Mass of Easter Sunday
- My dear
brothers and sisters, I am here today, like Peter the
Apostle, to bear witness as your bishop to the resurrection
of Christ. Let me say as Peter said, that the same Jesus who
was crucified and who died on the cross was raised from the
dead on the third day by the power of God. Christ is truly
risen. Alleluia. You can believe in him with all your heart.
There is no reason for doubt or for uncertainty. You can
believe and you can safely hand on your faith to your
children and young people because that faith is founded on
the resurrection. Christ is truly risen! All who believe in
Jesus will have their sins forgiven through his name. This
is the message of hope which the Church offers all humankind
on Easter Sunday.
- I am here
to tell you that, because Christ is risen from the dead, we
have a new life with Christ. As St. Paul says to us today,
“Since you have been brought back to true life with Christ,
you must look for the things that are in heaven, where
Christ is, sitting at God’s right hand.” The new life of
Christ has nothing to do with sin and selfishness and with
the darker impulses of human nature. The new life of Christ,
rather, is a life of grace, faith and love. It is a life of
goodness and patience and faithfulness. It is a life of
peace, justice and service. This is a good life and a holy
life. I am here to encourage you to live this new life of
Christ who is risen from the dead.
- Christ is
truly risen. Christ is alive and sits at the right hand of
the Father to intercede for us. Our common experience as
Christians is that we have a relationship with the Lord. We
pray to him, we talk to him, we ask him to help us, and we
commend others to him. I am here to tell you that that
experience is not an illusion. Christ is risen. He is alive.
He is with us. He helps us. He hears our prayers. I am here
to encourage you to pursue your relationship with Jesus, to
deepen your life of prayer, to strive for a deeper union
with him. I can say for sure that he will not disappoint
you, especially when your need is great.
- Christ is
truly risen. It is our common experience as Christians that
Jesus is at work in our lives through the sacraments. In
Baptism, he gives us new life. In Confirmation, he gives us
the seal of the Holy Spirit. In Reconciliation, he forgives
us. In the Eucharist, he nourishes us with his body and
blood, In Anointing, he comforts and strengthens us. I am
here to encourage you in your sacramental life. Be faithful
to Sunday Mass. Make good use of the Sacrament of
Reconciliation. Help your children to do the same. The
sacraments are the most effective instruments of the risen
Lord’s loving touch in our lives. May the risen Lord make
his Church holy through his sacraments!
St. Bernadette’s, Erskine
8th April 2007
|
