Into the bleak darkness of the first Easter morning burst the glory of the most unnatural event that has ever occurred. To the amazement of the Apostles, the resurrection of Jesus Christ shed an unexpected light on the darkness of death, grief, and pain. Light had overcome darkness. That’s why the Paschal Candle at our Easter Vigil is so significant. The Apostles sensed that they had witnessed a new creation, a new and final answer to the darkness that had brought them to the tomb.

And so we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus the Christ.  The resurrection not only changed those first followers. It has the power to transform us. The resurrection of Jesus Christ invites us to face the darkness of our own world – our sins, the tragedies that befall us, the deaths of our loved ones, the current pandemic, war and terrorism – and to trust that the pattern of the resurrection can renew us in ways that we could never expect. We can even face death with the sure hope that our life is hidden with Christ in God.

Happy Easter.