La Easter celebrates the Resurrection, lightens our hearts, erases fear and tells us the story of revelation: Christ is alive.
Think of the dismay of the Apostles in the face of the events of the last days of Jesus' life, at his Calvary. He who had been born accidentally in a manger and then triumphed among the adoring crowds on the back of a donkey that had been loaned to him, finally lay in an accidental grave.
Then, suddenly, from the sepulchral darkness of Arimathea's garden came the triumphant voice: "He is resurrected".
Suddenly the Apostles were no longer alone because Christ had returned to their midst and not changed at all by death.
In the story of Easter there is certainty that Christians do not walk the road alone in this world; and in answer to the ancient question: Can a dead man ever live again? Here we find the answer enclosed in the celebration of the Resurrection: As in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. At Easter we not only rejoice at the Alleluia because Christ is alive, but we discover his triumph.
What delighted the Apostles was not that Jesus had survived death, but that he had overcome it!
For the first time the world was convinced that hatred, violence and greed are not the most powerful forces; that's why Easter is the essence of everything that makes life worth living.
This means that truth is more powerful than error; that principles are more eternal than convenience; that giving is more divine than receiving, that dividing is more durable than accumulating.
Today we live in a confused and fearful world, as if life has lost its meaning. We hear it said: good will is a magnificent thing, but it is of very little use; goodness is a supreme virtue, but let us not expect anything to come from it; brotherhood is a precious commodity, but it is only a dream.
So the fundamental questions that those seeking the truth can ask are: The struggle for freedom, for justice, for concord, what possibilities do they have in this world? The answer is: Patience.
The truth can never be undone. Very miserable "Christian" is he who is ambitious and does not feel the power of this event in his pilgrimage through the years. Take heart! It's Easter.
