My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Each year we come to celebrate this great feast of our Christian faith — The Resurrection of the Lord. It is so important that without belief in the Resurrection, as St. Paul says, our faith would be in vain and we would be the most pitiable of people. Jesus’ Resurrection not only proves the triumph of good over evil, but that new life is possible because of God’s love and compassion for us His people. Jesus not only conquers death in Himself, but promises that we too can do likewise: “Whoever believes in me will never die!” This promise of new life not only refers to life after death, but also promises new life in all the “deaths” and miseries we encounter on our earthly pilgrimage. Rising from the ashes of so many hardships is possible, because the risen Lord accompanies us on every leg of our journey — we never walk alone — even in the most difficult of times.
And indeed, we live in difficult times — both in our civil society and in our Church community. It is possible that we could be overwhelmed by the discord, dysfunction and evil we see in all aspects of our lives. However, the Lord’s promise of passage from suffering to glory, from Good Friday to Easter is made manifest in the Easter message. Let us not be overcome by the evils we see so often, but rather let us rejoice in the promise of new life — new life that only Jesus can bring to us.
A blessed Easter to all!
Most Rev. Robert E. Guglielmone
Bishop of Charleston
