Bishop Robert Deeley celebrates the Mass of the Resurrection of Our Lord
“Grant, we pray, that we who keep the solemnity of the Lord’s resurrection may, through the renewal brought by your Spirit, rise up in the light of life.” – Bishop Robert Deeley
As they did in churches across Maine and the world, hundreds filled the pews of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Portland on Easter morning.to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The 10 a.m. Mass at the cathedral was celebrated by Bishop Robert Deeley, who wished parishioners a blessed and joyful Easter.
“This morning, we joyfully gather to celebrate Easter. Jesus, the Lord, is alive!” the bishop said. “Jesus’ resurrection is an affirmation of the truth that light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.”
The bishop said with the uncertain times we live in, it is all the more important to remind ourselves of the beautiful gift of our faith and the hope that Christ’s resurrection brings.
“There are grave and frightening things happening in our world. The war in Ukraine has upended the fragile peace within which we have lived for many years. There is an insecurity and an uneasiness which is created by this invasion of a sovereign nation. In addition, we are still not completely finished with the pandemic which has made life so challenging over these last two years. And we are well aware that there is uncertainty and divisiveness in our society. The world around us is changing. We are not sure where it is all heading, but, as we gather here for this celebration of Easter, we know where we need to be. We need to stay close to the Risen Jesus, Light of the World,” the bishop said.
The bishop noted that in St. John’s Gospel, we are told “it was still dark” when Mary Magdalene went to the tomb. Her first thought on arriving there was that Jesus' body had been taken, only deepening her darkness. She goes to tell the disciples, and Peter and John follow her back to the tomb. Peter goes in and has no reaction, but when John enters, we are told “he saw and believed.”
“Easter begins quietly in the Gospel but, with reflection, the enormous message of the ‘empty tomb’ becomes clearer. In the Gospel of Easter day, it takes longer for the light to rise and the day to dawn, but it does,” the bishop said. “Jesus is risen! Mary of Magdala and the disciples come to know that as the day of Easter continued. It is a simple but extraordinary and powerful statement of faith. It was difficult even for the disciples to come to believe it. ‘Christ is Risen,’ says it all. The disciples could no longer live the same way. Something altogether new had happened. Neither can we. We can no longer live the same way now that death has been defeated in Christ.”
The bishop said it is through our baptism that we are called to participate in the resurrection. During Easter Sunday Masses, in remembrance of our baptism, water is blessed and sprinkled on members of the congregation, who then join in renewing their baptismal promises, which include a rejection of Satan and statements of belief in God, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, the Catholic Church, the communion of saints, and the resurrection of Christ.
The bishop noted that in the early Church the resurrection wasn’t just celebrated on Easter but on every Sunday, which is how the people found their way to Jesus. The bishop said the same holds true for us today.
“The risen Jesus, who lives beyond space and time, reaches across those dimensions to us now and says to us personally and individually, ‘This is my body given for you today,’” the bishop said. “What joy we can take in knowing that he does that each time we meet him in the celebration of Mass.”
Throughout the Easter Mass, the paschal candle, lit during the Easter vigil Mass the evening before, burned brightly in the sanctuary. The candle will remain there throughout all 50 days of Easter. The celebration of the season does not conclude until Pentecost, which this year is on June 5.
