Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of the Lord
Dear Epiphany Family,
HAPPY EASTER! The traditional greeting on Easter morning is “Christ is risen” to which one responds, “He is risen indeed. Alleluia!” This ancient greeting recalls the greeting of the angel to Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph as they arrived at the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus: “He is not here; for he has risen, as he said” (Matt 28:6). Because Jesus is risen we have hope, peace, joy, the promise of eternal life, and our own bodily resurrection! No matter what darkness may permeate our lives or our world Jesus has won the victory over sin and death and his light overcomes it all (cf. John 1:15). His same light has guided us through the pandemic and will continue to guide us to its end.
“If Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain” writes St. Paul (1 Corinthians 15:14). Jesus was and is no mere teacher or religious founder but the Son of God, God incarnate, who became one of us, gave his life for us, rose from the dead to free us from sin that we too may have life. He now invites us into intimate friendship with him, a surrender of our lives, to truly make him Lord of every aspect of our lives. He invites us to respond to this invitation for the first time or to do so again and again. Perhaps the pandemic or other recent circumstances in our lives have made us realize that we cannot take our faith in vain. Jesus is truly risen, but to rise with him we must unite ourselves to him by dying to ourselves daily so that we may truly live.
May God richly bless you, grant you great joy, peace, and hope in Jesus’ resurrection, and give you and your families the grace you need to walk with and give yourselves to him daily.
Christ is risen, he is risen indeed!
In Christ,
Father Eric