THE TRUE MEANING OF EASTER

 Excerpts from the homily by the Most Rev Archbishop William Goh, 28 Apr 2020

___

 

 

 

 

The true mark of Christ’s disciples is love, compassion and forgiveness.  “Keep your conscience clear, so that, when you are maligned, those who abuse you for your good conduct in Christ may be put to shame. For it isbetter to suffer for doing good, if suffering should be God’s will, than to suffer for doing evil.”  (1 Pet 3:16-17)

 

We can do this only if we are filled with the Holy Spirit.  We are able to be good witnesses only when we allow the Spirit to take charge of our lives and all that we do and say.

 

The Spirit is given to us thorugh our faith in Chirst.  “I am the bread of life, He who comes to me will never be hungry; he who believes in me wil never thirst.”  Jesus is the One who revelas to us the truth about life and love.

 

Without reading the Word of God and contemplating the Scriptures, we cannot expect to grow in faith.  Many of us do not take the bread of life seriously.  We think faith grows naturally by itself without a conscious determination to strengthen the relationship through prayer and contemplation.  Many of us do not take care of our spiritual life.   We want to do God’s work but we are using our own strength and our own wisdom of the world and diluting the orthodoxy of the Catholic Faith.  God can inspire us what to say and how to defend our faith only when we have become familiar with the Word of God.  

 

The Eucharist as the Bread of Life is the means by which the Spirit of Christ is also given to us when we receive Him in Holy Commuunion.  The more we are united with Jesus and the Church through the reception of the Eucharist, the more we become like Him.  When we become like Jesus, we can become His witnesses, reflecting His life in ours.  

 

This is the true meaning of Easter - the Kergyma - sharing in and proclaiming Christ’s life, His passion, death and resurrection.  Our joy comes through our incorporation into His paschal mystery. 

 

 

(Excerpts from the homily by the Most Rev Archbishop William Goh, 28 Apr 2020)