Happy Easter, friends. He is risen! Alleluia, alleluia!

Today’s Gospel will always remind me of a former parish priest, God rest his soul, who loved the part of this reading that has “the other disciple” running fast and beating old man Peter to the tomb. The part I like is that Peter–being Peter–did not hesitate to rush into the tomb. And that the faster of the two was the slower to believe. 

The empty tomb challenges us to believe in the extraordinary and trust in God’s love’s power to transform our lives. Like the disciples, we may encounter moments of confusion and doubt, but the resurrection assures us that God’s plan is greater than our understanding. As we contemplate the empty tomb, may we open our hearts to the profound mystery of Easter – the hope that springs from Christ’s triumph over death and the promise of eternal life for all who believe.

I’d like to share a couple of prayers with you today–please share them with your families! Happy Easter!

Resurrection Prayer

Heavenly Father, Lord of life and death,

when Christ or Paschal Lamb was sacrificed,

He overcame death by his own dying

and restored us to life by his own rising.

In virtue of his life-giving Passover,

pour your Holy Spirit into our hearts,

fill us with awe and reverence for you,

and with love and compassion for our neighbor.

We ask this through the same Christ our Lord.

All: Amen

(From A Catholic Book of Hours and Other Devotions, by William G. Storey, Loyola Press)

Blessing of Easter Eggs

We beseech Thee, O Lord, to bestow Thy benign blessing upon these eggs, to make them a wholesome food for Thy faithful, who gratefully partake of them in honor of the Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ.