Happy Easter! Our Lord has risen, He has opened the gates of Heaven to all who believe. Alleluia!
What a glorious day we celebrate!
In the first reading, we read “Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and proclaimed to them, “You who are Jews, indeed all of you staying in Jerusalem. Let this be known to you and listen to my words. You who are Israelites, hear these words. Jesus the Nazorean was a man commended to you by God with mighty deeds, wonders, and signs, which God worked through him in your midst, as you yourselves know. This man delivered up by the set plan and foreknowledge of God, you killed, using lawless men to crucify him. But God raised him up, releasing him from the throes of death, because it was impossible for him to be held by it. (Acts 2:14, 222=24)
What an awesome thing to be an eyewitness to the death and resurrection of Christ.
Peter proclaims, “God raised this Jesus; of this we are all witnesses” (32)
In the gospel we have an account of the two ladies (Mary Magdalene and the other Mary) witnesses too. Hence, the two ladies were sent out to announce the good news to the disciples (Matthew 28:8).
Today, you and I are called to be witnesses to the resurrection. We are called to witness to the love of God to our brothers and sisters.
So, we must be courageous to be true witnesses. We are apostles of the resurrection today. Below is food for thought:
“Christ has turned all our sunsets into dawns.” —Clement of Alexandria
“Christianity is in its very essence a resurrection religion. The concept of resurrection lies at its heart. If you remove it, Christianity is destroyed.” —John Stott
“If Christ be not risen, the dreadful consequence is not that death ends life, but that we are still in our sins.” —Geoffrey Studdert-Kennedy
“The Gospels do not explain the resurrection; the resurrection explains the Gospels. Belief in the resurrection is not an appendage to the Christian faith; it is the Christian faith.” —John S. Whale
We must witness the hope that Jesus’ resurrection brings to our world that seeks a reason to hope again.
Have a blissful Octave of Easter
