Easter message by Bishop Julius Gitom

“I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified…he has risen from

the dead…Go and tell my brothers that they must leave for Galilee.

There they will see me.” (cf Matt 28:5, 7, 10)

Dear Brothers and Sisters

Give thanks for Easter! Give thanks for Resurrection!

The wonder of Resurrection is upon us once more. Christ is risen, death is vanquished and we are restored to a holy and intimate relationship with God.

Light has conquered darkness, life upon death and newness upon the old. The Resurrection of Jesus is the crowning truth of our faith in Christ as the Apostle Paul said in 1 Cor 15:14, ‘If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.’  May we then embrace God’s ever-new life with our whole being.

The Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is the culmination of everything God has done in history. It is the heart of Easter. Our baptism and the baptism of all the elects this Easter remind us that we exist for a purpose; knowing, loving and serving Him. We are sent forth to share His message; “Go and tell my brothers”, the risen Lord says. (cf Matt 28:10) It is our duty to make the Lord’s Passover a reality in our lives by moving from death to life just as He did. This can only be attained from a renewed experience of the Paschal Mystery, accepted in faith and witnessed to in life.

However, the signs of pain and hurt abound in our society at large. Beginning with 2014, the ordinary people are burdened with the issues of increase in the prices of goods and services. They are struggling to cope with the price hikes. Property prices has escalated and it is beyond the reach of most people to own a decent dwelling house, the one basic necessity of life.

The Lenten journey of 40 days that we have embarked on has enriched us both physically and spiritually. However, that isn’t the message. Our fasting and abstinence should benefit others. Let us be mindful of those living in poverty. We need to recognize the many pains and hurts of the poor, weak and vulnerable of our society. A text of Isaiah meets precisely this situation: ‘share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless into your house; when you see the naked to cover him. (Is 58:7) Let us imitate our Lord and do all we can to heal them.

We are all deeply concerned by the recent development over tensions related to racial and religious issues in the country. We are fortunate that there are many groups promoting peace, love and tolerance. May all these missions rekindle the Malaysian family spirit to bring about harmony while maintaining the practice of multi-religious co-existence. Let us make every effort to keep the bond of peace flowing in our midst. Continue to pray that the “Allah” issue be given a fair and just hearing.

The entire people of God proclaims the Gospel (Evangelii Gaudium 111-134)…… ‘with a tenderness which never disappoints, but is always capable of restoring our joy, he makes it……why should we not also enter into this great stream of joy?’  Instead of a faith lived like Lent without Easter, His Holiness Pope Francis invites us all to a renewed personal encounter with Jesus Christ. Let us thus become an Easter People and journey along with Him in the work of building up His Kingdom.

I wish you a truly Blessed and Happy Easter. I pray that everyone will experience a deeper sense of inner peace this Easter, encountering Christ in our midst.

As I conclude this message, a message of hope, let us continue to offer our thoughts and prayers to all families and friends of all those on board of Flight MH370.