Bishop’s Easter Message in Spanish| Vietnamese
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
Alleluia! The Lord is Risen! Alleluia!
A happy Easter to you and your loved ones!
In 2016, Pope Francis raised the Memorial of Saint Mary Magdalene in our liturgical calendar to the rank of a Feast. In doing so, he called attention to her importance in the Church’s mission to bring the good news of Christ to the world. The new Preface to the Eucharistic Prayer of the Mass for this feast day refers to Saint Mary Magdalene uniquely as “an apostle to the Apostles.” It recalls that she not only “witnessed him dying on the Cross” but “was the first to adore him” when
she encountered him in the garden by the tomb. Her story is a powerful reminder for us all about the importance of sharing our encounters with Jesus.
Since the release of the new diocesan pastoral plan in December, the priests and lay leaders in our diocese have been reflecting on one of the essential questions of our Pastoral Plan: How can we become a more genuinely welcoming church? One critical response to this question is for each of us to share with others what we have experienced, namely the risen Christ. This is precisely what St. Mary Magdalene did.
Let us imagine for a moment how Mary would have felt, having encountered Jesus newly risen and having been tasked with taking that news to the Apostles. Personally, I imagine a joyfully ecstatic Mary, overwhelmed with the mystery and trying to make sense of Jesus’ resurrection. We can only guess at the look on her face and body language as she shared the news of Jesus’ resurrection and her encounter with him with the Apostles. She must have been beaming!
What do others see in us? Though we may not have seen the Risen Christ in the flesh as she did, we encounter Him daily through prayer, service to others, the sacraments, and especially the Eucharist. Does that encounter with the risen Christ bring us peace, joy, and generosity (some of the fruits of the Holy Spirit)? Do we convey that joy or peace in our interactions with others through our facial expressions, body language, voice, etc.?
I acknowledge that I don’t always radiate the peace or joy of Christ, but Saint Mary Magdalene calls me to do so. The Church calls each of us to strive to radiate the hope and love we have in Christ, even in the face of adversity and that takes intentional effort and practice.
As we work to become a more welcoming church, we recall St. Peter’s encouragement: “Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope” (1Pt 3:15). Our reason for being a welcoming church is not based simply on ourselves, but on the One who rose from the dead! Before we can genuinely welcome others to the mystery and blessedness of the Church’s communion, let us allow our encounter with Christ to penetrate our hearts and consciousness so that we can genuinely proclaim with St. Mary Magdalene, “Alleluia!
The Lord is risen! Alleluia!” to all we meet.
Be assured of my prayers,
Bishop Oscar Cantú