Victimae paschali laudes immolent Christiani.
Agnus redemit oves:
Christus innocens Patri reconciliavit peccatores.
Mors et vita duello conflixere mirando:
dux vitae mortuus regnat vivus.
Let Christians offer sacrificial praises to the Passover victim.
The lamb has redeemed the sheep:
The Innocent Christ has reconciled the sinners to the Father.
Death and life contended in a spectacular battle:
the Prince of life, who died, reigns alive.
That is the Latin and English translation of the Sequence of Easter, sung just before the Gospel is read every Easter. We celebrate the most Holy Feast of our Christian Faith, the Resurrection of our Lord. He suffered, died, and rose that we may have life eternal. Jesus has conquered death! Last year was the strangest Easter I have ever celebrated. As you recall, it was completely celebrated in your homes. Yet the fact remained: Christ has conquered death! Praise God we can celebrate together in Church this year. Even though our voices can’t, at this moment with Covid protocols, sound an “Alleluia” together, His Resurrection still echoes that “Alleluia” loud and clear.
This feast reminds me that our faith is not just for today: it must be lived and practiced every day of our lives. The Lord’s passion and resurrection are best reflected in the world when we as His followers help others to see the face of Christ. Only when we have turned completely to the Lord, and when we extend our faith in loving service to our sisters and brothers, can we find ultimate fulfillment – not just in this world, but in the life to come. Our Christian lives are always to be lived in service to the least of our brothers and sisters. In doing so, we witness to the power of Christ’s Resurrection even to the lowest among us! Our Lord showed us that if we can accept our crosses like Him, we’ll be able to rise with Him in newness of life.
My dear friends, we don’t know how long this crisis will last: who would have thought we would still be in this crisis today? We don’t know how long it will last. And yet, we can still rejoice, because as the song above proclaims: “…the Prince of life, who died, reigns alive.” May you all have a very Blessed Easter!
In Christ and Mary Immaculate,
Fr. Tony