FROM THE PRIEST’S CORNER: FR. JUSTUS ALAETO

Happy Easter to you all, as we keep encountering the Risen Lord each day!
The Easter Vigil we celebrated carries deeper meaning in the life of the Church and
Liturgy. It is the climax because the celebration brings the light of the Risen Christ into the life of the Church and into our world and life.
First, at the start of the Easter Vigil Celebration, all the faithful gathered around a
lighted fire. That fire represents the undying life of God. And from the same fire, we light the Easter Candle signifying Jesus Christ rising from the darkness of death. This action is accompanied by the priest’s prayer which says, “May the light of Christ rising in glory, dispel the darkness of our hearts and minds.” Then Paschal Candle is carried by the priest in procession into the Church that was in darkness. That is why the priest pauses three times on the way and says: “The light of Christ,” and the congregation responds, “Thanks be to God.”

That is why we use the Paschal Candle for Baptism. The baptized journeys in the light of
Christ, just as St. Peter says in 1Pet.2:9, says in baptism, “God calls us out from darkness into His wonderful light.” It is the reason the Paschal Candle is used even during funeral Masses, because whoever follows Christ will never walk in darkness, but will always walk in the light of Christ forever.

My brothers and sisters, the life of Jesus the Savior is not simply a history, but rather,
Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the
beginning and the end of all things. The early Christians believe that Jesus was alive and
present to them after His death, but in a different transformed way. Our Easter proclamation says: “Christ is risen.” That means bringing Christ to the present and not making Him a past event. As Christians, we do not just believe that Christ rose from the dead, but rather, He is alive now and forever. That is our faith, and that is the faith of the Church. The only thing remaining is for us to encounter Him. Jesus wants us to encounter His transforming presence in our individual lives.

We can notice His powerful presence in the life of sinners who eventually became
saints. A good example is St. Augustine. St. Augustine thought it was very impossible for his past life and habits to change. He thought nothing could have changed the bad life he had been living for decades. However, the moment his life encountered the Risen Lord, everything about St. Augustine’s past life was transformed. St. Augustine gave his life entirely to Jesus, without any reservation. Easter Celebration is announcing to us that Christ is raised from the dead, and the Light of Christ has entered the world and in every corner of our personal life.

We are no longer in the darkness of sin, but we are to encounter the presence of the Risen Lord, especially where our individual lives are still experiencing darkness. Something needs to show that Christ has risen in our own individual lives. Something needs to show that I celebrated Easter. Something needs to show that I received the Body and Blood of Christ regularly. We can never remain the same if we truly receive Him or encounter Him with open hearts and devotion. This is the best time to encounter Jesus deeply in our lives!

Happy Easter to you, once again!
Father Justus