Alleluia! Alleluia! Jesus Christ is Risen!

My dear brothers and sisters, Christ is truly risen! As Christians, we know this to be true. May our hope in Christ be renewed as we proclaim Christ’s resurrection today.

In our joy, we must not ignore the pain and the suffering of this world: innocent families who have been torn apart due to the war in Ukraine; migrants who, fleeing violence and danger, are seeking asylum; families who have lost their homes due to wildfires; loved ones whom we have lost due to illness. There is immense suffering in this world.

Yet, we, the faithful, should still rejoice, because we know that Christ has conquered all evil. He does not leave our side in the midst of our suffering. God the Father sent Jesus, His Son, that we may believe that an eternity void of all suffering awaits us if we but follow Him.

Follow Him every day of your life!

Christ suffered immensely during his Passion and Crucifixion, and He continues to suffer to this day out of a longing for us to reject sin and a thirst for us to fully love Him. 

Love Him with all of your heart!

When the stone in front of Jesus’s tomb had been rolled back, and his bruised and beaten body was not to be found in it, everything He had prophesied was confirmed and understood: “The Son of Man is to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill Him; and when He has been killed, He will rise three days later.” (Mark 9:31) This, my friends, is why we rejoice today. Yes, Jesus died on the cross; but he rose. Christ is Risen!

We have hope in the midst of a broken world, because we know that the tomb was found empty. In rising, Jesus proved that He was not simply a prophet. He proved that He is the Son of God. Jesus conquered sin; He conquered death. Christ lives!

This life that brings us pain is only temporary. The miracle of being allowed to participate in the life of the Risen Christ sheds light into this dark and fallen world. Christ will come again!

War will be no more. All will live together in harmony. Natural disasters and sickness will not threaten our safety. There will be no more suffering. The peace of Christ will reign forever and ever!

Enjoy the traditions you have with your family this Easter, but do not neglect to sit silently with God. Thank Him for sending His Son to redeem the world. Thank Jesus for making the ultimate sacrifice for you. Ask him to fill you with hope and to give you courage to share this with others. As you awake each day, call to mind the everlasting hope found in the Resurrection of Christ, our Lord … TODO CON AMOR.