Acts 10.34a,37-43 | Colossians 3.1-4 | John 20.1-9

Alleluia! Christ is risen! The tomb is empty! Hope has been fulfilled! Life has conquered death! Evil has been defeated!

Today we begin the Easter Season. We will spend seven weeks experiencing the joy of meeting the risen Christ, until the solemnity of Pentecost, the coming of the Holy Spirit.

The flowers, the Hymn of Praise and the Alleluia are back, as expressions of joy and celebration.

Today the evangelist John tells us about the discovery of the empty tomb by Mary Magdalene, the beloved disciple and Simon Peter. Early on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed. She ran and told Simon Peter and the beloved disciple what she had seen. They also ran and went to the tomb. The beloved disciple arrived first, but waited for Simon Peter to enter. When he saw the tomb empty, the beloved disciple believed. The evangelist concluded by saying that they had not yet understood the Scripture, according to which Jesus had to rise from the dead.

It is the first day of the week. This represents the new creation that begins with the resurrection of Christ. In Him, everything is recapitulated to reach its fullness.

It is dawn. The dark night of sin and death is giving way to the sunny day of grace and life.

The tomb is empty. No stone can stop the Full Life of the resurrected Christ. He appears and disappears whenever and wherever He wants.

Faith in the resurrection is a path. The first step is the discovery of the empty tomb. Jesus' body should have been there, but it was not. He had said that He would rise again after three days. He is the Truth and the Life. Something in the heart whispers that He is alive, preparing for the second step: seeing Him physically (a grace granted to that generation of Christians, who would witness the resurrection). Love creates connections that go beyond materiality and the senses.

Today, the evangelist Luke tells us in the Acts of the Apostles about Simon Peter preaching about the life of Jesus, His death for the Jews, His resurrection and His manifestation to the witnesses whom God had chosen, not to all the people. Luke concluded by saying that everyone who believes in Jesus receives forgiveness of sins in His name.

We are Roman Apostolic Catholics. We believe in the testimony that the apostles left us about their experience with the resurrected Jesus. And we ourselves feel His presence, not physical but spiritual and sacramental in the gathered community. And we proclaim the resurrection with courage and conviction.

Today, the apostle Paul tells us in his letter to the Colossians about the life of Christians who were resurrected with Christ. They should aspire to the things above and strive to attain them. Their life would be hidden, with Christ, in God. And when Christ appeared in His triumph, then they would also appear with Him, clothed in glory.

Faith in the resurrection must have a practical consequence in our lives: we must allow God's grace to act in us to transform our way of thinking, speaking and acting. We must be new creatures, living on earth the values ​​of Heaven.

The solemnity of Easter is so important that it lasts a week, called the Octave of Easter. Let us take advantage of it.

Local: Praia Grande - SP, Brasil

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