First Reading – Acts 10:34, 36-43;
Second Reading – Colossians 3:1-4 or 1 Corinthians 5:6-8;
Gospel – John 20:1-18
The feast of Easter is the celebration Jesus’ victory over death and mankind’s hope for eternal life.
Today, as we gather in joyous celebration, we commemorate the most significant event in the
Christian calendar: the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Easter marks the culmination of the
Holy Week, a week of reflection, repentance, and ultimately, redemption. The story of Easter is one
of profound love and unparalleled sacrifice. It is a narrative that transcends time and speaks to the
very core of our faith. For on this day, over two thousand years ago, Jesus Christ triumphed over
death, fulfilling the promise of salvation and offering humanity the gift of eternal life.
This feast gives us the hope of our own Resurrection and at the same time keeps us united with the
living Christ who has promised to be with us. The theme of today’s Mass includes both
proclamation and witness. St Paul tells us that if Jesus is not risen from the dead, our faith be in
vain. In the Gospel of the day Mary Magdalene is asked to go and proclaim the Resurrection to all.
The resurrection of Jesus Christ is at the very heart of Christianity. For his disciples it was indeed a
mystery. They were not able to comprehend the fact of Resurrection and grasp the deep inner
meaning of it even though Jesus had spoken to them several times during his public life. However
it built up their faith particularly because of their experience of the presence of Jesus and made
them persons, courageous and ready to face any eventuality for their master. Jesus stood among
them, talked to them ate with them and taught them the doctrine. They were called upon to build
the faith of others and we see how marvellous the living faith of the early Church was.
Resurrection becomes the uniting factor, building the mystical body of Christ.
For Peter and other disciples this was the moment of growth in their faith in the resurrection of
Jesus. Immediately after the visit to the empty tomb they may have been shocked. This will soon be
clarified to them about the resurrection of Jesus perhaps through Mary Magdalene. Later it is
further clarified as he encountered the disciples on the way to Emmaus where he explained the
positive meaning of the sufferings of the messiah as found in the Old Testament. The resurrection of
Jesus brought a new hope in the disciples and transformed their emptiness into a fullness of light.
The word, “Jesus is alive!” or “I have seen the Lord!” were enough to instantly create a great
spiritual hunger in their soul the worldly minds of the disciples suddenly became alerted to the
truth.
To the Disciples the Resurrection was a new experience. It was something totally unexpected and
new. It gave them a new vision of life. They were persons totally transformed with the presence of
the Resurrected Jesus. They had seen his suffering and during that time most of them had remained
hidden out of fear. For them as it is for us the celebration of Easter Sunday totally reverses the
image of Good Friday. It tell us what Good Friday is about; It tells us that what took place on the
cross on Good Friday was not just a simple death but a real sacrifice, it was not a defeat but a
triumph over sin and death, and it was not an end but a great beginning.
Today on Easter Sunday the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus reminds us that we have the
same mission as Peter and Mary Magdalene and the other disciples of Jesus. This requires as the
first reading of today tells us that we need a radical conversion, a radical change on our part, to
become “a completely new batch of bread, unleavened as you are meant to be…having only the
unleavened bread of integrity and truth.”
But Easter is not just a time for celebration; it is also a call to discipleship. Just as Jesus emerged
from the tomb, so too are we called to rise from the darkness of sin and embrace the light of Christ.
Easter challenges us to live as people of hope, to be witnesses to the resurrection in our words and
actions. In a world that often seems consumed by despair and division, the message of Easter shines
forth as a beacon of hope. It reminds us that no matter how dire our circumstances may seem, there
is always the promise of new life in Christ. As St. Paul writes, “If Christ has not been raised, your
faith is futile; you are still in your sins. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead!” (1
Corinthians 15:17-20).
So Dear sisters and brothers let us go forth from this Easter celebration with hearts full of gratitude
and minds renewed in faith. Let us live as Easter people, embracing the resurrection as the source of
our hope and the foundation of our lives. May we never forget the profound truth of Easter: that in
Christ, death has been defeated, and we are offered the gift of everlasting life.
May the joy of the resurrection fill our hearts today and always. Amen