“If Christ has not been raised, your faith is in vain.”
(1 Corinthians 15:14)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Christ is risen! Alleluia!

Today we celebrate the greatest truth of our Christian faith: Jesus is alive.

Even today, many people may accept that Jesus lived in history as a real person.
But they still struggle to believe that He truly rose from the dead.

For us Christians, however, the Resurrection is the very heart of our faith.

Saint Paul says:

“If Christ has not been raised, your faith is in vain.”
(1 Corinthians 15:14)

This means if there is no Resurrection, then Christianity has no foundation.
Our preaching, our prayers, our hope—all become empty.

That is why Easter is not just one feast among many.
It is the center of everything we believe.

The Church teaches that the Resurrection is the crowning truth of our faith (CCC 638).

Dear friends, through sin, death entered human life.
From the beginning, death stood before humanity like a great wall.

But through His Resurrection, Jesus broke that wall forever.

Saint Paul says:

“Death has been swallowed up in victory.”
(1 Corinthians 15:54)

Because Christ rose, death no longer has the final word.
Sin no longer has the final word.
Pain and suffering do not have the final word.

This is the joy of Easter.

My dear people, the Resurrection is both a way and a model for us.

First, it is a way.

Jesus showed us that the road to resurrection passes through suffering, sacrifice, and the Cross.

There is no Easter without Good Friday.
There is no empty tomb without Calvary.

The same is true in our own life.

Sometimes we go through struggles, sickness, disappointments, failures, or deep inner wounds.
At times we may feel that life has become dark like a tomb.

But Easter tells us: that is not the end.

If we walk with Christ through our crosses, He will also lead us into new life.

So the Resurrection is not only something Jesus experienced.
It is the path He opens for every believer.

Second, it is a model.

Saint Paul tells us in Romans 6:4:

“Just as Christ was raised from the dead… we too might walk in newness of life.”

This happens first in Baptism.

In Baptism, our old self dies with Christ, and we rise as a new creation.

So Easter is also a call for us to rise spiritually.

Something old in us must die:
our anger,
our sinful habits,
our jealousy,
our pride,
our lack of prayer.

And something new must rise:
a better heart,
a forgiving spirit,
a life of prayer,
a life of charity,
a stronger faith.

Brothers and sisters, the modern world can give many things—comfort, technology, opportunities—but it often cannot give hope.

That is why so many people, even with everything, still feel empty and lost.

Sometimes we too lose hope.
We feel tired in our spiritual life, tired in family struggles, tired in our personal battles.

The Resurrection gives us one great message: nothing is final in God.

No sin is final.
No failure is final.
No suffering is final.
Not even death is final.

Beyond every cross, there is resurrection.
Beyond every darkness, there is light.

This is the hope of Easter.

After forty days of Lent, prayer, fasting, and sacrifice, we have reached Easter.

But if Easter does not bring change in our life, then it remains only an external celebration.

The good efforts we made during Lent should not end today.

Rather, Easter invites us to continue that journey and make it part of our daily life.

Only when we truly begin to live as a new person in Christ, Easter becomes a real experience for us.

So today let us ask:

What in me must rise with Christ today?

May the risen Lord fill our hearts with peace, renew our faith, and give us lasting hope.

Christ is risen! Our faith is alive. Our future is full of hope. Alleluia!