Today, more than ever, we are called to celebrate this light of Jesus Christ which has come into the darkness of our world, providing us with hope for a future greater than we dare believe; challenging us to share a kind of living that goes beyond the expectation of this earth. This is not possible unless we rise above the things that keep us entombed and imprisoned, and become people of the resurrection.
Easter will have no meaning for us if even after Jesus has emptied His tomb, we are still in the dark, afraid to come forth and put the darkness of sin to flight by exposing ourselves to Jesus’ wonderful light. All our hopes and happiness come from Jesus’ resurrection. This is the hallmark of our faith! It announces that love is present in our world and is more powerful that the evil any individual may carry out. The Good News is that in all the dark and despairing moments of life, the possibility of resurrection exists because no defeat is final, and no life is written off as hopeless. Our story is not finished yet.
The message of Easter is this: We have sinned, and a long list of future sins still awaits us. But despite all this, in spite of our frail humanity, we continue to hope, and indeed remain a hope-filled people, because with Jesus’ Resurrection, we have become heirs of His resurrection.
We are a resurrection people! And no matter what we undergo especially when we are faced with situations of helplessness and hopelessness – individually and as a community faithful disciples here at Saint Raymond’s – we just have to recall that Jesus is there for us. He is alive! He is risen! The tomb is empty, and death has been conquered! Life triumphs over death always. Our past should not define us. At the very least, it should urge us to desire God’s mercy and justice in our lives, and allow us to move forward in life with courage and joy.
A blessed Easter to all of you, my beloved Saint Raymond family. The Lord is risen. Alleluia, alleluia. He is risen indeed. Alleluia, alleluia!
Sempre grato,
Father Erick
(For Easter Sunday, 2022)