He Has Truly Risen
Happy Easter. Our Lord is risen and we have so much to be thankful for today. One of the first things I think of on Easter is what a priest said on a retreat I attended years ago, that Easter and the risen Lord is the greatest event in the history of the world. Nothing can compare to it. Think about it and you’ll understand why.
Our Holy Father, Pope Benedict, delivered his urbi et orbi in Rome yesterday. You can find the full text here. However, here are a couple of excerpts.
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Rome and throughout the world!
“Surrexit Christus, spes mea” – “Christ, my hope, has risen” (Easter Sequence).
May the jubilant voice of the Church reach all of you with the words which the ancient hymn puts on the lips of Mary Magdalene, the first to encounter the risen Jesus on Easter morning. She ran to the other disciples and breathlessly announced: “I have seen the Lord!” (Jn 20:18). We too, who have journeyed through the desert of Lent and the sorrowful days of the Passion, today raise the cry of victory: “He has risen! He has truly risen!”
Pope Benedict also had a message for those in strife torn countries like Syria.
May the risen Christ grant hope to the Middle East and enable all the ethnic, cultural and religious groups in that region to work together to advance the common good and respect for human rights. Particularly in Syria, may there be an end to bloodshed and an immediate commitment to the path of respect, dialogue and reconciliation, as called for by the international community. May the many refugees from that country who are in need of humanitarian assistance find the acceptance and solidarity capable of relieving their dreadful sufferings. May the paschal victory encourage the Iraqi people to spare no effort in pursuing the path of stability and development. In the Holy Land, may Israelis and Palestinians courageously take up anew the peace process.
We can only hope and pray that peace comes to that region as well as others in Africa and even right here in the United States where we’re seeing a real persecution of the Christian faith.