fundamental dignity of human life – the source of our hope - comes from knowing that God died for us, and raised up his only Son, just for us. The dignity of life is the gift of faith, God’s gift to us. Hope helps us cope with our personal truths; it helps us let go of yesterday's worries, tomorrow's fears, and today's anxieties. It empowers us to overcome our cynicism and sorrow, because we know God is present in our hearts. It means we hope and expect God's best to come out of the worst thing that can happen to us when we least expect it. We keep our faith in Him.

The gospel tells us that Thomas came to believe in the resurrection of Christ only after he sees the Lord for himself. The apostle Thomas stands for all that we have been entrusted with: Faith. Faith is one of the principal gifts of the Spirit that has to be nurtured and lived through our actions.  “Happy are those who have not seen and yet believe” is the beatitude today as we celebrate the feast of our Risen Lord; where we live in the physical absence of the Lord, yet believe in Him and follow his direction in our lives.

Peace and Love

"In the evening of the first day of the week, Jesus came and stood among them. He said to them, "Peace be with you" and showed them his hands and his side. The disciples were filled with joy when they saw the Lord and again he said to them "Peace be with you." -John 20:19-21

‘Peace be with you’
We repeat this everyday when we celebrate the Holy Mass, and in doing so we celebrate the peace and spirit that Christ breathed into us through his disciples. Peace means wholeness, joy and happiness and through this everyday Easter greeting we are brought into the fullest relationship with God, ourselves and with one another. Jesus said to us “I leave you Peace, my peace I give you”, and it is this peace that radiates from the cross and His resurrection. And it is this peace that enables us to gather together as a community to listen to His word and celebrate this feast in love.

During this Easter season we celebrate love, the most supreme act of love ever known, that of laying down your life for the sake of others. It was this love that took Jesus up to the cross for us where He gave all his love for us.  Jesus said to us “Love one another as I have loved you” and it through this example that we lead our lives. And it only when we love one another that we are sharing God’s love and reliving what he sacrificed for us and our love. Through this Easter celebration we must be a model of forgiveness and compassion while we celebrate the greatest act of love given to us.

Sharing and Service

As we celebrate the resurrection of the Lord this Easter season, we should also keep in mind that the message the Christ has given us is not just for us alone. It is one that He wants us to share with one and another and practice in our daily lives. The celebration of life during Easter is God’s invitation to join in His new life and an opportunity for us to extend our warmth and new life to those around us. This vision depends on our commitment to an inclusive and generous friendship, where each person is assured of their own infinite worth, dignity, influence and responsibility. When Jesus Christ gave the disciples the Holy Spirit, it came with responsibility. In the same way we remain accountable to our privileges and gifts, and through our service to one and another we can ensure that the Lords message will always be celebrated.

As we mark the most solemn celebrations of our Risen Lord, we must keep in mind the true message of Easter; that of faith, hope, love and service. We must also keep in mind that just as God had a plan for the cross, He has a plan for us. We are challenged to bring a message of hope and love, not only to be blessed, but to be a blessing and to share the occasion of Easter with all around us.

With this my dear brothers and sisters, I extend my warm Easter wishes to you and your families and invoke our Risen Lord’s blessings on each and every one of you. May He keep you all in His divine care with faith in your hearts, hope in your minds, love in your manners and service in your deeds.

When we proclaim each Sunday that ‘Christ is Risen’ we assert what lies at the heart of the ternary mystery of faith. Without the hope of resurrection, to declare ‘Christ has died’ is of little significance. The resurrection assures us that in Jesus we are born from above into a life renewed by God, and reveals the power of God to transform and renew the whole of creation by overcoming death. It gave us hope.