There’s no doubt that people have many kinds of questions about heaven or resurrection and what it will be like. The Gospel this Sunday confronts us with the theme of resurrection and life after death.

Easter begins very early in the morning when it is still dark so the Easter experience is in fact an invitation OUT of darkness INTO the light of a new day. Furthermore, the Risen Jesus first appears not to “the heavies” like the 12 apostles but to Mary Magdalene who is one of the little people. Easter begins in the dark and with someone living on the margins of society.

Sceptics demand evidence and proof that Jesus rose from the dead. Well what do we have?

Pope Francis in his Apostolic Exhortation, ‘The Joy of the Gospel’, states, “There are Christians whose lives seems like Lent without Easter”. Are we that?

By the time this reflection appears in the newsletter, we are well into the Easter Season, in fact almost towards the end of it. However, the message of Easter which proclaims the Good News of the Resurrection of Christ is by no means a message that has an expiration date.

Indeed, the entire Christian religion is founded on this very message that must be ceaselessly proclaimed all year round. Day after day, year after year, generation after generation, Christians are asked to witness to the truth of the Christ event of suffering, death and resurrection.

When I was learning how to drive, my instructor insisted that before changing lanes or before entering the traffic, it was not enough to look at the side mirrors but also to turn my head to the back of my shoulder so that I could cover my “blind spot”.

We are in the joyous season of Easter and today we are invited to share this joy with the Apostles of Jesus, especially Thomas, who struggled to believe that Jesus is alive.

In each of the four gospels there are wonderful resurrection stories in which we see the early followers of Christ struggling to grasp the fact and the meaning of the resurrection of Christ.

As this edition of In the Word reaches you, we are about to embark on the Easter Triduum, those blessed days of entering into the passion, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.

It’s a busy time for many of us, with all the liturgies to attend and be part of. But on the flip-side, it is also, for Christians, a time of profound un-busyness, of deep quiet, of fasting, prayer and reflection.

This Gospel text always brings a smile to my face. I am not sure if it is because I so enjoy reading about this episode in the resurrected life of Jesus or because it brings back so many fond memories of my days in the Seminary.

Happy Easter to you! May the blessings of the Risen Lord be with you all.

I don’t know about you, but aside from the spiritual joy of the Easter season, I always seem to feel an extra spring in my step as well.