He is not here, He is Risen! Remember how he told you, while He was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered to the hands of the sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again’.” (Luke 24: 6-7)
This day, Christians will once again celebrate one of the most important events in their calendar: Easter. Easter marks the end of the Passion of Christ which begins at Lent, concluding during Holy Week, and includes Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Such an event is celebrated by the Christians for it is the pillar of their faith or belief–Christ’s resurrection.
Similar to the Easter story of how Jesus was crucified and buried, the world lived for a time in a tomb created by the COVID-19 pandemic. Now that the tomb has been emptied with the application of vaccines, people feel a joyful sense of relief as life gradually returns to normalcy.
Indeed, the miracle of the crucifixion and resurrection is the pillar on which the Christian religion is anchored, and provides the basis of faith and hope for believers. Thousands of Christians, specifically, Catholics are expected to pack churches, in a collective act of rejoicing to mark the end of the Lent.
Yet, for all the prayers of the believers, there remain so many challenges facing us. The war against criminality and violence and the war against corruption are two of the most persistent evils.
This is a good time for us to reflect on the various challenges that confront each of our lives in a bid to renew it. Indeed, this year’s Easter celebration offers another opportunity for us to reflect on our potential for greatness and decide how we can be a part of the solution.
For many people, the Easter story has been heard many times over, and maybe it no longer resonates. Yet, we see in this story exceptional symbols of hope. The Easter egg could be seen as a symbol of Jesus breaking out of the tomb and stepping into a new life.
Easter bears a profound witness of the Resurrection story, for it provides deep stimulus to the imagination of Christians and non-Christians alike.
HAPPY EASTER, EVERYONE. (AJDB)
