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
Today, we gather with joy in our hearts, for Christ is risen! Alleluia! The empty tomb is not just a historical event—it is a living reality that transforms our lives, our sufferings, and our hope.
There was a little boy named Michael who lived with his grandmother. One day, their house caught fire. The flames spread rapidly, trapping Michael in his upstairs bedroom.
The grandmother tried to save him but was overcome by smoke and did not survive. The fire department was too late, and everyone feared that Michael was lost.
Then, suddenly, a stranger appeared. He climbed the drainpipe, braving the flames, and pulled Michael to safety. The boy survived, but he was left an orphan.
A few weeks later, a court had to decide who would adopt him. Many came forward: a teacher, a wealthy businessman, and even a farmer, each offering him a home.
Then, a man stood up and slowly walked to the front. He didn’t say much, but he lifted his hands. They were burned and scarred.
The room fell silent. Michael ran to him, recognizing the hands that had saved him.
Without hesitation, he embraced the man, saying, “This is the man who rescued me. I want to go with him.”
Brothers and sisters, today we stand before the One who has rescued us—not from a burning house, but from sin and death. Jesus Christ, through His suffering, saved us. And today, on Easter Sunday, we celebrate that those same hands are now lifted in glory!
The Resurrection is not just a story from the past. It is a promise for our future. Just as Michael chose the one who saved him, we are called to choose Jesus—the One who gave everything for us.
There is an empty tomb in Jerusalem. You can go to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and see it for yourself, just as Mary Magdalene, Peter, and John did on that first Easter morning.
That tomb once held the bruised and broken body of a man who had been crucified. It was meant to be His final resting place, but God had other plans. On the third day, God raised this man from the dead.
He did not just restore Him to the life He had before He died. Instead, He raised Him with a glorified body that could no longer die again.
Once Jesus rose from the dead, the lives of everyone who followed Him up to that point had to change.
They couldn’t go on living the way they had before. They had to go out and proclaim to others what they had seen and heard.
Even though they were fiercely persecuted and many of them were put to death, they went everywhere to preach that God had conquered death through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and that they too could have forgiveness of their sins in His name.
The same is true for us. If we truly believe that Jesus Christ is risen from the dead, then we cannot live the same way
that people who have no faith live. Our focus can no longer just be on this life.
That is why Saint Paul tells us in today’s second reading: “…seek the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth…” (Col 3: 1b-2).
That life is available to us through the Sacrament of Baptism. Once we are raised to new life with Christ in baptism, all the other sacraments become available to us so that we can grow in that life.
The greatest sacrament of all is the Eucharist. It is the very Body and Blood of Jesus that is given to nourish us. It is the food of everlasting life.
By taking into ourselves the risen Body and Blood of Jesus, our bodies are made capable of our future resurrection. It is a great mystery which we must reflect on every time we receive this beautiful gift of the Eucharist.
Jesus Christ is truly risen from the dead. Jesus lives forever and continues to be active in the world through us who believe in Him. It is up to us now to proclaim the good news.
As we renew our baptismal vows, let us also renew our commitment to live for Jesus by serving one another in love. Let us embrace the Risen Lord and proclaim with joy: Christ is Risen! Alleluia!
