He is risen, indeed!
We proclaim this today and throughout our days – “We are an Easter People and Hallelujah is our song!” (Pope St. John Paul II) We are a people of hope, a people of life! This is the good news we bring to the world in every age!
Faith in Jesus Christ shifts our gaze, our goal, and our order into eternity! Fixing our eyes on Him we can walk on water. We can walk through any tribulation, trial, or tragedy. No matter which waves are crashing against us, our families, our friends, our community, our country, our church, our parish we can continue to walk towards Jesus because He is our hope. He has opened heaven for us and given us eternal life because of He took upon Himself the things of ours that would lead us away from heaven. He bore for us our sins and stands before the Father pleading for us and showering His mercy upon us. He is our hope and life with Him which fills all our deepest desires and satiates every thirst and longing our being. We proclaim, as Christians, this hope. Not founded on any earthly perfection of system or utopia or teaching, but our Hope is founded on Him. My brothers and sisters, bring this Hope to everyone you meet with your gaze, goal, and life ordered to Jesus, our Hope.
We are a People of Life! This does not mean that we are merely anti-abortion or anti-capital punishment. It means those things, but so much more! It means that joy marks our lives at every turn and in every circumstances. Yes, there is sadness and suffering. But in the midst of that we can have joy that is not just a show or a façade. Joy because Jesus has defeated death and opened the gates of paradise to everyone resides deep within us! When a child is born or someone is healed or something is lost and is found, our lives are filled with joy. It is much more difficult to remain in joy and remain in life when circumstances are not ideal or when things don’t turn out the way we want them to. Joy in the midst of suffering and sadness is not easy. Fixing our eyes on Jesus and our ultimate goal – eternal life with God and one another – we can have that deep residing joy no matter what we might go through! This is what it means to be a People of Life! Jesus is the Life! My brothers and sisters, bring this Life (bring Him) to everyone you meet – your spouses, your children, your siblings, your parents, your colleagues, and strangers placed in your path.
Happy Easter! I pray that this Easter Season Hope and Joy fill your soul and your homes!
May the Risen Lord Jesus abundantly bless each of you!
~ Fr. Daniel Firmin