As we approach our Easter celebration this year, I cannot help but imagine myself in the place of the apostles. They had been following Jesus for three years, listening to Him preach sermons that changed so many hearts and performing miracle after miracle that brought healing and hope. They had lived with Him, shared life together with Him, and developed a deep love for Him. And then, rather suddenly, all of that was shattered. Within the span of 24 hours, He was arrested, falsely accused, and condemned for crimes He didn’t commit, and tortured and killed before their eyes. They had such a great hope that Jesus would be the Messiah, the One who would bring them the freedom and redemption that they had been desiring for centuries. And for a moment, it all seemed to be gone. He was buried in a tomb along with those hopes they had carried for years.
Yet on Easter Sunday morning, they received the most powerful message in all of human history – He is alive! Jesus conquered death! He came to bring redemption not just in this life, but for all of eternity. The grave, which no one had ever been able to escape, had been broken by the Son of God. The hopes that they thought were lost had been restored. By dying and rising from the dead, Jesus assured His apostles, and all of us along with them, that nothing ever needs to destroy our hope. There is never a trial that is too big to be redeemed. In fact, the statement that Jesus made at the death of His friend Lazarus perhaps finally made sense: “I am the Resurrection and the Life.” Easter reminds us that there is always a reason to hold on to hope.
As I think back to the days surrounding Bishop Dorsonville’s passing, it’s easy to put myself in a similar place as the apostles in those days. Our diocese was in a place of great hope, receiving our new bishop after a year of waiting. And just as it seemed that things were beginning to move forward, we learned of Bishop’s shocking death. The days and weeks following January 19, 2024, will forever remain etched in my mind.
Yet as we celebrate Easter, I am reminded of the hope that Jesus offers to us with this great feast. Death does not have the power to stop the work of God in our world. Although at face value, it may seem that we still cannot escape death, our faith offers us a much different viewpoint. Death becomes not the end but rather a new beginning, something that God can use as a part of His plan of redemption and revival. What at first seemed to be the greatest tragedy of mankind – the death of Jesus – actually paved the way for the greatest triumph of mankind – His Resurrection. Easter offers us a powerful message of redemption and revival.
If you look at the way that God has worked throughout salvation history, we can see this theme permeating throughout. He often chooses the smallest, youngest, most unequipped, and insignificant people to carry out His mission – think of young David to lead a nation and old Abraham to be a father of nations. He lets things get almost to the point of despair before He shows just how great is His ability to redeem. Think of the centuries the Israelites spent wandering in the wilderness or the countless battles they lost, only to triumph unexpectedly by God’s power.
Dear brothers and sisters, when you are tempted to believe that there is no hope, when it feels like your dreams and desires have been shattered by tragedy or suffering or death, Easter can be our firm foundation that cannot be shaken. It’s important to remember this in a particular way as a diocesan family. Although Bishop Dorsonville is no longer with us in this life, his legacy continues to live on in the hearts of many. And the good that God desired to work in our diocese through him will still come to fruition. As we see so often in the Scriptures, God loves to work in unexpected ways and through unknowing instruments. Death cannot stop that. Let us approach this Easter season with a confidence in God’s ability to overcome every obstacle in our lives, and even turn those obstacles into sources of grace, renewal, and revival. As is famously attributed to St. John Paul II, “We are an Easter people, and Alleluia is our song.” No matter what happens, Alleluia is a song we can sing, because Jesus has conquered all evil, sin and death, and we are forever safe in His hands. May our faithful and triumphant God fill each of your hearts with an unshakeable hope in Him.