Easter is the highest feast of the liturgical year, celebrating Christ’s definitive victory over death. Yet for many Catholics, the joy of the Paschal liturgy may feel distant — because it does not always reflect the state of one’s soul.
My Reflection
1. I have known and met Catholics when I was in the United States and in Australia. According to them, as part of their tradition, they celebrate Easter Sunday with festive gatherings and family feasts, similar to Christmas.
2. In contrast, in the Philippines, where I was born and live, it’s not a traditional practice to have such gatherings on Easter. We experience the joy of Easter primarily through attending Mass.
3. But beyond the difference in cultural celebration, many Catholics—including those in festive settings—find that their life circumstances and the state of their souls do not align with the joy proclaimed in the Easter liturgy. Some endure illnesses, face injustices, grapple with financial hardships, experience estranged relationships, or bear hidden sufferings. Others struggle with recurring sins, emotional and mental afflictions, or spiritual dryness.
4. What, then, does the Resurrection mean when its effects are not emotionally or materially evident?
5. The Catechism teaches that “faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (CCC 146), echoing Hebrews 11:1. This is not a call to mere optimism but an invitation to entrust oneself entirely to God, who is at work even when His hand is hidden. The Resurrection is not primarily a feeling but a fact: “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain” (1 Corinthians 15:17, New American Bible Revised Edition). That He is risen is a truth that precedes our experience of it.
6. Catholics do not measure the Resurrection by life’s pleasures or internal consolations. It’s not gauged by the abundance of food at family feasts, the material possessions we own, or the enjoyable experiences we have. Christ’s glorified Body was not immediately recognized by Mary Magdalene (John 20:14) nor by the disciples on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:16). This consistent pattern reveals that the risen Lord is present but not always perceived.
7. This underscores a vital truth: God’s action in the soul is often veiled. The believer is called to hold fast to grace, even when it seems inactive.
8. The Resurrection must be understood within the entirety of the Paschal Mystery. As the Catechism explains: “By his Death, Christ liberates us from sin; by his Resurrection, he opens for us the way to a new life” (CCC 654). This new life is not merely future or metaphorical—it is sacramental and moral.
9. This means that the baptized already live the risen life, though imperfectly: “If we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him” (Romans 6:8, NABRE).
10. That is the essence of Easter. While family feasts and gatherings are pleasant, Easter signifies the joy that we already partake in the risen life—even amidst the sufferings of our hearts and souls.
11. This participation does not exclude suffering. The Christian is conformed to the crucified and risen Lord. As Saint Ignatius of Antioch wrote—not in triumph, but as he approached martyrdom—“It is better for me to die in Christ Jesus than to reign over the ends of the earth” (Letter to the Romans). This is not romanticism; it is realism: the Resurrection does not erase the Cross; it confirms its necessity.
12. The Catholic faithful encounter the risen Christ most certainly in the sacraments, especially the Eucharist. According to CCC 1324, “The Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian life.” In the Eucharist, the entire Paschal Mystery is made present—not symbolically, but truly. Christ’s risen Body, under the appearance of bread, is received even when our emotions are dull or the world appears unchanged. After Holy Week, we return to a life where the world measures success by materialism and achievements.
13. The temptation for modern Catholics is to equate God’s activity with visible results—that by the end of Holy Week and the start of Easter, our problems should be resolved, and we should feel rejuvenated to mirror the Easter joy.
14. But this is not the path of the Cross, nor of the Resurrection. Even among the Apostles, the empty tomb required interpretation (cf. John 20:9). The faithful are therefore called not to seek signs but to remain in a state of grace and persevere in prayer, trusting that sanctification often unfolds in silence.
15. As Saint John Henry Newman noted in a sermon: “It is the rule of God’s providence that we should be led by faith and not by sight.” Easter, then, is not only a historical proclamation; it is a call to live in trust—that Christ is risen, and therefore, no suffering, no silence, no hiddenness is without purpose.
16. The Resurrection does not erase the Cross; it validates it. Christ retains His wounds (John 20:27). This is no accident or coincidence. His glorified Body bears the marks of torture and shame—not as blemishes, but as signs of love. Similarly, in the baptized: our wounds, emptiness, humiliations, traumas, and brokenness—when borne in fidelity—become channels of grace.
17. The faithful Catholic must understand: no suffering united to Christ is meaningless. The smallest act of endurance—in chastity, in prayer, in sorrow—has eternal significance. The Catechism affirms, “Suffering, a consequence of original sin, acquires a new meaning; it becomes a participation in the saving work of Jesus” (CCC 1521).
