Truly the Lord is risen, alleluia. To him be glory and power for all eternity1.
"On Saturday evening, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices to go and embalm the dead body of Jesus. -Very early in the morning, the next day, they arrived at the tomb at sunrise (Mk 16:1-2). And going in, they were dismayed because they did not find the body of the Lord. -A young man in a white robe said to them, "Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth: non est hic, surrexit enim sicut dixit, -he is not here, for he has risen, as he foretold (Mt 28:5).
"He is risen! -Jesus is risen. He is not in the tomb. -Life was more powerful than death .
The glorious Resurrection of the Lord is the key to interpreting his whole life, and the foundation of our faith. Without this victory over death, says St. Paul, all preaching would be useless and our faith empty of content3. 3 Moreover, our future resurrection rests on the Resurrection of Christ. For God, rich in mercy, moved by the great love with which he loved us, even though we were dead through sin, made us alive together with Christ... and raised us up with
Easter is the feast of our redemption and, therefore, a feast of thanksgiving and joy.
The Resurrection of the Lord is a central reality of the Catholic faith, and as such was preached from the beginning of Christianity. The importance of this miracle is so great that the Apostles are, above all, witnesses of the Resurrection of Jesus5 . They announce that Christ lives, and this is the core of all their preaching. This is what, after twenty centuries, we announce to the world: Christ lives! The Resurrection is the supreme argument of the divinity of Our Lord.
After rising by his own virtue, the glorious Jesus was seen by the disciples, who could be certain that it was he himself: they were able to speak with him, they saw him eat, they saw the marks of the nails and the spear.... The Apostles declare that He manifested Himself with numerous proofs6, and many of these men died testifying to this truth.
Jesus Christ lives. And this fills our hearts with joy. "This is the great truth that fills our faith with content. Jesus, who died on the cross, has risen, has triumphed over death, over the power of darkness, over pain and anguish (...): in Him, we find everything; outside of Him, our life is empty "
"He appeared to his Blessed Mother. -He appeared to Mary of Magdala, who is mad with love. -And to Peter and to the other Apostles. -And to you and to me, who are his disciples and crazier than the Magdalene: what things we have said to him!
"May we never die for sin; may our spiritual resurrection be eternal. -And (...) you have kissed the wounds of his feet..., and I, more daring - because more childish - have put my lips on his open side "8.