Easter Sunday of the Lord’s Resurrection

Texts:
Acts 10:34, 37-43
1 Cor. 5:6b-8 or Col. 3:1-4
Jn. 20:1-9

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, welcome to the celebration of the Holy Eucharist. Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Liturgy of the encounter of the Risen Lord and the Blessed Virgin Mary has a lot of messages to reflect upon. The “Image of the Risen Lord” is a symbol of Jesus Christ who has risen from the dead. The “Image of Our Lady of Sorrow” is a symbol of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The black veil that covers the face of Mary symbolizes sorrow and death. The unveiling symbolizes the defeat of evil, the end of the tyranny of sin and the powerlessness of death. It also symbolizes the empowerment of the Christian believers to proclaim our faith on the resurrection of Christ. Mary is a symbol of a redeemed community which is the church. The faith of the resurrection is the foundation of the church. The meeting of the Risen Lord and the Blessed Virgin Mary is a symbol of the meeting of the church and the Risen Christ. From this time on, we are called to proclaim the mystery of faith and the gift of our salvation in Jesus Christ.

The Readings:

In the first reading, the author presented the preaching of Peter about the resurrection of Jesus, as well as, the spread of the good news of salvation to the Gentile nations. The preaching of Peter had made a remarkable impact among the converts. And so, they began to preach the good news of salvation by giving witness to their faith in the risen Lord. The reading reminds us about our call to profess our faith on the resurrection of Jesus by the witness of our Christian lives and by doing our Christian missions in this world.

In the second reading, Paul, in his letter to the Corinthians (1 Cor. 5:6-8), had stressed that the death and resurrection of Jesus had brought new life among the believers. Therefore, they must leave their old life of sin. The reading reminds us to free ourselves from all kinds of sins and to celebrate the gift of new life with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. On the other hand, in his letter to the Colossians (Col. 3:1-4), Paul admonished the community to make every effort to safeguard the gift of salvation that they received from God. And so, they must set their minds and their hearts on the things of heaven and not on the things of this world. The reading challenges us to put to death all the things that are earthly and not helpful for our growth as Christian believers and to live our new identity being children of light today.

In the gospel, John presented his account on the resurrection of Jesus. John stressed that the reality of the empty tomb explains the truth of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. The women were the first disciples who received the good news of the resurrection of Jesus. And so, they proclaimed the good news to the disciples. Peter went to the tomb and saw the linen wrappings and the cloth inside the tomb. But he did not believe at once. The other disciple whom Jesus loved came. He had seen the linen wrappings and the cloth, and he immediately believed. For John, the beloved disciple was the one who had thoroughly understood the resurrection of Jesus. His love for Jesus empowered him to believe at once. For John, the death and resurrection of Jesus ushered the grace of new life and the gift of salvation for all people. He inspired the community to emulate the life-giving faith of the beloved disciple as they lived their missions.

The Reflection:

The word “Easter” comes from the old German word “ostara,” which means “life” or “radiant dawn.” And so, the word Easter could mean life or a radiant dawn. Easter celebration is, actually, a celebration of life. It is about the life of the risen Christ and our new life in Christ. By the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, death has no power over Jesus. The wrapping or the linen cloth that was left behind in the tomb is a symbol of freedom from sin and death. The evil of sin was destroyed and death becomes powerless. The rising of Jesus from death is a symbol of the freedom of Jesus to live the fullness of life. Therefore, to rise with Jesus is to live the grace of new life in faith. Faith is a gift, but it is empowered and strengthened by love. Love is a gift of the Holy Spirit. To believe in God is to exercise our freedom to love fully. It is not easy to rise to a new life in freedom, unless we fully believed in the resurrection of Jesus. Our faith, hope and love in God give meaning to our Christian life in this world. The transformation of the world in its fullness is possible today when the God of love is completely integrated in our humanity. During this time of Easter, we are challenged to manifest our love and faith in Jesus by loving our fellow human beings even in the difficult situations of human life. The renewal of our minds, the conversion of our hearts and the changed of our selfish attitudes are our Christian good news to the world today. To experience the resurrection of Jesus is to live fully our freedom as children of God, and this must be manifested in the present life. Let us transform the world now, and let this begin by the transformation of our present lives. This is a Christian call for us today. How do you give witness to the resurrection of Christ in your life? How do you proclaim the good news of our salvation in the modern world today?

The Testimony:

There are a lot of beautiful stories of conversion in humanity today that reflect the reality of the resurrection of Jesus. In my own family, one of my brothers had run away from home and had enjoyed his life in all things of the world. But he realized his faults and decided to live a good life from that time on. I knew about a man who killed his own brother-in-law and was imprisoned for a long time. But after being imprisoned for many years, he was released and was able to live exemplary life until he died. I knew about a local leader who rebelled against the government. But he, finally, surrendered and became involved in the life-giving works in the community for social welfare and human development. I knew a lady who came from a poor family and got involved with sex and drug. But she changed her life and became a living example of a genuine Christian life for others. In the Bible, St Paul was once a sinner. But he was converted and became the fearless proclaimer of Jesus Christ. My life, your life and the life of the church are wonderful stories of people who have sinned, and yet, being reconciled in faith and became beneficiaries of the gift of salvation. I believed that the power of the resurrection of Jesus is constantly working in me, in the church and in the world today. Although our present society is still experiencing negative contrast-experiences, and yet, I believed that, someday, it will fully be transformed by the power of the resurrection of Christ. I firmly believed that the resurrection of Jesus is really an experience of faith. For me, the resurrection of Jesus is the power of God that strengthened me in times of difficulties and trials in my priestly ministry. It is a life-giving force that raised me up when I fell. The resurrection of Christ is really a life-giving grace and a power of faith that I must give witness to the world, especially to the people who are entrusted to my care. And so, I am resolved to be possessed by the Word of God and by the Eucharist so that I may become a living testimony of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The Eucharist:

The Eucharist is the highest proclamation of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Eucharist is the synthesis of the life of Jesus. Yes, the Eucharist is a celebration of the life of Christ, my life, your life, our life and the life of the church. It identifies us being the body of Christ today. Thus, to celebrate the Eucharist is to proclaim joyfully the mystery of our faith on the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. To receive Jesus in the Eucharist is to live the grace of new life that we received through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. To eat the body of Christ is to become living witnesses of the resurrection of Christ today. Therefore, in this Eucharist, we pray that the Father in heaven may fill us with His life-giving love so that we may become agents of change and bearers of grace for the transformation of our society today. Yes, we pray that our Eucharistic celebration may become a joyful thanksgiving for the gift of salvation that God has offered to all people and nations in the world. Have a wonderful Easter to all.

May God bless us.