Dear People of St. Andrew the Apostle:
May the blessings of Easter be yours in abundance.
The message of Easter is this: the tomb is empty!
No tomb, no matter how well made, can hold the Son of God. The power of God's love is stronger than suffering and death. The high priests of Jesus' day, the roman governor, and all who were responsible for Jesus' death thought they had won a victory. But the victory is God's. The message of Easter is that no power on earth, no matter how strong, no matter how evil, no matter how much it may look like it has victory...no power on earth can overcome the compassion and the mercy of God's love!
The tomb is empty. What this means for us is that there is no tomb on earth that can claim us either:
Not the tomb of depression
Not the tomb of despair
Not the tomb of addiction
Not the tomb of a failed relationship
Not the tomb of illness, or pain
Not the tomb of suffering
Not the tomb of grief over loss of a loved one
Not the tomb of personal failure or disgrace
Not any other tomb that may engulf us.
At times in our lives, we may be engulfed in what seems like a darkness so powerful that it feels we are trapped in a tomb. We may think that there is no way out. We may ask ourselves, "What am I to do now? It seems like there is no meaning or purpose to my life."
And yet Easter teaches us that there is no tomb over which Jesus has not gained victory. Jesus is alive. Jesus is risen. Jesus is in our midst.
Jesus offers us a share in His divine life through the sacraments, and through our ability to support and love one another. There is a way out of the tomb. Even the tomb that will eventually claim our mortal body has no power to claim our soul - we shall live eternally with Jesus and share in His resurrection.
Alleluia! The tomb is empty.
May God bless you at Easter and always.
Fr. John
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