He is Risen! Alleluia!
Dear family,
As we look around the world today, we see so much pain, suffering, and death. It seems that we are
surrounded by death as we think about the thousands of people dying in the wars of Ukraine, Israel, and
Haiti, millions dying of starvation and hunger, hundreds of refugees drowning in seas, and many more
dying daily in the experience of ethnic, racial, and violence. We are becoming accustomed to violence and
death as if these are normal experiences in life.
During this Holy Week, we are reminded of the brutal and sacrificial suffering death of Jesus Christ.
Some of the disciples and many of his followers, including family and friends, thought it would all end
there – with a dead Jesus. When they went to the tomb on that Sunday morning that`s precisely what they
were expecting. They forgot about the promise of Jesus that, on the third day, he would rise again. So you
can imagine the profoundly deep question of the angels, “Why are you looking for the living among the
dead?” The question is not intended to say that Jesus is not among the dead; it is an affirmation that Christ
is risen, and death is conquered.
The empty tomb is a sign of LIFE amid suffering and death. The message is clear that with the
resurrection of Jesus death is conquered. While we face the anguish of senseless and unnecessary deaths
in the world today, we are reminded that the suffering servant who died on our behalf not only suffers
with us but also brings life to all who believe. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who
believes in me, even though he dies, will live and he who lives and believes in me will never die” (John 11:25).
The empty tomb is a sign of HOPE. The gift of eternal life is not a spiritualization and romanticization of
death but a promise and hope that the Risen Lord will bring justice and righteousness. Hope is an
eschatological gift that tells us that, despite our present struggles and sufferings, we are not alone; the
Risen Christ is with us restoring hope and joy. Yet, hope is not a passive acceptance of death but the
inspiration to honor, respect, and appreciate life, God`s gift to us. Hope calls us to resist and oppose
unjust systems and authorities that are life-denying and life-depriving because the God of life stands for
justice and peace in the world.
The empty tomb is a sign of LOVE. It tells us that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. The
Apostle Paul makes this clear when he says this in Romans 8:38-39: “For I am convinced that neither
death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor
height, nor depth, nor anything else in all of creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Indeed, we are surrounded by death in this world today. In this situation let us be reminded of the Easter message: “Jesus is not here but he has risen as he said he would.” In every situation of suffering and death today let us be reminded that the Risen Lord brings us life, hope, and love.

In the words of the Risen Christ; “Peace be with you.”

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+Michel J. Pugin, O.S.B.

Primate