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EASTER 2020
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but may have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
A Joyful and a Blessed EASTER to you all!
At the outbreak of the Corona virus on the early part of this year 2020, it took some time before the WHO has declared the Covid19 a pandemic directing the leaders of all nations to take the necessary action to implement the guidelines on the imposition of an enhanced community quarantine or a lockdown, and the strict compliance of social distancing. This declaration caught us all by surprise as we were compelled to be in a complete lockdown requiring all residents to be confined at home till the end of this month.
Unquestionably, there is nothing that we can do with the imposition of a total lockdown. The appeal from the Law Enforcers and Frontliners was for all of us to stay home. Therefore, to be confined at home is the best response and help that we can offer to the same plea that is reiterated by the doctors, nurses, medical assistants and frontliners. And finding ourselves in this imposed situation we can all have the time to ponder on the things that truly matter in life.
There is not one of us who can remain to be indifferent to the trouble that this pandemic has brought to us. The Covid19, an invisible enemy, has brought havoc to all of us without any exception. The widespread suffering caused by the pandemic has cost so many lives and left some of our people in utter despair.
Thanks be to God for all the courageous frontliners (doctors, nurses, medical assistants, law enforcers, national and local Task Forces and the many volunteers) who in their selfless service have risked even their lives to care for the many victims of Covid19. Hearing the news and stories of their struggles move us to acknowledge that in these desperate and trying times their stories echo the very same story of the passion of Christ that has accomplished for us the Father’s gift of salvation.
Among the various experiences brought about by the pandemic that has required an enhanced community quarantine are challenging situations where individuals, families, and communities have been put in precarious circumstances. We hear of a huge number of workers who are daily wage earners and now unable to feed their family or support their daily needs; we also hear of neighbors or even subdivision homeowners who discriminate others who are classified as Persons Under Investigation (PUI), Persons Under Monitoring (PUM) or worse still those who have been diagnosed as Covid19 positive. Neither can we also ignore the heartaches and grief of family members who are unable to attend the funeral of a loved one. These very grim picture of the situation simply leaves us at a loss.
Even in the midst of the Covid19 pandemic, with all the havoc and devastation it has brought to the world, the season of LENT has, indeed, provided us the precious time to prepare for the glorious feast of EASTER. With great exultation we celebrate today the Feast of the Resurrection of Christ Jesus and we cannot help but acknowedge with grateful heart the overflowing grace that accompanies this joyous occasion. Is it not simply AMAZING that the feast that we commemorate year after year is the same marvelous celebration that contains the good news that is ever new – Christ is Risen! This feast of EASTER bursts forth with joy and exultation as it renews us to be able to radiate the gospel in season and out of season.
And in today’s feast of Christ’s Resurrection, we are, once again, reminded with JOY and GRATITUDE of our being
* CALLED,
* CHOSEN and
* SENT into this broken world in order to radiate to everyone HOPE and CONSOLATION that flows from Christ’s Passion, Death and RESURRECTION.
Doing this
* IN JESUS
* THROUGH JESUS and
* WITH JESUS we will surely overcome, as we have always experienced in times past, all trials and challenges even this Covid19 pandemic.
And finally, my dearly beloved Bible Animators and collaborators as well as the many who are now consumed by the Word of God, I wish to end with these encouraging words of exhortation from Pope Francis, “God’s love healed our sin with His forgiveness at EASTER by making death a passage that changed our fear into trust and our anguish into hope.
EASTER tells us that God can turn everything to good, and that with Him we can truly trust that all will be well.”
May Jesus’ RESURRECTION enliven our hearts that we may continue to incarnate His words. God loves us all very dearly.
+SOFRONIO A. BANCUD, SSS, DD
Chairman
Episcopal Commission on the Biblical Apostolate
