REFLECTION FOR EASTER SUNDAY, YEAR C.
by Rev. Fr. Sylvanus Ifeanyi Amaobi
(1st Reading, Acts 10:34,37-43; 2nd Reading, 1 Cor. 5:6-8; Gospel, John 20:1-9)
My dear brothers and sisters, "This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it" (Psalm 118:24).
JESUS CHRIST IS RISEN
Happy Easter to you, my dear People of God! Alleluia, our Savior, Jesus Christ, is risen! This is our good news, and as Pope Benedict XVI says, "This good news rings out unchanged and ever new in every corner of the earth: Jesus who died on the cross has risen; he lives in glory because he has defeated the power of death; he has brought the human being to a new communion of life with God and in God. This is the victory of Easter, our salvation!"
As we read in the Gospel, Peter and the beloved apostle rushed to the tomb following Mary of Magdala's account (Jn. 20:1-9). At first, they were anxious, fearful, and distressed, expecting probably the worst. But when they reached the tomb, they saw an "empty tomb." They entered, examined, and were moved to believe. They comprehended and understood the scriptural passage, "He had to rise from the dead."
CREDIBLE WITNESSES OF CHRIST'S RESURRECTION
Peter was one of the earliest witnesses of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, and he stated this in his narrative of Jesus Christ's life, death, and resurrection as presented to us in the first reading (Acts 10:34,37-43). No doubt, he and the rest of the apostles were and are credible witnesses of Christ's resurrection.
Through the apostles' teachings and writings, we, today's Christians, have known enough to be called credible witnesses of Christ's resurrection, too. Like Peter, the Christians of today can boldly say we are witnesses to all Christ did. We are witnesses to the fact that "He went about doing good and healing all those possessed by the devil." We are witnesses that He is the savior and redeemer of the world. We are witnesses to His goodness and love in our daily lives. We are witnesses to His mercy and graciousness. We are indeed veritable witnesses.
WE ARE A NEW CREATION
Jesus Christ came to transform us, reconcile us with God, and make us acceptable to His Father. His death and resurrection achieved this purpose and made us a new creation. In the words of St Paul, "Whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come" (2Cor. 5:17). In appreciation of this transformation brought about by Jesus Christ through His sacrificial act, St. Paul advises us not to celebrate the feast with what he calls the old yeast or old self: malice and wickedness.
Instead, he encourages us to celebrate the feast with a new self or what he calls the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth (1 Cor. 5:6-8) as read in the second reading. Our transformation must be seen in our daily lives as we carry out our daily duties. Our transformation is embedded in our act of witnessing to Christ. We are a new creation, and our lives should reflect that. Let us act like those who have been transformed, delivered, and saved and who are a new creation through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Always remember that Jesus loves you!