Easter Sunday is over. But, that does not mean that we move away from the reality that Jesus Christ is truly raised from the dead. This is the central mystery of our faith. It informs and shapes all that we do and are as Catholic Christians. As St. Paul, so aptly reminds us, that if Christ is not raised from the dead, then we are still the captives of sin and the most pitiable of people. Without the Resurrection there is no hope of forgiveness nor of eternal life. Everything we believe in hinges on the Resurrection of Jesus.

These weeks from Easter to Pentecost are meant to be a time when, through prayer, instruction, and reflection we probe the depths of the meaning of the Resurrection for our lives. Can we truly become instruments of Christ’s peace? Can we forgive those who have offended or hurt us from the bottom of our hearts? Can we turn away from the values of the world and turn more fully to the values of the Gospel?

The answers we find to these questions will help us to begin to live more completely the “newness of life” that Jesus offers us through the power of His Cross and Resurrection. This life will allow us to be free from fear, from the power of sin and from our own selfishness and pride.

Let us walk together these days of learning, and pray for one another that each of us my live in that peace that the world cannot give.