The Solemnity of the Resurrection of the Lord

The meaning of the celebration

+ On this day, the Church solemnly recalls the Resurrection of Jesus. Beginning with the Easter Vigil, the Season of Easter spans the fifty days from Easter Sunday through the Solemnity of Pentecost.

+ In these joy-filled days, the Church invites us to remember and renew our baptismal commitment and our call to live as disciples of Jesus.

+ The First Readings of the Mass for the Easter Season are taken from the Acts of the Apostles. These readings help us see how the Resurrection of Jesus inspired the life and mission of the first Christians and remind us of our call to proclaim the Good News of Jesus in every time and place.

+ The primary symbol of the Easter Season is the Paschal Candle. Blessed and lit from the Easter Fire during the Easter Vigil, it reminds us of the light of Christ which enlightens the world. It is used throughout the year at every baptism and funeral.

For prayer and reflection

“We should understand, beloved, that the paschal mystery is at once old and new, transitory and eternal, corruptible and incorruptible, mortal and immortal. In terms of the Law it is old, in terms of the Word it is new. In its figure it is passing, in its grace it is eternal. It is corruptible in the sacrifice of the lamb, incorruptible in the eternal life of the Lord. It is mortal in his burial in the earth, immortal in his resurrection from the dead..”—Saint Melito of Sardis

Vocations

To learn about the Congregation of the Resurrection (the Resurrectionist Fathers and Brothers), visit: www.resurrectionists.com/

To learn about the Sisters of the Resurrection of Chicago, visit: http://www.crsisterschicago.org/

To learn about the Sisters of the Resurrection of Castleton, NY, visit: www.resurrectionsisters.org/

To learn about the Sisters of the Community of Resurrection (Dominican), visit: https://www.communityoftheresurrection.com/

Prayer

O God, who on this day,
through your Only Begotten Son,
have conquered death
and unlocked for us the path to eternity,
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.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

(from The Roman Missal)

Saint profiles prepared by Brother Silas Henderson, S.D.S.