First Reading • Acts 10:34a, 37-43
Psalm • Psalm 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23
Second Reading • Colossians 3:1-4
Gospel • John 20:1-9
Like every faithful Jew of His time, Jesus kept the Sabbath. Saturday was set apart for rest and worship. Even though He was accused of breaking it, He did not treat it lightly.
He honored the Law given through Moses and taught His followers to do the same. That is why, after He died on Good Friday, the women did not go to the tomb on Saturday.
They waited. As much as they wanted to finish preparing His body, they would not violate the Sabbath.
So, the obvious question is: if God commanded the seventh day to be holy, why are we here on Sunday? Why did Christians from the earliest times gather on this day?
The answer is Easter.
From the beginning, Christians gathered on Sunday because that is the day Jesus rose from the dead.
Sunday is not just a replacement for Saturday; it is something new. It is the day of the Resurrection. Every Sunday is a little Easter. Every time we gather for Mass, we celebrate the victory of Jesus over sin and death.
The Jewish Sabbath looks back to the first creation. God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh.
Sunday looks forward to the new creation. Through His death and Resurrection, Jesus did not just repair the old; He began something entirely new.
Saint John tells us that Mary Magdalene went to the tomb on the first day of the week, while it was still dark.
That should remind us of Genesis: “Let there be light.” The Resurrection is the dawn of a new creation. The darkness of sin and death is pierced by a new light. When Jesus rises from the tomb, a new world begins.
The Resurrection changes everything. It means death does not have the final word. The grave is not the end of our story.
Our suffering, confusion, and struggles are not the last chapter. God’s plan for us is not a tomb, but eternal life with Him.
But It is not a celebration without a journey. If we truly desire to share in His risen life, we must also be willing to walk with Him on the path that leads there.We rejoice in celebrating the Resurrection, but the question is: did we remain with Him in His pain?
As Catholics, our calling is not only to celebrate Easter Sunday, but to live the entire mystery of our salvation.
The Church gives us the sacred days of the Triduum not as optional devotions, but as the heart of our faith.
Our first duty is to be present, to walk with Christ through Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil.
Only then does our celebration become complete. Only then do we understand the depth of what it means to say: “He is risen.”
Only after attending all the services of Triduum, we should go for other devotions.
So, let us not be Christians only of the Resurrection, but disciples of the whole mystery.
Faithful in the Upper Room, steadfast at the Cross, and filled with joy at the empty tomb.
Saint Paul says, “Think of what is above, not of what is on earth.”
He is not asking us to ignore our responsibilities, but reminding us that everything here is temporary.
The things we chase, worry about, and cling to will not last. But what God prepares for us is eternal.
That is why Easter is not only about what happened to Jesus; it is about what is happening to us. In Christ, we are a new creation.
We are not defined by our past sins, our failures, our status, or our achievements. We are defined by this: we are sons and daughters of God, loved by the Father who sent His Son to die and rise for us.
Still, people ask: if Jesus has conquered sin and death, why do they still exist? Why do we still struggle and suffer?
Think of it like a championship game where one team takes such a massive lead early on that the outcome is no longer in doubt. The victory is secure, but the game is still being played. The clock is still running.
That is Easter. On the cross and in the empty tomb, Jesus has already won the decisive victory.
Sin and death are defeated, but history is still unfolding. They continue to fight, trying to convince us they still have power; but the outcome is already decided.
We are still on the field because God wants us to share in His victory. We are not fighting for victory; we are fighting from victory. The real question is whether we will live like people who believe that.
Saint Paul reminds us: “When Christ our life appears, then you too will appear with Him in glory.”
When the final moment comes, those who belong to Christ will share in His glory.
Yes, we still struggle. We still bury loved ones. We still face temptation and carry crosses.
But we do not live as people without hope. We walk through life knowing the victory has already been won.
That is why we worship on Sunday. This is the day the stone was rolled away.
This is the day light broke into darkness. This is the day the new creation began.
The teacher asked a question: “Why did Jesus appear to women first after the Resurrection?” A girl answered, “He wanted to be sure the news spread quickly!”
Jesus Christ is risen. The victory is His.
And if we follow Him, that victory will be ours too.
