Happy Easter, friends. Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia. 

Today is the day of great promise, of great hope, and of unending joy, for today is the day of life. On this day our Savior rose from the dead, no longer leaving us bound by the chains of sin and death but breaking those chains and bringing us total and everlasting freedom. 

No matter where you are in life coming into Easter, this Good News is for you. Jesus Christ, the very Son of God, the Only Begotten of the Father, the Logos, the Word of God who became flesh has walked through His earthly journey, gone to the grave, defeated death and risen to new and eternal life.

This is the very heart of the Good News: when we were separated from the Father by our own sin, Jesus became like us in all things but sin. When our sin punished us with the death we had earned, Jesus defeated death so that we no longer suffer its consequences. In the very midst of our sin and our brokenness, God loved us enough to enter our mess and pull us out of it. The Eternal Word, the God who made all things, sees you and I, knows everything we have done or will do, and chooses to die for us so that, with Him, we might rise to new life. 

Whether you're experiencing the joy of new life this day, or limping towards Easter after a rough Lent, the Good News is for you. Whether you're closer to God than you've ever been or farther than you even realized, this Easter is for you. 

When Peter and John heard from Mary that Jesus had risen, they ran to the tomb. They weren't running because they had it all together or knew what it all meant; they were running because Jesus was their Savior and He had defeated death! With the joy of those Apostles who have just heard that their friend, their teacher, their Lord, is alive, let's run together to Jesus' empty tomb. Today, let's run with everything we have to the Lord, knowing that we don't need to have it all together but we just need to give Him our hearts. And, if we really run and really give Him everything we've got, He will fill us with the greatest joy and cause for rejoicing we could have ever imagined. 

Where are you today, Easter 2019? Are you close to God, far from Him, or somewhere in between?

What is your response to hearing that Jesus is risen? Do you dare to run to the tomb like Peter and John?

How can you live your life in light of the Easter joy we celebrate today?

"He is risen!"

"Alleluia."

​"Thank you Jesus."

Find joy today. Jesus has risen and because of that, there is joy and hope in this world. Cling to that today, and be filled with Easter joy.

Tonight some of us will go to the Easter Vigil Mass. This Mass is like no other Mass you will attend all year. There are eight readings before the Gospel. Yeah, you heard that right, EIGHT! Now a part of you, like me, might be thinking, “Wow that seems a bit overkill.” However, that just shows on our part a lack of understanding of the beauty of this Liturgy. We have to remember that Christ’s death on the Cross is the fulfillment of a promise the Father made after the Fall of Adam and Eve. The story of God’s people waiting for Christ is documented throughout all of the Old Testament. In the Church, we call this Salvation History, the story of how God saved humanity after original sin. Knowing that, it becomes clear that this Liturgy is more than just celebrating the Resurrection of Christ; it is about all that God has done since the creation of the world and moving on through Abraham, Moses and then the prophets, to prepare humanity for this moment.

I think there is a tendency during Holy Week to focus on the passion of Christ. We think about how He died for our sins and we think about His sacrifice and how He suffered for us, which is good and obviously important. After all, this is the truth of the terrible, yet beautiful sacrifice Christ made for us. However, without the resurrection, none of that matters. In fact, without the resurrection, nothing matters. Our faith would mean nothing if Christ never rose from the dead, because if He had not risen from the dead like He said He would, then He would be a liar and therefore, not God. Christ rising from the dead is the single most important moment in all of human history, not only because this is the fulfillment of the Father’s promises to us, but He also proves, undeniably once and for all, that He is Lord over all, even sin and death. Today Christ is born to new life, and we have that same opportunity as well to commit ourselves anew to a life with Christ. Christ is more powerful than death itself; so why do we ever think that He cannot help us overcome any hurt, struggle or sin in our own life. Tonight commit yourself to Christ in a new way, and He will raise you to new life as well.

Do you believe that God wants to raise you from the grave of sin and pain to new life with Him? How can you live and believe that more?

How can tonight be different? How can you let this night, this Mass change your life?

​How can you trust God more today?

"Thank you for dying for me."

"Thank you for rising for me."

"Thank you for loving me."

If at all possible, go to Mass tonight. Dive into the beauty of this Mass and this Holy Night. If you cannot go to Mass, then spend some time going through all the readings and take a walk with the Church through Salvation History.

Today is the day we look upon the Cross- our Savior broken, bruised, and dead. The paradox of “Good” Friday is so striking. How can a day be good when it is marked by such suffering, loss, and grief? There hangs Jesus of Nazareth, teacher, healer, lover, friend, expelled from this world and gone to those who love him. The loss is striking, the sting of death is sharp and deep, and our hearts are broken with that of all who stood on Calvary and saw their teacher breathe his last. But, somehow, this is a good day.

