Easter Sunday (Cycle A, Year II)

Community Word: The Risen Lord strengthens our hope for eternal life.

Theme: Our hope of eternal life is strengthened when we bear witness to the resurrection of Jesus.

Promise: “When Christ your life appears, then you too will appear with him in glory.” (Col 3:4)

Reflection:
Easter Sunday is the celebration of Christ’s resurrection, His victory over sin and death for us. This glorious event is the realization of the very core of our Christian faith which St. Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “unless Christ rose from the dead, our faith is in vain,” (1 Cor 15:17). Christ’s resurrection is the fulfillment of our redemption from sin to a new life, the promise of our own resurrection and assurance of our eternal inheritance. It is the foundation of hope which makes our faith in the Risen Lord alive and powerful.

The community theme for Easter Sunday is – Our hope for eternal life is strengthened when we bear witness to the resurrection of Jesus. As followers of Christ, our greatest benefit in His resurrection is the knowledge, belief, and hope that one day, despite the sufferings and anguish experienced on earth, we will rise from death and live with the Risen Christ forever in His heavenly Kingdom. The lives of the early disciples of our Lord gave testimony to this. Their discovery of the empty tomb and subsequent physical appearances of Jesus gave way to a radical change in their lives. They were transformed from people who feared for their lives, disillusioned and discouraged followers, to being bold and courageous apostles who would witness to Jesus to people “to the ends of the world.” They were persecuted for their faith and most were martyred by unbelievers. Yet, they bore their sufferings and endured their pains patiently in the hope that they will be raised in glory.

We may not have been present on the first Easter morning and experienced the joy of the Risen Christ, but we are believers in the Resurrection. Through the Holy Spirit given to us at baptism and with our renewed Christian faith, we are no lesser witnesses to the life and resurrection of our Lord Jesus. Our salvation gives us new life of victory over sin and leads us to overcome all forms of difficulties, be it temptations, persecutions, calamities or personal struggles. It does not matter what trials beset us, we can rise above them because we are assured of our triumphs in crisis through the love of Christ. Though we will finally rise in glory in the last day, we are already experiencing our resurrection today. As St. Paul reminds us, “In all these things, we are more than conquerors through the Risen Christ,” (Rom 8:37).

We are the Easter people. Easter becomes our way of life, a life live in the Risen Savior in our church and community through which He continues His redemptive mission. In this age, there is an increasing number of people who believe that nothing lies beyond the grave and are anxious about dying. These are the people we need to bear witness to in the hope of resurrection, by word and deed, giving them comfort in their anxieties about the chaotic world and seeming hopelessness of living and dying. We can be instruments of peace and reconciliation where there are division and disunity. Our testimonies can become bridges in their defeat to success, in their despair to hope, and in their sadness to joy.

Today’s Covid-19 pandemic calls us to see Jesus in the sufferings of our neighbors, and to start caring and praying for each other. It has challenged us to rise above every experience of separation, loss and sadness. And with our eyes of faith, we will see the Light of the Risen Christ overcoming darkness. We may be enduring many struggles, pains and illnesses today, but in the hope of life to come, we will no longer suffer but rather rejoice in our perfect bodies in heaven. Because God has given us this promise, “When Christ your life appears, then you too will appear with him in glory,” (Col 3:4).

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, we praise and glorify You for Your mighty power that raised Jesus Christ from His death. We thank You for Your loving plan of salvation through Jesus’ life, death and resurrection, paving the way for us to live a new life in Christ. Thank You for Your great love for humanity. As we celebrate Easter, may the empty tomb help us leave our sorrows and pains at the foot of the Holy Cross. May the Risen Lord bring new hope to our being and His victory over death turn our eyes to the promise of eternal life. Amen.

Reflection Questions:
1. How does celebrating Easter Sunday affect your life today? What is the meaning of Christ’s resurrection to you?

2. If you doubt the truth of your resurrection on the last day, what steps should you take to change your belief?

This Week’s Daily Mass Reading Guide:
April 12, 2020 (Sun) – Acts 10:34, 37-43/Ps 118:1-2, 16, 17, 22, 23/Col 3:1-4/Jn 20:1-9
April 13, 2020 (Mon) – Acts 2:14, 22-33/Ps16:1, 2, 5, 7-11/Mt 28:8-15
April 14, 2020 (Tues) – Acts 2:36-41Ps 33:4, 5, 18-20, 22/Jn 20:11-18
April 15, 2020 (Wed) – Acts 3:1-10/Ps 105:1-4, 7-9/Lk 24:13-35
April 16, 2020 (Thur) – Acts 3:11-26/Ps 8:2, 5-9/Lk 24:35-48
April 17, 2020 (Fri) – Acts 4:1-12/Ps 118:1, 2, 4, 22-27/Jn21:1-14
April 18, 2020 (Sat) – Acts 4:13-21/Ps 118:1, 14-21/Mk 16:9-15

“Ignorance of the Bible is ignorance of Christ. Read your Bible daily!”