Most Reverend Jerome E. Listecki
Archbishop of Milwaukee

Easter is the celebration of Joy. The angel announced: “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen just as he said.”

Imagine the followers and disciples of the Lord, Jesus Christ, he who was thought to be lost to death, lives. Realize what this means for all of us, we are no longer slaves of sin and death. We have been redeemed, purchased by the blood of Jesus Christ. His word has been fulfilled; he has risen as he said.

The world has a difficult time accepting the resurrection. This just can’t be. It’s too mind boggling. It’s easier to think that the body must have been stolen. Some will rationalize that this resurrection of Jesus was probably a conspiracy concocted by the disciples to preserve their floundering movement. Others will offer that perhaps he really didn’t die. All these explanations have one intention; to deny the truth of the message. He died and has risen.  This is the son of God, who has restored our relationship with the Father, he has redeemed us. He is our Savior.

St. Paul in his letter to the Corinthians stated that if Christ has not been raised from the dead, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. But Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep (1 Cor. 15: 17-20).

People will sacrifice their lives for many things but they will not die for a lie. The disciples and various followers of Jesus would not deny the living Christ that they knew and it cost them their earthly lives. St. Peter was crucified upside down, St. Paul was beheaded and millions of men and women have been martyred as a witness to the living Jesus. They died for the truth. It is this faith upon which the Church is built.

It was the late great John Paul II who constantly used the statement “Do not be afraid.” Those were the same words used by the angel at the tomb “Do not be afraid.” It is a challenge to confront our fears and move forward with a new confidence. We should not fear those who might harm the body, but instead witness to the truth of the living Jesus.     

Through Christ we have been created anew. “This is the day the Lord has made let us rejoice and be glad.” Liturgically we celebrate Easter in the spring. The emergence of new life surrounds us after the long winter. The earth yawns after winter hibernation and the whites and grays of our environment give way to various shades of green and other rich colors. In our own lives, the world becomes brighter; we begin to shed our heavy coats, and we once again add color to our own wardrobes. We feel liberated and look forward to embracing creation through walks and outside activities. We feel alive. This sense of rebirth is at the heart of our relationship with Jesus. We are reborn through him into the life promised from the very first moment of creation.

Perhaps this is one reason why so many people fill the churches on Easter Sunday. They are drawn to life. Jesus is our hope. The complacency of our lives gives way to a transformative event. We come to realize that this life, our life, does not end with the grave but rather continues in and through the person of Jesus. He who was dead is alive. He has kept His word. But the way to the empty tomb is through the cross. Since he lives can we follow Jesus by taking up our cross and be living witnesses of His presence in the world?  We shouldn’t be afraid. When we take our springtime Easter walk we realize that the life we enjoy is Christ’s life.  Because of His resurrection, we have a life that will never end. We have God’s word on it.

Happy Easter! See you at Mass!