Easter 2021

Written on: March 31, 2021

Dear Sisters, Associates, and Colleagues,

Jesus Christ is risen today!  Feelings of joy and glimmers of hope surround us. Creation is awakening with new signs of life. The fear and isolation of the pandemic are beginning to dissipate. The promise of better times ahead due to the effectiveness of vaccines restores hope after the long and dreary months.

All around us, it feels like “resurrection.”  Every year during Holy Week we recall the Paschal Mystery as we re-live Jesus’ last days, his bitter betrayal, agonizing death and then his glorious resurrection. As we consider all of these mysteries, can we try to experience them for the first time?  Can we see them happening again in the world around us?  Imagine how frightened and perplexed the early disciples were as we were during the pandemic!  Imagine, too, the ecstasy of the women who discovered the empty tomb and could not wait to share the good news, as we are to receive the vaccine.

Where did Jesus go with his resurrected body?  Perhaps the first contact was with his Father. After that, there were periods of time when Jesus seemed not to be with his closest friends and disciples, but then appeared suddenly in unexpected places. Where would Jesus visit if the original resurrection happened this Easter Sunday?  Would Jesus appear at the southern border and care for all the migrant children there?  Would he spend time with prisoners on death row and proclaim to them the promise of the resurrection?  Because he had no physical limitations, would Jesus comfort Covid and other patients who are in hospitals, isolated from family and friends?  Perhaps Jesus would be preparing a banquet for those who are hungry and cannot feed themselves or their families. Would he visit the elderly?  Would he visit me? Where do you think Jesus would go?

As we celebrate Easter this year, let its message be new and reassuring for us. Jesus Christ is risen today – not two thousand years ago only. What does it mean for us?  Are we convinced that Jesus is with us at all times as he promised, here and now acting in our world, loving us through our lives?  As the resurrection mystery astounds us, let it remind us also that Jesus remains with us. Let it invigorate us to act, with Jesus, in our world.

Rejoice, alleluia!

Lovingly,

Sr. Denise Roche, GNSH
President

Link to Readings for Easter Sunday The Resurrection

Easter Sunday 2021 (click to print)

This entry was posted in From our Sisters and tagged: Alleluia!, banquet, celebrate, children, comfort, creation, Death row, disciples, Easter Sunday, elderly, Family, father, Friends, glorious, Good News, Holy Week, hope, hospitals, hungry, Jesus Christ, joy, life, loving, mysteries, Pandemic, paschal mystery, patients, prisoners, promise, Rejoice, Resurrection, risen, southern border, today, tomb, vaccines, visit, Women, world