April 4, 2026 // Columns
Accepting that Christ Rose from the Dead Is the Greatest Act of Faith
Today the Church celebrates the greatest day of its year, Easter, the feast of the Resurrection of the Lord.
These readings are proclaimed at Masses during the day on Easter itself. On Holy Saturday, the day preceding Easter, the Church will have celebrated the Easter Vigil, surely one of its most dramatic and expressive liturgical moments.
The first reading on Easter Sunday is from the Acts of the Apostles. It gives us a glimpse into life in the early Christian community in Jerusalem and into the lives of the 11 surviving apostles after the resurrection and ascension of Jesus.
It is apparent that the words of Jesus, the risen Lord, were fresh in the minds of the apostles and the other members of the community. Strong also was the wish to follow the Lord’s instructions and example.
In what today is called evangelization, the apostles were committed to making the mercy of God in Jesus known.
Peter is the spokesman for all the apostles. Indeed, throughout Acts, Peter appears as head of the apostles and of the community in general.
For its second reading, the Church gives us a passage from the Epistle to the Colossians. According to this epistle, Christians also have been raised to new life. Their new life is in the resurrected, living Christ. As Christ is in heaven, so the thoughts of Christians must be on heaven.
The Resurrection Narrative from John’s Gospel is the last reading. Mary of Magdala was at the tomb, but she found it empty. Upset, fearing that the Lord’s body had been stolen, she rushed to inform Peter. Reaching Peter, she anxiously said that the Lord’s body had been taken away.
“The disciple whom Jesus loved,” traditionally thought to have been the apostle John but never actually identified as such in the Gospel, and Peter then hurried to the tomb themselves. The disciple arrived first, but he waited for Peter, another indication of Peter’s status.
Peter entered the tomb, saw that it was empty, but evidently did not realize that Jesus had risen, although the Gospel does not say this. It does say that the disciple understood what had occurred.
Reflection
In 1943, Americans wearily and anxiously were coping with the effects upon their lives, tormented by World War II. American Catholics found a moment of relief when a motion picture, “The Song of Bernadette,” was released.
Fictional, but based on history, it recalled the appearances by the Blessed Mother to St. Bernadette in Lourdes, France.
Not everyone accepted as fact the story of the apparitions. At the beginning of the movie, a statement appeared on the screen, saying, “For those who do not believe, no explanation (of the apparitions) is possible. For those who believe, no explanation is needed.”
These few words capsulized the meaning, and the value, of faith, a gift to an individual heart from Almighty God. Easter commemorates the Lord’s resurrection from death. Accepting as fact the Resurrection is the greatest act of faith. Rising from the dead confirms Christ’s identity as God and the wonder of the Lord’s mission as Savior of the world. Praise be Jesus Christ!
Fortunate is anyone who believes. Pope Leo XIV recently noted the benefits of faith in a believer’s life. Faith lifts the veils that cover reality and pinpoint the essentials. In a poor person, believers see not just an unlucky person but a treasure, a beloved child of God. In human decisions, believers see not just coincidences but opportunities to assert the mercy and justice revealed by Jesus. In hardships, believers see not misfortune but the purpose and reality of life and of future glory, and even the inspiration to provide earthly relief.
Of course, on Easter, the Church excitedly proclaims, “He lives!”
READINGS
Sunday: Acts 10:34a, 37-43; Psalms 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23; Colossians 3:1-4; John 20:1-9
Monday: Acts 2:14, 22-33; Psalms 16:1-2a, 5, 7-8, 9-10, 11; Matthew 28:8-15
Tuesday: Acts 2:36-41; Psalms 33:4-5, 18-19, 20, 22; John 20:11-18
Wednesday: Acts 3:1-10; Psalms 105:1-2, 3-4, 6-7, 8-9; Luke 24:13-35
Thursday: Acts 3:11-26; Psalms 8:2ab, 5, 6-7, 8-9; Luke 24:35-48
Friday: Acts 4:1-12; Psalms 118:1-2, 4, 22-24, 25-27a; John 21:1-14
Saturday: Acts 4:13-21; Psalms 118:1, 14-15, 16-18, 19-21; Mark 16:9-15
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