Our Risen Hope, Our Living Mission

Pax et Bonum, beloved in Christ.

As the liturgical sun continues to shine brightly upon us, we find ourselves yet immersed in the radiant glow of the Easter Octave, a privileged season where the very air seems to hum with the victory of Christ over death. Today, a Thursday within this holy period, our hearts ought still to be filled with the unyielding joy of the Resurrection, for its truth is not merely a memory but a living, pulsating reality that continually renews the face of the earth and the depths of our souls.

The Dawn of an Everlasting Day

Though the great Alleluias of Easter Sunday may have faded from the immediate sound of our choirs, their echo reverberates still within the hallowed halls of our monasteries and in the quiet chambers of our hearts. The Resurrection is not an event confined to a single day, but the dawn of an everlasting Day, a new creation inaugurated by the triumph of the King of Glory. It is a light that penetrates every shadow, a hope that conquers every despair, and a promise that transforms every struggle into a stepping stone towards eternal life.

Let us pause, therefore, amidst the duties and devotions of this morning, and allow this Paschal light to illuminate our interior landscape. Let it dispel the mists of anxiety, the doubts that seek to creep into our minds, and the lethargy that sometimes besets our spirits. For Christ is truly risen, and in His rising, all things are made new, including our very selves.

Encountering the Risen Lord

Today, as we contemplate the Gospels, we are reminded of the disciples' own encounters with the Risen Lord. How their fear turned to ecstatic joy, their confusion to clarity, as He stood among them, showing His hands and feet, and opening their minds to understand the Scriptures. He ate with them, a tangible proof of His bodily Resurrection, yet transcending the limitations of mortal flesh. This encounter was not merely for them, beloved brethren, but for us. In every Mass, in every sacrament, in every moment of sincere prayer, Christ stands before us, inviting us to touch His wounds, to hear His voice, and to allow Him to open our hearts to the mysteries of salvation.

It is in this personal encounter with the Risen Christ that our faith is fortified, our hope made steadfast, and our charity inflamed. For how can we truly live the Christian life, how can we truly embark on mission, without first gazing upon the face of our victorious Lord?

The Flame of Mission Kindled

And indeed, from this encounter flows the very essence of our mission. For the Risen Christ did not appear to His disciples merely to reassure them, but to commission them. "Thus it is written," He declared, "that the Christ should suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things." (Luke 24:46-48)

We, too, are witnesses. Whether we serve in the quiet contemplation of the cloister, in the bustling marketplaces of the world, or through the sacred art that lifts minds to God, we are called to proclaim this wondrous truth. The missionary endeavors supported by Sanctus Mission, the skilled hands of the artisans dedicating their craft to God's glory – these are all echoes of that first commission, vibrant expressions of the life that flows from the empty tomb.

As the great St. Leo the Great so eloquently preached:

'The Lord's Resurrection is our hope, and the resurrection of His body is the resurrection of all.'

Indeed, beloved, in His rising, we too are called to rise above the earthly, to shed the garments of sin and despair, and to walk in the newness of life, bearing the light of Christ to a world desperately in need of His hope.

Living the Resurrection in Daily Bread

Let this Paschal joy and missionary zeal infuse every aspect of our day. Let it sanctify our labor, elevate our prayers, and sweeten our interactions with others. For the Risen Lord is not distant, but intimately present, dwelling within us through grace, empowering us to be His hands, His voice, His heart in the world. Every act of charity, every prayer offered, every piece of sacred art meticulously crafted, becomes a testament to the enduring power of the Resurrection. Let our lives, therefore, be a continuous Alleluia, a living witness to the triumph of Christ.