Easter Joy – Easter Hope

Christ’s resurrection brings Joy to all Christians who have suffered and sacrificed during Lent. It brings also Hope, during this Jubilee Year dedicated precisely to the virtue of Hope. The Joy is reminiscent of the presence of Jesus once again among the apostles and disciples, the first of whom was Mary Magdalen, privileged to be the first person to see His glorified Body. The Hope is a prelude to what the weeks ahead have in store for us, the Risen Christ mingling with His disciples, at Emmaus, at the sea of Galilee, in the upper room, then the arrival of the Holy Spirit, the continuous presence of Jesus among us in the Eucharist, and the hope of Peace, which He imparted every time he appeared... ’Peace be with you.’  As we rejoice, we continue to hope, and as we hope for better things ahead, we encourage Christian joy on those who have been struggling, hurting or simply alone.

Risen Jesus, we are blind, but You opened our eyes so that we can recognize You when You appear in front of us to help us and bail us out of some problem we probably caused ourselves.

Risen Jesus, we are deaf, but please do open our ears so that we can hear your message and those of other preachers who constantly remind us to listen to You with our hearts and minds, as well as our ears.

Risen Christ, we are lost, but if you lead us by our hands, we can walk with You, and hope we can stay close to You and never get lost.

Risen Christ, we are mute, but if You open our mouths, we promise that we will speak in Your name, and praise You always by saying ‘You are Alive – Hallelujah.’