We know the story. We have seen the final act. We recognize that this day is only good because we have heard the good news of the third day, the day that Jesus rose in triumph over the works of evil and death. The sharp sting of death is no longer, the bitterness of suffering is redeemed, and we are offered salvation by the forgiveness of our sins. This Friday is good because it is only the middle act of the story, and the final act brings an end that transcends our human understanding. When we look at the Cross, seeing defeat and triumph coexisting in a beautiful mystery, we see the revelation of our hope. It is by the holy cross that Jesus has redeemed the world, pouring out grace upon grace, and revealing the depths of his mercy for us. 

However, even in light of all of this, the power that Good Friday can have in our lives depends, in part, on us. If we live in fear, bondage, and slavery to our sin, the Cross remains as it did today- a sign of defeat, weakness, and failure. If we continue to sit back and let life pass us by while drawing us in to worldly pursuits and pleasures, never living in the mercy that God pours into our hearts, we live in the middle act of the story and never experience fullness and abundant life. But, if we choose to live as children of God, cutting sin out of our lives by the grace of God and our pursuit of holiness, the power of Good Friday will carry us. If we understand that the Cross truly is the sign of our salvation and a sign of victory, and we choose to approach the throne of grace with confidence, as St. Paul encourages us to, we will truly experience the abundant life that God has promised us, through Jesus Christ. 

Today, in the midst of everything that is happening in life, look upon the Cross, where Jesus Christ hangs, and let the power of Christ’s sacrifice take root in your life. Let your heart, your mind, and your life cry out, “I adore You, O Christ, and I praise You. Because by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world.”

Do you have difficulty in seeing this day as Good?

Can you see where goodness comes out of hardships and sufferings in your life?

What are you doing to set today apart from any other day of the week?

"I give you my all."

"I love you Lord."

"I trust that your plan is good."​

Set aside time today to be silent. Maybe from noon to 3 (the hours that Jesus hung on the cross) turn off your phone, don't watch TV or listen to music, and refrain from idle chatter or needless work. Read a spiritual book or go sit at your local Church and pray. Reflect on the goodness and the depth of this day.

Today we are celebrating the Lord's Supper. Jesus and the disciples were celebrating the Passover at what we now call the Lord's Supper, and what Jesus did was radical. He offered His body and His blood for not only the disciples, but for all mankind to eat, drink and be saved. Jesus also shows us what it is to be great: loving service. 

The Jews never consumed the blood of another animal. It was believed that consuming the blood would make you like that thing. So if you ate a lamb and consumed some of its blood as your were eating, you would become more like a lamb, more like an animal. So when Jesus offers His body and blood, He is making us more like Him. He offers us a share in His divine life so that we can know the Father and spend eternal life with Him. Each time you receive the Eucharist, you receive Jesus who purifies and nourishes your soul and makes you more like Him. 

We know that Jesus is great and mighty; He's God who came to earth, suffered, died, and rose from the dead all out of love! However, tonight's Gospel also shows us that Jesus was not full of pride, He does not seek to rule like a dictator but to serve. Jesus is the single greatest human (who is also divine) to walk the earth. And what does He do? He washes the feet of the disciples. Imagine God washing your feet. The one who created the universe, who created you, who loves you so much that He suffered death on a cross, washing your dirty and smelly feet. Why does He do it? Why does the Master put Himself in the role of a servant? Because He loves us so much and we are to follow His example. He shows us what true greatness is: service out of love for neighbor. We are love and live as servants who seek to help those around us. Not to be weak pushovers, but to be those who seek and do what is best for others out of our love for God. 

What Jesus does at the Lord's Supper is wild. He completely offers Himself to us so that we might be more like Him and receive spiritual life. This is HUGE and we so often can take this radically amazing reality for granted. Jesus offers Himself in humility to His disciples as He washes their feet, and to all of us as He suffered and died on the cross. Jesus calls us to model ourselves after Him, to humbly and lovingly serve those around us and to offer our lives to God. Today is the first day of the Triduum where we begin the great celebration of the death and resurrection of Christ. As we move towards Easter, follow His humble and loving example and recognize the gift that Jesus is offering to us still today: His whole self for our eternal life.

How do you see the Eucharist? How can you grow in your appreciation of it?

How do you see Jesus? Do you see Him as a loving servant? How can you follow His example of love?

What can you do these next few days leading up to Easter to really grasp what Jesus does on the Cross and to prepare yourself for the celebration of the Resurrection?

"I need you, Lord."

"Help me follow you."

"Thank you, Jesus."

Tonight, go to Mass and celebrate the Mass of the Lord's Supper. Listen to the readings and open your heart to seeing what Jesus did for us at that night. When you receive the Eucharist, ask the Lord for His help in growing in love and understanding of His mysteries.