Easter Liturgy Emphasizes Realization of Resurrection

Posted

Innocent victims of terrorism throughout the world were solemnly remembered in prayer at Easter Sunday Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral.

Despite the dreadful current events of late, there was much Good News to celebrate on Easter morning.

That hope was highlighted by Cardinal Dolan in his homily at the 10:15 a.m. Mass he celebrated March 27.

“We know that we’re here to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus,” the cardinal said. “The only begotten Son of God rose from the dead, he has risen as he said. Alleluia, Alleluia. He is truly risen.

“We celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, yes,” said the cardinal and, at the same time, “Jesus shares his victory, his Resurrection, with us. We share in his triumph.”

He cited several ways the faithful share in the victory of Jesus’ Resurrection. Among them: “as we conquer sin, as we conquer sickness, as we go through troubled times.”

The same could be said of current events on the world stage: “We look at Belgium, we look at all the threats and the violence and the persecution,” the cardinal said.

“It sometimes seems that the world is dead. No…When we’re constantly dying to evil and to lies and to sin, and to problems, we’re dying and we’re rising to new life with Jesus.”

The cardinal continued with the theme of hope amid challenging current events at a press conference after the liturgy. “We’re tempted to get stuck on Good Friday afternoon, when the sun hid, there was darkness over the earth, the earth trembled in an earthquake, so scared was it. The Savior of the world had died. He was the victim of violence, lies, injustice.

“Things looked bad on Good Friday afternoon, didn’t they? We’re tempted to think that’s where we’re at now. And in some realistic ways, we are. There are a lot of things to be concerned about. But the message of Easter is that God always has the last word: good conquers evil, life trumps death, love conquers hate.”

To cope with global events, the faithful can find focus and solace in the Church, and “a real sense of confidence in God and in the strength that he gives us as his people to rise above all of this,” the cardinal said.

“We’re in the business of love and hope and faith,” the cardinal said of the Church. “Come on in. We need it.”

Spring comes and “Easter Sunday always has the last word,” the cardinal continued. “And that’s why there’s a smile on our face and that’s why we’re saying ‘Alleluia’ all over the place.”

Jesus died “so that we might live forever with him in glory,” the cardinal said in his homily. “When we die, because of our faith in him, because of his mercy, we enter eternal life.”

Jesus also shares the glory of his risen life with the faithful in the seven sacraments of the Church, the cardinal said.

At Easter, that includes baptism. “In our Catholic, in our Christian belief in baptism,” that means dying “to original sin, to the power of Satan and to the curse of death.”

“And we rise from that baptismal font a child of God…”

In parishes across the archdiocese, more than 1,000 adults were baptized during the Easter Vigil, the cardinal said.

In the Church’s tradition of Easter Sunday morning, he led the faithful in the Renewal of Baptismal Promises. The assembly was then sprinkled with Easter holy water, which had been blessed during the Easter Vigil.