The Hope of Easter
Thoughts on the Easter season
Easter is all about hope: Jesus conquered death to give us life.
"Jesus did not return to his former life, to earthly life, but entered into the glorious life of God — and he entered there with our humanity, opening us to a future of hope," Pope Francis told the faithful in his Easter Urbi et Orbi address.
Recalling Christ’s love for the world and for us individually is key to our faith.
"To remember what God has done and continues to do for me, for us, to remember the road we have traveled — this is what opens our hearts to hope for the future. May we learn to remember everything that God has done in our lives," the Holy Father said at the Easter vigil.
That’s because Jesus is hope, as Francis reminded us at his first general audience: "He healed, comforted, understood — gave hope. He led all to the presence of God."
As St. Paul put it in Romans 5:5: "Hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us."
That way, one can "enjoy in peace the joy God is giving you, without worrying about the future," as St. Thérèse wrote.
God has been reminding us to have hope in him since Old Testament time. "For I know well the plans I have in mind for you … plans for your welfare and not for woe, so as to give you a future of hope" (Jeremiah 29:11).
The hope of Christ is truly the best hope of all.
Happy Easter season!
Amy Smith is the
Register’s associate editor.
Amy Smith Amy Smith is a Register senior editor who edits features for the “Culture of Life” section. Fueled by prayer and coffee, she enjoys writing about everything from Jane Austen to saints for the Register. She is the author of The Plans God Has for You: Hopeful Lessons for Young Women (Emmaus Road Publishing). Her writing has also appeared in various other Catholic publications. She has a master’s degree in journalism and a B.A. in English.
