He is risen, Alleluia, Alleluia!

What a long road it’s been. A little over 40 days ago we all began this journey with a reminder, “you are dust, and to dust you shall return,” but today is different, today is the first day of new life! No longer is our focus on dust and death, but rather we are an Easter people who are clothed in salvation and will be lifted up in the resurrection!

Now that the dust has settled (no pun intended), what do Easter people do?

Today’s Gospel gives us three simple tasks: #1: to share the good news that Jesus can conquered the grave and has been resurrected in glory, #2: to keep returning to Christ daily and embrace him at his feet, and #3: to keep faith and have hope even when the world tries to deny the resurrection of Our Lord.

#1 Easter people share the good news of Jesus Christ that Jesus can conquered the grave and has been resurrected in glory! Think back to the most recent encounter you’ve had with Jesus. Recall the love and peace that you felt, the warmth of his presence, the deep conviction in your heart, the stirring of your soul. The world is in desperate need to know that they can have that encounter themselves. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary ran to announce the good news of the resurrection to the disciples, why, because that meant that Jesus was who he said he was – the Son of God who has come to conquer death! Notice that they too were fearful, yet their joy carried them through.

#2 Easter people keep returning to Christ daily and embrace him at his feet! As the Mary’s were running, Jesus appeared before, and they bowed down and embraced his feet. This is the call for us who believe in the resurrection to know that Easter is not one day out of the year, but rather that we get to encounter the resurrected Jesus daily! We can meet Jesus daily through adoration, confession and receiving the Eucharist! Let us not waste the opportunity, but rather be fortified in our desire to encounter Jesus daily in prayer!

#3 Easter people keep faith and have hope even when the world tries to deny the resurrection of Our Lord! The chief priests and elders bribed the soldiers that were guarding Jesus’ tomb to lie and say that the disciples came at night to steal his body. On the first day of salvation the Church is immediately met opposition and lies about the truth of who Christ is. This blew my mind because the world today is still trying to convince us about the same thing, that Christianity is false, that Jesus did not rise from the dead, that St. Paul “organized” religion in a way that Jesus did not intended.

Jesus Christ has risen from the grave, he has conquered death, he has sent the Holy Spirit to transform the world and set hearts on fire, but the only way we can change the world is if we are convinced in our hearts that Jesus is Lord and fall to his feet daily. In the words of Pope St. John Paul II, “We are the Easter people and alleluia is our song!”

We are called to share the good news. Do others know you are different because Jesus has risen?

We are called to spend time at Jesus's feet. Are you close to Jesus? How is your relationship with Him right now? How can you make it stronger?

​We are called to keep the faith. When your faith is attacked how do you respond? How can you strengthen your faith?

"I will share the good news."

"I will fall at Jesus's feet."

"I will keep the faith."

Today, how will you claim our identity as part of the Easter people? How can you share the good news? How can you fall at Jesus's feet? How will you keep the faith? Pray and ask Jesus to help you live out your identity as part of the Easter people.