Happy Easter Everyone! 

It was the Resurrection fulfilling Jesus’ prophecy that said He was the son of man and would be put to death but would rise on the third day. The prophecy was widely known! The leaders of the Jewish community even went to Pilate and asked to have guards placed at Jesus’ tomb so that no one could steal His body and then claim He had risen. The prophecy was fulfilled at Easter when He appeared to the apostles, revealing to them He had risen and He was truly alive!  

Today, Easter Sunday, is the most important feast of the year. It was the resurrection of Jesus that made a difference in the lives of the Apostles. Each was motivated to go forward with the message of salvation. When Jesus died, the Apostles were visibly moved and upset. Some thought everything was over! Thomas was doubtful and was not present the first time Jesus appeared in the upper room, (the day of Christ’s resurrection). Two of His disciples, distraught because Jesus had died, gave up and departed for Emmaus. They turned their back on Jerusalem!   They did not think there was anything left for them to do.  

When Mary Magdalene told the Apostles Jesus had risen, they did not want to believe her. Peter and John hastened to check the tomb for themselves. Jesus reprimanded them for not believing her. What makes their response so interesting was because Jesus had told them what was going to happen, Mark 8:31.  He had taught them--the Son of Man  must suffer greatly; be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes; be killed, and would rise after three days. This message, however, did not sink in! When they heard it, they did not believe it truly was going to happen. After all, no one has ever come back from death! It was something their minds could not compute. But the Jewish leaders believed this was going to happen, so they went to Pilate and requested he put a guard at the opening of Christ’s tomb.

  Perhaps some of the Apostles hoped there could be a small chance Christ would come back from death, but from what we have observed, the thinking of the Disciples and the Apostles was the opposite of this. They were so devastated by the death of Jesus they did not know what to do. The only thing they could do was to wait and see. They, indeed, did that! They enclosed themselves in the upper room!  Jesus soon entered through closed doors and instructed them to go out into the world; proclaim the gospel;  and know:  He will always be among them!

We know Jesus has risen, and we must reflect in our lives that this is true. To do so, we must bring to our lives a commitment and dedication to prayer; increasing enthusiasm in our faith, and a lively response to the teachings of the Church. Like the new converts to the Catholic faith we must demonstrate with equal zeal our belief that Christ has risen. Jesus is risen and is alive! We have been redeemed. We should not be afraid to express our faith to anyone!

Let us go forth just like the Apostles and exhibit enthusiasm regarding our faith and the love we have for Jesus Christ!

Happy Easter to all! May the risen Jesus inspire your lives.

Fr. Vincent Clemente