Dear Friends in Christ at Holy Spirit, St. Helen’s, and St. Mary’s,

My Dear Friends in Christ,

Jesus is risen! Yes, he is truly risen! Happy Easter everyone. Blessings and Peace to all of you and your families. May the Risen Lord bring joy and hope to you and your loved ones.

For centuries Christians have been greeting each other with the phrase, “Christ is truly risen.” Then the response is echoed back to the sender. “Indeed, he is truly risen.” It is a means of affirmation. It is a profession of faith. The exchange confirms a shared belief and serves as a measure of protection from early nonbelievers who might pose a threat.

By now the phrase is mostly a joyful way to share a common belief and relish in its truth. The exchange brings people together. It is a reminder of the hope in the promise of eternal life. It is not a mere promise. No, the reality of that promise is totally fulfilled in the person of Jesus.

The Pasch of Passover is now the Lamb of God who freely offered his life for our sake on the cross. St. Luke spells out clearly in his Passion Narrative, “Into your hands I commend my spirit.” Jesus gives himself totally to God. His life extinguished on the cross and his blood poured out are signs to us of his complete surrender to the Father in heaven.

This Paschal Mystery becomes the very center of our faith. Like Jesus, it becomes the corner stone of the Church. We are the beneficiaries of this loving action between the Son and his Father. The Lamb of Sacrifice leads people to true freedom both in the story of the Exodus (freedom from slavery of Pharaoh) and in the Passion Narrative of Jesus (freedom from slavery to Sin).

So, Easter becomes the ultimate celebration of humanity’s liberation and the restoration of the promises lost by Adam and Eve. It is God’s greatest gift to us. We too are restored. We are given new life in the grace of God. We are given the ability to break free from the tyranny of sin. So let us join in the chorus of the angels and saints, “Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia praise and glory to God in the highest.”

May you all have a Blessed and Joyous Easter!

Fr. Tom