Alleluia! Do you know what that word means? We have purposely avoided using it throughout Lent and now we proclaim it over and over again. As you will read in my Parish Bulletin article, it’s a combination of two Hebrew words: “hallelu” – the plural imperative of “hallel” – which means “praise” and “yah” the first half of the Hebrew word for God: “Yahweh.” So, it literally means, “Everyone, praise God!” And, indeed, we praise God in a special way today as we gather on this Easter Sunday to celebrate Jesus Christ’s Resurrection from the dead. It is certainly a great day to praise God.
As we contemplate this event, we might ask ourselves: Does the Resurrection have any practical application for our lives today, or is it simply an event in history that no longer bears any relevance to our modern world? To put it simply: Does Easter really matter?
As we truly ponder the meaning of Easter, we discover that the answer is a resounding “yes!” Allow me to count the ways. First, the Resurrection is the basis of our Christian faith. As Saint Paul wrote in his first letter to the Christian community in Corinth, “If Christ has not been raised, then empty is our preaching; empty, too, your faith.” Without the Resurrection, Jesus’ teachings would have shown themselves to be merely human words, and his promise of eternal life would have been an empty promise. By rising from the dead, Jesus reveals that his teachings are trustworthy; indeed, as we read in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Jesus’ resurrection “constitutes the confirmation of all Christ’s works and teachings” (CCC 651). So, our Lord’s Resurrection confirms that all he said and did was true.
Second, Easter makes our own resurrection possible. Before he raises Lazarus from the dead, Jesus reassures Martha with these words: “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live” (Jn 11:25). Just as the historical Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, the risen Christ will raise us up at the end of time but this time to eternal life. Because of Christ’s Resurrection, death does not tell the final story. Our lives on earth are only the first chapter of a story that goes on forever.
Finally, Easter gives us hope and encouragement as we journey through life. Easter reminds us that life is always worth living. Even when circumstances make it seem as if there is not a brighter day ahead, the Resurrection stands as a reminder that sadness and suffering do not have the final word. Even if we find ourselves in a prolonged period of darkness, eventually, Christ’s light will dawn. Fittingly, the word “easter” itself is derived from an Old English word meaning “dawn” or “toward the sunrise.”
Jesus’ triumph over death itself reveals to us that there is no hardship in this life that he has not overcome. The Resurrection gives us hope that where we experience ignorance and darkness, Christ brings us his divine knowledge and light. Where we have been trapped in despair, Jesus brings hope. We might ask ourselves on this Easter Sunday, “Where has the light started to shine in situations that once seemed so dark?” These moments give us a foreshadowing, a tiny glimpse of the power of Christ’s resurrection that we are destined to share fully in the life to come.
Today we rejoice because Jesus fulfills his promise that he truly is God and has power over sin and death. We also rejoice because Jesus’ Resurrection gives meaning and hope to our own lives as we face challenges on our earthly pilgrimage. The Resurrection, then, is not just the defining moment in the life of Christ; it is also the defining moment for all of us. Let us rejoice and praise God: Alleluia!