The Empty Tomb: Our Joyful Call to Hope

On Easter morning, the stone was rolled away, the tomb was empty, and everything changed.

For Catholics, the Resurrection isn’t just a moment in history—it’s the heart of our faith. The empty tomb is the sign that death doesn’t win. Sin doesn’t have the last word. Jesus Christ, fully God and fully man, rose from the grave - fully alive. Because He did, we live with joy and hope.

More Than a Happy Ending

Sometimes we treat Easter like a happy ending to a painful story. Jesus suffered agonies so heinous they shock us at the deepest levels of our imaginations. To fulfill the will of the Father, He died a torturous death we cannot comprehend. Then, He came back!

Yes, there's a feel-good resolution, but Easter in the Resurrected Christ is so much more than that. The Resurrection is not the end of the story. It’s the beginning of a new life for us, in Him.

When Jesus emerged from doorway of the tomb, He opened the doorway to heaven. He proved His power over death. He showed that love is stronger than hate, mercy overcomes sin, and mortal life becomes eternal beyond the grave.

Easter is not just a once-a-year event. The Resurrection is the core of our faith, and it should shape how we live in this world while aspiring to eternity. 

An Easter People

Almost 40 years ago, Pope St. John Paul II proclaimed, "We are an Easter people, and Alleluia is our song!" 

The empty tomb is the gift of perpetual hope and joy. It is not naïve optimism, but the deep, unshakable confidence that God is with us, especially in the hardest moments. 

We do not pretend that all of life is glorious. We live in a world darkened by mysteries & contradictions. Depravity, sin, cruelty and pain surround us. Spiritual and material poverty are everywhere. Jesus exposed all of these in His Passion, then He modeled a way through them.

Easter doesn’t deny the darkness—it shines the Light of Christ into it.

Our Easter Alleluia says, "Yes, there is suffering, but it is not the end. There is more to the story, because Christ has conquered even death itself - for YOU!"

As an Easter People, we do not have to give in to despair. We do not have to fear. We do not have to let the world’s darkness extinguish our lights. We hold on to joy and hope—not as feelings, but as choices, deeply rooted in the truth of the Resurrection and the Person of Christ.

Hope That Changes Everything

Christ willingly died to bring about the redemption of all people, throughout all time. As He hung on the cross 2000 years ago, He was already thinking of you and of me in incomprehensible love!

Because He is risen, we are not stuck, defined by our past, or trapped by sin. His mercy is real. 

Though it's not easy, the Resurrection calls us to live differently:

• With faith & courage, because we know the battle is already won.

• With love & mercy for others, because we’ve been forgiven first.

• With joy & hope, because our Savior lives in us, and we in Him.

Witnesses to the Resurrection

After Jesus rose from the dead, He didn’t appear to influential dignitaries. He returned to His beloved disciples—ordinary, imperfect people—whom He sent out to spread the good news. That mission is now ours, imperfect though we may be.

We are called to witness to the Resurrection in a world that desperately needs hope, and a culture often hostile to what we believe.

For most of us, this will not involve grand gestures. Sometimes it’s simply choosing joy in the middle of a tough day. Forgiving someone when it’s hard. Serving while going unnoticed, or when no one else steps forward. Praying when we don’t feel like it, to unite ourselves to Christ and intercede for others.

The empty tomb calls us to live in deep and abiding joy, and hold on to hope. These are greater than the transient happiness tied to the external events in our own lives, and much more enduring.

They are a state of being. They are the result of practicing intentional behaviors like praying to fortify ourselves and asking for the graces we need, and believing, even when things seem desperate and confounding. They are gratuitous gifts and fruits of faith.

Rejoice, and Keep Going

Resurrection Joy & Hope aren't fleeting feelings, but interior realities. Jesus is alive. Death is defeated. We have nothing to fear.

Every day of his earthly life, Christ knew He was making His way to Calvary for us at the will of the Father. 

He set his face like flint. (Isaiah 50:7).

If you’re in a dark season, hold on. If you’re discouraged, take heart. If you’re tired, lift your eyes. The same power with which Christ persevered, and the same authority that raised Jesus from the dead is at work in your life right now (Romans 8:11).

He has proven His power and authority to make all things new for each of us. It was true 2000 years ago and it is still true today.

The empty tomb is the promise that no matter what comes, joy and hope have the final word. Our victory is not measured by worldly standards. It comes in our willingness to follow Christ - by way of His cross and our own.

This Easter season, rediscover and receive the fullness of God's love for you. Encounter Christ anew, and proclaim Him with your life.

Choose to live out His love in your home, relationships, and daily routine, so your life invites others into the joyful hope of the empty tomb. Spend time in Prayer. Receive the Sacraments. Forgive generously. Love boldly. Share the good news. 

Christ is risen! He is truly risen!

The Resurrection is not just a moment to remember. It's a truth to live.