Proclaiming the risen Lord

April 9, The Resurrection of the Lord; The Mass of Easter Day
Acts 10:34a, 37-43; Col 3:1-4; Jn 20:1-9

The disappearance of the body of Jesus from the tomb left confusion among the people around him. Mary of Magdala, for example, thought that the body of Jesus had been removed or taken away. Peter and the other disciple had to rush to the tomb upon receiving Mary’s information. Peter did not say anything upon seeing the burial clothes of Jesus. About the other disciple, John said “he saw and believed.” What did the other disciple believe? He believed that Jesus had to rise from the dead. His belief speaks about the presence of faith. While Mary Magdala and Peter were pondering  where Jesus had been brought, the other disciples saw what happened through the eyes of faith. It was his faith in Jesus that led him to believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Today, we celebrate the resurrection of Christ. We may not have first-hand experience of the resurrection of Christ, but we can witness the resurrection of Christ through the eyes of faith. Being witnesses to the resurrection of Christ, we receive the command to proclaim his resurrection. The content of the proclamation is “Jesus Christ is risen.”

However, the proclamation should not be a mere verbal proclamation. The first challenge for us, as believers in Christ’s resurrection, is not about going out and verbally proclaiming the resurrection of Christ, but how the resurrection of Christ affects our lives as Christians. Consequently, the life of every Christian should become a reflection of the resurrection of Christ.

There is a renewal of life in leaving the tomb of our sinfulness and embracing new life in Christ. Our renewal of life makes us true witnesses of Christ’s resurrection. Everyone who sees the change in our lives will see that Christ has truly risen. Without our words, our way of life can proclaim loudly, “We are witnesses of the Lord’s resurrection.”