THE RISEN LORD IS SEEN THROUGH OUR FAITH

Easter! A season that all of us Catholics look forward to! We have worked hard and made every effort in improving ourselves spiritually, and now we should give ourselves a pat on the back for spending 40 days repenting and preparing for Easter, in a truthful and faithful way. 

However, some of us may have become a bit negligent in some areas of our lives and failed to root out sins. Although we should have been a little more self-disciplined to become more holistic, but unfortunately, some may have fallen short of our Lenten promises. Nonetheless, it is never too late to try and make it the bestseason, as we continue to strive to overcome of our sins, failures, worries and feelings of rejection, resentment, hurt, bitterness and anger.

We still have the opportunity to celebrate Jesus, who is now risen and alive today. Jesus is alive! He is risen as He had promised (Matt 28:6). He is with us despite whatever feelings and emotions we may encounter now. God has not abandoned us but instead, he has nurtured our spiritual life and strengthened us. This is true because Jesus Christ is risen in our midst and is one with us. He is not gone from our sight. He is seen through our faith. As we conclude this Lent and Holy Week, we realise that all our attempts, even our failed ones - to make the season fruitful, have somehow lifted our spiritual well-being to greater heights.

Easter has arrived - “Christ is risen! Indeed, He is risen!” It is the greatest fete for us all, especially after the low-key celebrations for the past two years due to the pandemic.

Our past weeks’ journey has brought spiritual renewal in us, as we raise our voices and sing, “This is the day the Lord has made, we rejoice and are glad,”(Psalms 118: 24). Easter is the most important season for us Christians. It is also known as a “Feast of Faith.” As St Paul says, “If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and our faith is in vain… and you are still in your sins.” (1 Corinthians 15:17).

Easter will last through to the celebration of the Ascension (26 May) and it will end with Pentecost Sunday (5 June). During the next seven weeks of Easter, the abiding and intimate presence of the Risen Lord will bring faith-filled joy into our community, surely! We pray for one another, especially for our young people – that they receive a message of hope in the resurrection of the Lord as they find a way to the Church once again and embrace the faith with love, joy and peace.

Let us bring the true spirit of Easter to those who are undergoing economic crisis, illnesses, loneliness, joblessness and emotional turmoil during this challenging endemic time. With you and for you I pray - that the Risen Lord blesses you and your family abundantly. I wish you a joy-filled Easter!