The Lord is risen, Alleluia. Si Jesus nabanhaw na, Alleluia.
My dear People of God in the Diocese of Dumaguete:
As we celebrate Easter today and the coming days, let us rejoice! The Lord who has been crucified on the cross has risen to new life, and He shall be with us forever.
Good Friday, then, is not the end of our days! Death, then, is not the end of our lives. When we do the will of the Father, the way Jesus did, you and I shall rise with Jesus to new life.
And, in our rejoicing, let us proclaim “Peace!” “Peace be with you,” was the first greeting of the resurrected Jesus to his friends when he appeared to them. They may have abandoned him but Jesus has remained a caring friend, a loving teacher, and a thoughtful companion to all of them.
Let us, then, let go of our hatred and grievances towards one another, and work together for peace.
Peace that comes from within our hearts. Peace that springs forth from our concern for the poor and efforts at dialogue with those who may not share our present points-of-view. Not the false sense of peace that follows after guns are fired. Nor that eerie sense of peace that fear instills in us when our leaders bully us with threats of death and other forms of intimidation.
Jesus is alive! Christus vivit! Busa, uban ni Maria, Maria Magdalena, ug mga babayeng miadto sa lubnganan, magdali kita pagpahibalo sa uban nga ang Ginoo nabanhaw na! Tapos na ang atong pagbangutan. Ato nang tapuson ang atong mga gabii sa kahadlok. Atubangon nato ang kinabuhi — ang mga umaabot nga mga adlaw — uban sa dakong paglaum.
Uban sa nagmadaugong Jesus, molihok kita aron sa pagbag-o sa atong mga familia ug sa atong katilingban. Kalinaw, dili pagpanghulga. Gugma, dili pagpangasaba. Pakighiusa, dili pagkabulag-bulag.
Happy Easter, one and all!
