"They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but on entering discovered that the body of the Lord Jesus was not there... And they remembered his words" (Luke 24, 2-3, 8).
On the first Easter morning, the women entered an empty tomb expecting to find Jesus. They were looking for the body of Jesus, but were disappointed and perplexed.
During last night's vigil we relived the decisive and ever-present event of the Resurrection, the central mystery of the Christian faith. Thousands of paschal candles were lit in all the churches of Gozo and across the whole Christian world, to symbolise the light of Christ that has enlightened and continues to enlighten humanity, conquering the darkness of sin and death forever.
And today, we hear the powerful re-echo of the words that dumbfounded the women on the morning of the first day after the Sabbath, when they came to the tomb where Christ's body, taken down in haste from the Cross, had been laid.
Sad and disconsolate over the loss of their Master, they found the great stone rolled away, and when they entered they saw that his body was no longer there. As they stood there, uncertain and bewildered, two angels in dazzling apparel surprised them, saying: "Why look among the dead for someone that is alive? He is not here, he is risen" (Luke 24, 5-6).
Ever since that morning, these words have not ceased to resound throughout the universe as a proclamation of joy which spans the centuries unchanged and, at the same time, charged with infinite and ever new resonance.
Today, when we look for peace in our own life, in our family, in our community, and there is no peace, we, too, may wonder where Jesus is. When violence and wars escalate, we may wonder where Jesus is. When illegal immigrants flock to our shores, when hunger and poverty continue to have a stronghold, we may wonder where Jesus is.
When we experience the emptiness after the tragedies of life, our fear and confusion can cause us to wonder where Jesus is. When we struggle with guilt or shame, we may wonder where Jesus is. Like the disciples of old, we miss the signs of God's presence in our world.
In the dark days of perplexity and despair for the troubles of this world, let us remember the hope of Easter morning. In the dawn of Christ's resurrection, we rejoice that death and evil did not have the last word: the tomb is empty!
Christ is with us, living among us and through us, announcing "good news to the poor... liberty to the captives... recovery of sight to the blind... and to proclaim the Lord's year of favour" (Luke 4, 18-19).
Christ is with us as the word of forgiveness is declared and the Sacraments are received. He is with us as we look for signs of Jesus in our churches and communities and remember his words: "And, remember I am with you always, to the end of time" (Matthew 28, 20).
These are the greetings that the Gozo Newsletter desires to convey to its readers on this day. The life and teachings of Jesus continue to speak to every generation, and we Christians believe that his miraculous Resurrection provides hope for the future and offers us the promise of new life.