EASTER SUNDAY - APRIL 17, 2022

EASTER SUNDAY

Alleluia is a variation of the Hebrew phrase hallel Yahweh, meaning “praise the Lord.” As Pope Saint John Paul II said, it is our song as Easter people. It is our true and authentic expression of joy, gratitude, and love that is expressed most fully on this most joyful day.

READ THIS SUNDAY'S MESSAGE

In today’s Gospel, we do not hear about any sightings of the resurrected Christ. Mary Magdalene notices that the tomb is empty. Peter affirms this by investigating the tomb on his own. John follows and notices as well. But the Gospel ends before anyone sees Christ. At what point, then, does Christ make his resurrected self known? Immediately following the Gospel and homily, we will return to the Liturgy of the Eucharist and we will witness the Body of Christ return to our midst. We do not hear about sightings of the resurrected Christ because we are living it. We see the resurrected Christ before us in the Eucharist. He is calling us to participate in this heavenly banquet, to live in his resurrection, and to take it out to the rest of the world. Jesus Christ is Risen, and we get to participate in his Resurrection. Praise the Lord.

FAMILIES, ACTIVATE!

Family activity to do at home: One of the reasons that the Easter Vigil is so important, aside from the fact that many new members are received into the Catholic Church during this liturgy, is that we Christian people are reminded again of the promise of eternal life. At Easter, the newly baptized and confirmed, as well as the life-long Catholic, profess their faith and renounce sin so that they who have died in sin may also live in the glory of Christ's resurrection. Do you have photos of your child's baptism? This Easter season, take the opportunity to go over your baptismal promises. Or, in addition to celebrating a child's birthday, mark down the date of their baptism and celebrate that as the day they became a child of God by making Baptismal Candles!