I am already risen !

As we watch winter give way to spring and the days grow longer and warmer, nature is pointing the way to renewal, heralding the victory of life over death. The first crocuses have already broken through the snow to show that nothing can stop the force of life. Soon, the glorious feast of Easter will be upon us, and our hearts will sing loud and clear the Alleluia that proclaims the triumph of the Risen Lord over the cross.

It was the apostle Paul who wrote these words in his first letter to the Corinthians: “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and sin gets its power from the law. But thanks be to God, who has given us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (15, 55-57). The apostle even seems to defy and taunt death with the profound certainty that “we are more than conquerors” (Romans 8, 37)!

Paul experienced this new life in his own life. On the road to Damascus, his encounter with the risen Christ brought him into a new reality. Dead because of sin, he now lives by the grace of God. All of us who have been baptised have also had this experience; as we plunged into the water of salvation, we emerged with the grace of eternal life! And that changes everything!

The main problem is that we don't really believe it! We may repeat the creed in our prayers and liturgies, but do we really grasp the significance of these words? The resurrection changes everything! The resurrection has already changed everything! And this change is immediate and permanent in every area of our lives!

Does this stop human tragedies from happening? We only have to look at the pain of the Palestinian people or the Ukrainian people... Think of the family whose 7-year-old child has been diagnosed with cancer... We can imagine the tragedy of the young woman who sees her father jump to his death in a gesture of despair... How can we tell them that the resurrection is at work here and now, and that it will always have the last word?

Yet this is the heart of our faith! It is in the midst of our trials that we are invited to raise our eyes to look at Christ on the cross and see in Him the source of infinite hope. He who conquered evil opens the way every day so that each one of us, with his grace, can succeed! “Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Trial, or distress, or persecution, or hunger, or nakedness, or danger, or the sword? For I am certain that neither death nor life, neither angels nor principalities, neither the present nor the future, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor any other creature, will be able to separate us from the love of God that comes tu us in Christ Jesus, our Lord” (Romans 8:35, 38-39).

Pilgrims of hope for a new world

That is our hope! By becoming “pilgrims of hope”, as the Church invites us to do in this year of the Great Jubilee 2025, we can begin to transform our hearts – and our lives! – by adjusting each of our actions, our thoughts and our attitudes to this new mentality of the Risen Lord. For love will always have the last word, and will inspire us to go forward with full confidence and assurance along the paths of the world.

Often trained in Catholic Action, members of secular institutes can always find a reliable method for clarifying their response to any question, any stage. Let's dare to revisit what has been a line of strength in the experience of our mission.

See the shoots of hope in every situation! This is the first essential step. “He saw and believed” (John 20, 8). See the seeds of life when the world around us is full of despair and sadness. See the signs of the new times that are dawning on Easter morning. For some, they will be no more than linen left in a tomb... For us, it will be confirmation that He is truly risen! What signs of life can we find in every situation?

Judge/Discern what the Spirit is saying to the Churches (cf. Revelation 2:7). This stage of discernment and conversation in the Spirit, proposed by the Church at the synod on synodality, is increasingly relevant. For many years, our Institutes have sought to live out our decision-making by listening and in community discernment. Let us take new steps to listen in depth, to beg the Spirit's presence so that He may accompany us on our journey, to dare to welcome the decision in order to grow in His presence. What commitment can I make to be more attentive to my brothers and sisters?

Act so as to be “leaven in the dough” and a “laboratory of experience”. We are at the very heart of the world, and each of our actions carries a weight of eternity. Sometimes it's the political choice we face in Canada to choose a new government. At other times, it means not letting a racist or xenophobic comment about the migrants in our midst go unanswered. It's also about sharing in solidarity to support the mission of a charitable organisation or to help a neighbour in need. It can be as simple as making a kind gesture by opening the door at the shopping centre or saying hello to the cashier. But every gesture counts! How can I be more attentive to my actions so that I become more consistent with the call for peace, justice and solidarity proposed by Jesus and his Church?

With Easter just around the corner, let's remember that Easter is more than an octave or a liturgical season. It is a radically new reality that transforms our lives! Above all, Easter is a call to embrace and cry out, proclaim and sing in every situation: I am already risen!