Tagle to faithful: Bring hope to world

MANILA, Philippines - Hope did not only exist during the time of Jesus Christ, but is still alive and applicable in people’s everyday lives at present.

That was the Easter message of Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle, who also said that Christ’s resurrection from the dead is an opportunity for Catholics to live their mission to bring hope to the world.

“Once again, Easter is upon us. For Christians, the Risen Jesus provides the sure hope that justice, mercy and love are stronger than evil and death. Christians share this Good News to the whole world, even to non-Christians, especially those who are suffering and at the brink of despair. But the hope that the resurrection brings does not take us away from our world and our time. On the contrary, hope opens our eyes to realities of daily life but from a changed perspective,” Tagle said.

The archbishop recalled that three days after Jesus died, He resurrected and his tomb was found empty. From being a tomb that carried the Savior’s body, Tagle said it was transformed into a “space for divine illumination and for angels proclaiming the good news of the resurrection.”

Thus, he declared: “The tomb was not empty after all.”

The cardinal said that Jesus Christ’s burial place is now the space of God to spread light and life.

“It is the space where the women received a mission to tell the disciples that the victory over evil and death had been won by Jesus,” Tagle said, as he pointed out that “spaces” could be found in ordinary life – one’s homes, alleys, barangays, schools, buses, public utility jeepneys, markets, offices, social media and man’s emotions and conscience.

“Let the Risen Jesus empty them of death and fill them with light, love and mission. Only then can we be joyful and hopeful bearers of hope rather than servants of gloom and despair,” Tagle added.

The prelate also reminded the faithful not to turn to money, power or honor for hope.

“This Easter, we declare once again: No amount of money or power or honor could make us deny that Jesus is Risen and that He is our hope!”

Easter egg hunt

Saying that extrajudicial killings (EJKs) and the re-implementation of the death penalty run contrary to  Easter Sunday’s teaching of hope, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) public affairs committee executive secretary Fr. Jerome Secillano urged Easter egg hunt organizers to be more spiritual by suggesting that the latter putting biblical verses inside the eggs or give bibles or rosaries to children who would find an Easter egg.

“Man may not be able to change the world but God definitely has the power to change the world. Man may not be able to change his fellow man but Christ definitely has enormous power to ignite change in an individual,” Secillano said, adding that the Catholic Church has become a symbol of hope in the world.

“Did you know that one of the messages (of Easter Sunday) is hope, that when you go through all these difficult moments in life, Christ has gone through crucifixion and when he rose again from the dead, the message is hope, that life does not end with suffering? Life ends with a glorious life,” he added.

The prelate related the message of Easter to the two hot issues today being objected to by the Church. – With Eva Visperas