Message for Easter Day – April 17, 2022

Brothers and Sisters,

One of the features of our recent liturgical revision is the practice of reading two passages from the New Testament for the entire easter season omitting the Old Testament which incidentally is still an option.

The understanding here is that these New Testament passages  speak very directly to the resurrection and tells the story of the experience of the earliest Christian communities as they came to grips with the resurrection and sought to describe their experience.  In these passages, communities and individuals spoke to the life transforming impact and influence of the Risen Christ on their lives. 

Today as we celebrate Easter, let us be thankful to God for having brought us to a place where we are better able to experience the fullness of the Easter Story.  As we celebrate, we ask God to continue to provide us with the insight to better deal with the pandemic which has curtailed so much of our lives these past two years.  We also pray that good sense will prevail in ways that will continue the decrease  in the number of persons impacted. 

The Easter story is one of new life and abundant life.  It is a time when darkness is overcome by light.    I remind us that, this is not just a symbolic statement.  It is the experience of the people of the resurrection.   The pascal candle which we light for the entire season of Easter reminds us that we are a people of the light. 

As we begin in earnest today our Easter celebration, I remind us that the magnitude of Easter demands time to assimilate it.    It is for this reason why our Church has designated fifty days to reflect on this event.  I pray that our Easter Journey will enable us to experience in a meaningful way Jesus risen from the dead.

Jesus is Alive, Alleluia

Fr. Eddie