Cycle B - Year I:  

4 April 2021:  Easter Sunday of the Lord's Resurrection)

(Liturgical Color: White)

Readings:

First Reading:        Acts 10:34, 37-43

Second Reading:   Colossians 3:1-4

Gospel:  Please Read  John 20:1-9

"The Lord is risen!"

In all Masses today, we hear the presiding priest joyfully greet humanity with this great news: "The Lord is risen, Alleluia!"  For today the universal Church joyfully celebrates Easter Sunday with Holy Mass even without, or limited presence of the faithful because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Indeed, it is a great day of celebration as we proclaim to the whole world the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.  From the Vigil Mass of Holy Saturday, our joy shines forth when the very first Mass of Easter begins with the joyful singing again of the "Gloria" and the triumphant ringing of bells.  Recall that the "Gloria" part of the Mass was not heard since the start of the Lenten Season, and the bells were silent after the Mass of the Last Supper.  

The evangelist John brings us the Good News on Easter Sunday.  The gist of the Gospel narratives: 

 When Mary of Magdala came to visit the tomb of Jesus early morning on the third day, she saw the stone cover already removed from the entrance of the tomb, and the tomb empty.  Hurriedly she went back to the other disciples  and reported what she saw.  Simon Peter and John went with Mary again to the empty tomb.  They saw the burial clothes there, and the cloth that covered Jesus' head neatly rolled up in a separate place.  They believed that the Lord is risen, even when they did not yet fully understand what is written in the Scriptures that Jesus had to rise from the dead.  

The Resurrection of Jesus is the very corner stone of our Christian faith.  Because if Jesus did not rise to redeem us from sin, then everything we did during the Holy Week, and everything we do now is going to be meaningless.

  

In the Catholic faith, Easter Sunday is the greatest feast (festum festorum), or the principal feast of the ecclesiastical year.  Our Lord's Resurrection is a concrete and historical event which is the strength and foundation of Christianity.  We celebrate the event with so much joy as it represents the fulfillment of our faith as Christians.

From the time of the first apostles to our generation, we too believe that our Lord Jesus Christ is risen, indeed, Alleluia, Alleluia!  To this day, in every Eucharistic celebration at Mass we share in Jesus' Paschal Mystery, meaning to say, in our Lord's Passion, Death and Resurrection.  Because we encounter the risen Christ again in the Holy Eucharist.  Thus, Easter invites us to be witnesses to the whole world that our Lord Jesus Christ is truly risen from the dead!

What is the significance of the Easter event to all of us today, when the whole world is under threat of the coronavirus pandemic?

The great gifts of Easter are Hope and Faith.  HOPE, which makes us have the confidence in God, in His ultimate triumph, and in His goodness and love, which nothing can shake.  FAITH: the belief that Christ has triumphed over evil despite appearances and that the Resurrection is the definitive act in human history.  So, we celebrate the mystery of Resurrection, proclaim our faith and hope, and give thanks for these gifts.

We are now in the second year of this pandemic.  We cannot do our usual activities as our movements are regulated to prevent the spread of the virus.  Basic health protocol and social distancing are mandated to be observed.  But let us not "social distance" ourselves from the Lord, and use this opportunity to reflect on scriptural passages to strengthen our faith, bring us to conversion and holiness.  

The Resurrection of our Lord is our guarantee that God can overcome anything even death.  Our faith allows us to trust the our God can overcome our most serious problems and fear during this pandemic.

Finally, the Easter spirit is one of renewal that enables us to have a hopeful and positive attitude, to renew relationships that have been taken for granted, including our relationship with God, and to express appreciation and affection to those closest to us.  Easter allows us to see the world through new eyes, God's eyes, when life comes back to normal again.

Happy Easter Sunday to us all. And thank you for a moment with God.

Ad Jesum per Mariam!