First Reading - Genesis 1:1-2:2
Second Reading - Genesis 22:1-18
Third Reading - Exodus 14:15-15:1
Fourth Reading - Ezekiel 36:16-17,18-28
Fifth Reading - Romans 6:3-11
Gospel - Luke 24:1-12
One lady once wrote into a Q&A column:
“Dear Sirs, our preacher said on Easter that Jesus only swooned on the cross and that the disciples nursed Him back to health. What do you think?”
Signed, Bewildered.
The reply was short and sharp:
“Dear Bewildered, beat your preacher with a cat-of-nine-tails, nail him to a cross, hang him in the sun for six hours, run a spear through his side, put him in an airless tomb for 36 hours—and see what happens.”
Sincerely, Charles.
Yes, Jesus truly died—and He truly rose again. That is the central proclamation of Easter. And today, we don’t simply remember an event from history—we rejoice because His resurrection has opened for us the path to new life. The readings of this sacred night help us to strengthen our hope in the Risen Christ and deepen our faith in His saving work.
The first reading from Genesis reminds us that God is the Creator of all things. Out of nothing, He created a world full of goodness and order. Human beings, made in God’s own image and likeness, are at the pinnacle of creation. We are not accidents of nature—we are precious, valuable, and loved. And we are entrusted with care over all that God has made.
The second reading tells the story of Abraham, whose faith was tested to the extreme. Asked to sacrifice his only son, Abraham obeyed without hesitation. But God, seeing his faith, intervened and provided a ram for the offering. This story points forward to Jesus, the true Lamb of God, who would be sacrificed in our place. Like Isaac, we are saved by the faith and obedience of the one who trusts in God.
In the third reading, we hear of the great Exodus—Israel’s passage through the Red Sea. This is the turning point of salvation history: from slavery to freedom, from death to life. It prefigures our own passage through the waters of Baptism, where we leave behind the slavery of sin and are made free in Christ.
The fourth reading, from Ezekiel, speaks of renewal and transformation. God promises to cleanse us from sin, give us new hearts, and put His Spirit within us. This is the work of Christ accomplished through His death and resurrection—and it is poured into our lives through Baptism. We are not only forgiven, but reborn.
The fifth reading, from the Letter to the Romans, dives deeper into this mystery. Paul tells us that in Baptism, we are united to Christ’s death and resurrection. We die to sin and rise to new life. Baptism is not just a ritual—it’s a participation in the very life of Christ. It makes us new creations.
Then we come to the Gospel—Luke’s powerful account of the resurrection. The tomb is empty. Jesus is not there. Angels appear to the women, proclaiming the good news. The women become the first evangelists, carrying this message to the apostles. Their testimony, despite being unexpected in a patriarchal society, is preserved in the Gospel—because it is true. The resurrection is not a myth or a symbol—it is a fact, witnessed by heavenly messengers and human hearts alike.
Dear friends, the resurrection of Jesus carries two essential implications for our lives:
First, it gives us hope. Just as Christ rose, so too shall we—if we believe in Him. We are not immune to sin, but we are given grace to resist it, to rise above it, and to live in freedom.
Second, it calls us to faith. Baptism is our first step in this journey of faith. Through it, we become children of God, cleansed of original sin, and filled with divine life. But this grace must be nurtured—through prayer, reading Scripture, participating in the Eucharist, and living out Christian virtues.
And we might still wonder: Why did God choose to save us by dying for us? Because we are precious in His eyes. We are made in His image. We bear His likeness. And just as He sees infinite value in us, He wants us to see that same value in one another.
So, let us learn from Him: if every person is a child of God, how can we mistreat, cheat, abuse, or ignore one another? The resurrection reminds us that every human life is sacred. Let us grow in love, in respect, and in justice—regardless of color, caste, creed, or nationality.
Christ is Risen! Let us rise with Him—into a new life of faith, of love, and of mission.
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