Dear Parishioners and Friends,

This Sunday, we celebrate the heart of our faith: Christ is risen! What began in sorrow at the empty tomb overflows now with joy and hope. As we gather in our parishes, waving palms only days ago, we now acclaim the risen Lord whose victory transforms sorrow into praise.

In the first reading (Acts 10:34a, 37–43), Peter stands before a largely Gentile gathering and declares that everyone who believes in Jesus receives forgiveness of sins through His name. For Jewish hearers, the idea that the Good News extends beyond Israel was revolutionary. In our own day, where divisions often run deep, whether social, ethnic or generational, Peter’s bold outreach reminds us that the resurrection is not the possession of a single people but the gift of life to all who turn to Christ. In our communities, let us reach beyond familiar circles, neighbours of different backgrounds, those who feel excluded, to share the hope of Easter.

“This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad.” (Psalm 118) The Easter psalm bursts with exultation. Once the lament of Good Friday, Easter Sunday’s verses resonate as a refrain of victory. The psalmist’s confidence, “The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone”, echoes in every empty church at dawn and every Christian heart set free from fear. When our lives feel blocked by obstacles, whether illness, financial struggle or mental anxiety, this psalm invites us to trust that God can turn our “stones of rejection” into the cornerstones of new purpose.

St Paul urges the Colossians (3:1-4) to set their minds on things above, for Christ, our life, has been raised. In a culture awash with fleeting distractions, endless news cycles and social media updates, the apostle’s words call us back to the eternal. The one who rose from the dead is the source of our true identity and joy. This Easter, let us examine where we invest our attention. Are we drawn more to passing trends or to prayer, Scripture and works of charity that bear lasting fruit?

In John’s Gospel (John 20:1-9), Mary Magdalene arrives at dawn and sees the empty tomb. Peter and the Beloved Disciple run to inspect the linen wrappings and the cloth that had covered Jesus’ head. They see, they believe, though full faith will blossom only when the Risen Lord appears to them. John’s community faced pressures to silence their witness. By placing the empty tomb first, the evangelist affirms that the resurrection is a historical event, inviting investigation, not mere myth. The details, strips of linen and separate cloth, underscore that Jesus did not simply vanish; He rose in a new, glorified body. In an age of scepticism, we too may be like Mary, troubled by unanswered questions. The Gospel encourages us to “enter the tomb” honestly – read Scripture, dialogue with doubters, explore Christian Tradition – and allow the evidence of Christ’s love to move us from doubt to faith.

The resurrection compels more than celebration; it demands transformation. If we believe that Christ is truly risen, then we must live as Easter People.

We must die to selfishness. Just as Jesus laid down His life, we are called to acts of self-giving – visiting the lonely, supporting the vulnerable, forgiving those who harm us.

We must be bold witnesses. Peter’s example urges us to speak of Christ’s victory in workplaces, cafés and schools, not hiding our faith but sharing its hope.

We must build community. In a society often fragmented by individualism, the early Church’s unity around the resurrection inspires us to forge deeper bonds in our parishes and neighbourhoods.

Dear brothers and sisters, Easter is not an event locked in the past but a living encounter with the Risen Lord. As we leave the church, may our hearts burn with the same joy that filled the disciples on that first Easter morning. Let us go forth, renewed in faith, to herald Christ’s victory over darkness, bearing witness, extending mercy, and building a world where the power of His resurrection brings life abundant to all.

Christ is risen! He is truly risen!  Amen.