The day on which our Lord rose from the dead, some of the women who had accompanied Him went to the tomb to anoint Jesus’ body and found the tomb empty. An angel spoke to them of Jesus’ Resurrection and then these women went to tell the disciples what they saw. Some of the disciples had doubts.

“Peace be with you.”

As we continue to rejoice in the light of the Resurrection, the Church invites us to enter more deeply into the heart of Christ. The Risen Lord comes to meet us precisely where we most need Him—in our fears, in our wounds, and in our longing for peace.

On this Second Sunday of Easter, celebrated as Divine Mercy Sunday, the Gospel shows the disciples gathered behind locked doors, burdened by confusion, fear, and shame. Into that closed and anxious space, Jesus suddenly stands among them and speaks the words every human heart longs to hear: “Peace be with you.”  

Easter is the most important and greatest feast in the Church. It marks the beginning of our eternal hope for three reasons:

1. The resurrection of Christ is the basis of our Catholic faith. It is more than the raising of Jesus’ body after his crucifixion. No one witnessed the actual resurrection event, but faith demands that we trust the witnesses and their testimony. St. Paul writes that “If Christ has not been raised, then our teaching is in vain, and your faith is in vain…and if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is a delusion and you are still lost in your sins…but in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.” (1 Cor15:14, 17, 20)

Holy Week begins. What an important week that we begin today. The Gospel passage that is read at the beginning of Mass commemorates Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem for the fulfillment of the Passover. Today’s Liturgy of the Word concludes with Matthew’s version of Jesus’ betrayal, arrest and death on the Cross.

As we reach the Fifth Sunday of Lent, standing at the doorway of Holy Week, the Church invites us to listen again to Jesus’ bold and tender promise: “I am the resurrection and the life.” These words are meant to touch the very places where we struggle, hope, and long for renewal. Jesus does not simply restore life—He brings life wherever He is welcomed.

Jesus encounters a man who has been blind from birth. He restores his sight using dust and saliva, thus giving him a new beginning. Notice how Jesus uses ordinary means to bring extraordinary healing and grace. By using what the Jewish people considered unclean, Jesus demonstrates his power to make all things holy.

John’s Gospel today is the long and inspiring story of the woman at the well It is important to prayerfully imagine the scene. Jesus was all alone sitting next to Jacob’s Well around noon. Few women would come to the well at that time of day due to the heat. But this woman came at this time because she knew others would not be around. She was a sinner, and many of the other women of the town knew it.