18. It is tempting to look at other Christian sects and denominations that seem joyful, fulfilled, and thriving—and wonder: Why not us Catholics? But comparison is fruitless. These groups, especially Born Again Christians in local communities, often overlook Lent and the significance of suffering—they skip directly to Easter celebrations and feel-good gatherings. Often, I’ve observed Born Again Christians enjoying life throughout the year, not just during their festive Easter events.
19. However, that is not the true essence of being Christian. Such actions do not lead to eternal life. At the end of the world, during the Resurrection of the Dead, these actions will lead them to eternal death.
20. The Church does not call Catholics to appear prosperous. She calls them to be faithful. “He that shall persevere unto the end, he shall be saved” (Matthew 24:13, Douay-Rheims). The Resurrection is not a fleeting emotional state; it is the unshakable truth that Christ lives—and so shall we.
21. Therefore, Catholics—amidst all conceivable sufferings—must recognize that God will use these trials for our good. The Blessed Mother will intercede to transform our past pains and present imperfections for our sanctification, guiding us toward a future in eternity. We may not comprehend how, but in the end, we will see that everything permitted in our lives is transformed for our good.
22. Easter reminds us that Christ is alive, that death does not have the final word, and that everything permitted by God—when united to Him—is redeemed.
23. Even if we live in obscurity, even if we suffer interiorly without recognition or visible change, we already live in the power of the Resurrection. This power is not always loud. It is often veiled, humble, Eucharistic.
24. The Catechism teaches: “Hope is the confident expectation of divine blessing and the beatific vision of God; it is also the fear of offending God’s love and of incurring punishment” (CCC 2090). This theological virtue of hope—grounded in the Paschal Mystery—gives meaning and purpose to our trials.
Conclusion
So take courage, dear Reader. Members of Born Again Christian sects—who skip straight to Easter joy while ignoring Lent, Holy Week, and the mystery of the Cross—do not possess what consoles Catholics in real suffering. Their feel-good gatherings may offer fleeting emotion, but they have no altar, no Confession, no Real Presence. When we Catholics are tired and feeling unworthy, we go to the Sacrament of Penance and receive true absolution. When we are burdened, we remain with the Crucified—not a wooden symbol, but the living Christ in the Eucharist. When we are sorrowful, we run not to an emotion-filled praise party night, but to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, who stood at the foot of the Cross. Their noise cannot compete with the silence of grace that Catholics receive in the Sacraments instituted by Christ Himself.
And remember the words of Saint Pio of Pietrelcina (Padre Pio), who bore the wounds of Christ visibly:
“The more you are afflicted, the more you ought to rejoice, because in the fire of tribulation the soul will become pure gold, worthy to be placed and to shine in the heavenly palace.”
This is Easter. Not just a feast on the calendar, but the hidden, daily rising of the Catholic soul — quiet, sacramental, faithful. That hidden reality, though unseen, is real — and it is sufficient cause for joy. Not the kind rooted in emotion or circumstance, but the joy that springs from grace, from fidelity, and from the unshakable truth of the Resurrection.
And because Christ is risen, we who remain with Him are already victorious.
“This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad, alleluia!” (Psalm 118:24)
“Queen of Heaven, rejoice, alleluia! For He whom you merited to bear, alleluia, has risen as He said, alleluia!” (from the Regina Caeli)
Risen Christ, be our hope and our peace.
Saint Joseph, pray for us!
O Mama Mary, Mother of the Risen Christ, pray for us!
A most joyful and blessed Easter to you and your loved ones, dear Reader. Rejoice in the triumph and glory of our Risen Lord!
Amen.
She graduated cum laude from the University of Santo Tomas, the country's Pontifical and Catholic university, with an AB in Legal Management and minor units in Theology.
As an unmarried woman, prayer holds a central place in her daily life, with a focus on the Rosary and the Divine Office. Embodying her faith, she emphasizes the growth of her inner spiritual life, guided by the wisdom of Carmelite spirituality.
God manifested to her in a unique and radical manner, which made her know Who He truly is and led her to total surrender of her life to Him.
She has studied the Bible with her family, developing a particular fondness for the Old Testament.
Her adorable and intelligent toy poodle is a delightful companion in her daily life, bringing warmth and joy to her home.
Her hobbies include reading about everything, learning Japanese and German, listening to music and playing the flute.
In her leisure time, she enjoys gaming on PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch OLED, Nintendo 3DS, iOS and OS, and collecting things related to PlayStation and Nintendo.
Email: mary@thebestcatholic.com
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Amen