Easter 2026: Called to New Life in the Resurrection

We enter the celebration of Easter as a people renewed, called to reflect on the mystery of Christ’s Resurrection and what it means for our lives as believers.

We should embrace the essence of Easter, emblazoned with the blessing of the new fire, symbolizing that Christ is the one true Light. The Easter Vigil presents a series of readings, seven from the Old Testament and two from the New Testament, that lead us to reflect on the saving work of God and the impact of Christ’s Resurrection.

The readings proclaim the magnificence of God’s plan of salvation, culminating in Christ’s Resurrection. Because of His death and resurrection, we are now made new. As it is written, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Light, fire, and the water of life all point to Christ. As He says, “I am the light of the world; whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). And again, “Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst” (John 4:14).

“This bread is my body… this wine is my blood” finds its foundation in Christ’s own words: “This is my body which is given for you… This cup… is the new covenant in my blood” (Luke 22:19–20). This is the essence of Good Friday, Jesus’ encounter with death and His victory over it. The Mass explores this mystery of grace, renewing the human promise to God.

Through the water of Baptism, we leave our old selves submerged, and we emerge as a new self by the grace of God and through Jesus’ rising from the dead. As St. Paul teaches, “We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death… so we too might walk in the newness of life” (Romans 6:4).

The evening Mass reminds us of Christ’s Resurrection and its meaning for us believers. The succeeding celebration reveals the risen Christ to His people.

The creativity of Filipinos highlights the essence of Mary’s role, her commitment to fulfilling God’s will and her role in salvation. She bore Christ from His conception, to His birth, His suffering, and stood faithfully even unto His death, and shares in the joy of His Resurrection.

At the Cross, Jesus spoke to the beloved disciple, saying, “Woman, behold your son… Behold your mother” (John 19:26–27). In this, we understand that Mary is given to us as our Mother. In faith, we bring the figure of Mary into our celebration, for she brings us closer to her Son.

We must come close to Mary with honor, recognizing her as the Mother of our Savior.

There is a line in the Gospel we often overlook: “He entered the tomb, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead” (John 20:8–9). Their understanding was still unfolding, yet for us, the Resurrection is now fully revealed.

And so we are called to look to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the one who knows the Son most intimately, and to ask her to deepen our praise, our understanding of grace, and our appreciation of the gift of salvation.

We are led to ponder: Should we remain in the grave of our sins? Must we remain closed in a tomb without the light of the grace the Resurrection brings? Must we remain in darkness in the absence of faith?

Let us continually ask the Blessed Mother to help us. While Scripture calls Christ the one mediator (1 Timothy 2:5), we also trust in Mary’s intercession as our spiritual mother who leads us to Him. May she guide us to recognize her Son as the true Light, to seek Him as the living water who quenches our thirst, and to receive Him, the Bread of Life.

On Holy Thursday, we are taught that the bread is truly the Body of Christ and the wine His Blood, a mystery we continue to celebrate every Sunday in the Eucharist.

Let us call upon the Blessed Virgin Mary to inspire us to remain faithful in our participation in Sunday Mass, where our lives are continually transformed.

In the second reading, St. Paul reminds us: “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above… set your minds on things that are above” (Colossians 3:1–2).

We must reevaluate the nature of our thoughts. Our hearts and minds may be clouded by gossip, sin, and worldly ambition. Let us be encouraged to seek Mary’s guidance, that our desires and hopes may be anchored in heavenly things, and that we may not be led astray by false “lights” or passing satisfactions that cannot truly quench our thirst.

Let us humble ourselves and come to the Blessed Mother, that we may receive the Bread of Life and, like her Son, share this life with others. Our devotion to Mary is not merely a human choice, but is rooted in Christ’s own words on the Cross, where He entrusted her to us.

This celebration also honors Mary as a faithful witness to her Son’s saving work, even as we rejoice in the Resurrection.

May we learn, in this journey of life, to hold the hand of our Blessed Mother, allowing her to guide us closer to her Son, the true Light, the living Water, and the Bread of Life, not only in this earthly life, but unto life everlasting.

For our Savior has risen. (Chan Daniel V. Millanes, HCDC Intern)