Bishop Richard Lennon's column from the Catholic Universe Bulletin
The Opening Prayer of Easter Sunday Mass highlights the great mysteries of our salvation. The Opening Prayer says it well: "O God who on this day through your Only Begotten Son have conquered death and unlocked for us the path to eternity." Our prayer confidently proclaims our faith in the fruits of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is why on Easter Sunday, and often through Easter Time, the Church prays "This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad" Psalm 118:24.
Watch the Bishop's Easter Sunday homily When we pause and try to reflect on what Easter is truly about, we can begin to understand why we say greetings like "Happy Easter" and "The Lord is Risen, Alleluia."
As we spend more time thinking about the message of Easter, we should give deep thought to what we "gain" from Easter and also to what it tells us. In the first letter of St. John we hear these beautiful words about God's motivation for the happenings leading up to and culminating in the victory of His Son on Easter: "The love of God was revealed to us: God sent His only Son so that we may have life through Him. In this is love ? that He loved us and sent His son as expiation for our sins" 1 John 4:9-10.
The story of Easter is ultimately and fundamentally about God's love for all humankind, for you and for me. This love is generous and bountiful, it is gracious and comforting. The depth of God's love for each and all of us is beautifully captured in the Easter Proclamation sung at the Easter Vigil: "O wonder of your humble care of us! O love, O charity beyond all telling, to ransom a slave you gave away your Son!"
The Opening Prayer continues from what was noted above