My dear Friends in Christ,

The Lord has risen. He is truly risen. Alleluia. I wish you and your families joy and peace during this glorious season of Easter.

Easter is not just one day. We celebrate first the octave of Easter and a total of 50 days of Easter, culminating in Pentecost. It is a time to celebrate new life and birth in the Church through the waters of Baptism.

Many children during the Easter season will be receiving Jesus for the first time. We will celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation and our young people will be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit. All of these gifts flow from the risen Lord, who has power to save and to heal.

Yes, death has no more power over us. That stone which was in front of the tomb has been rolled back, the burial cloths are there nicely rolled up, and the facemask also folded up like a little napkin. He is not here. He is truly risen.

Mary Magdalene and the other women approached the tomb, but no body was to be found. The Lord appeared. She did not immediately recognize him. Only when He called her name did she realize that this was Jesus, the love of her life, the Savior who had come back from the tomb who had gone down to the nether world, to bring God's love even there, and who had carried away the devil’s trophies into the kingdom of His marvelous light. 

We see the faithfulness of God the Father, who raised up Jesus, the Good Shepherd, from the dead. We see how the Holy Spirit, who is the Lord and giver of life, is with Jesus, who confers this Spirit on the Apostles on the evening of the Resurrection. Jesus has risen in the power of the Spirit.

Mary Magdalene is then sent by Jesus. She is told to go and tell the brothers to gather in Galilee. They will have to re-read all their experiences in light of that initial call -- all the things that have happened in light of this new phenomenon, the Resurrection. He is not dead. He is alive.

Mary Magdalene witnesses to Jesus’ Resurrection. She goes and tells the apostles. Simon and John come running to the tomb. John, of course, being younger, is ahead of Simon Peter, but he stops in deference to the prince of the apostles. And he gazes in. Simon Peter, on the other hand, representing the active dimension of the Church rather than the contemplative, rushes into the tomb and finds the burial cloths there. And the beloved disciple also looks in and believes.

They begin to realize that everything Jesus told them, including how the Son of Man would have to suffer and rise from the dead, was true. Jesus had promised them life and life eternal. That same promise is available to us if we would have friendship with Jesus.

So many people today do not understand why suffering comes in their lives. They have difficulty in those dark moments. During the long journey of Lent, on the second Sunday, we heard the gospel of the Transfiguration when Jesus was clothed in dazzling light. This occurred to bring people, his apostles especially, consolation, but they did not understand the mystery at that time. Little by little, they would begin to understand the mystery of the risen Lord. The 50 days of Easter are a time of rejoicing for the whole church. For forty days in His Risen flesh, Jesus was with his apostles until he ascended to the right hand of the Father.

Afterward, the apostles were gathered in prayer with the Blessed Virgin Mary. We too rejoice with Mary in the resurrection of her Son. We are filled with joy and exultation, for Christ is truly risen. Death has no more power over us. In those dark moments, we only need to think about the future, our future with God and God's life with us. I hope and pray that you and your families experience the joy and peace of this Easter season.


God bless you all!

Most Reverend Earl K. Fernandes

Bishop of Columbus