He is risen! He is risen indeed!

Dear Brothers and Sisters:

At the Mass of Easter day, just before the Gospel, we hear an ancient hymn of the Church, the Victimae Paschali Laudes, which is called a Sequence. In the last line of this particularly beautiful text, we sing “Christ indeed from death is risen, our new life obtaining. Have mercy, victor King, ever reigning!” The Easter season is indeed a season of victory.

In the Easter Gospel the women of Jerusalem discover the empty tomb, and we are reminded that this empty tomb is a sign of victory. Christ has come, He has died, and has now conquered death so that we might live forevermore with Him. And not only is there an empty tomb, but Jesus also appears to the Apostles and to many witnesses, so that His light might shine among the nations.

The Resurrection of the Lord stands at the center of our faith, and from its light we see the mysteries of faith illuminated. It is in the bright light of the Resurrection that we become a people of hope and a people of joy.

As we begin this Easter season, let us recommit ourselves to living in the victory Christ won for us, so that the hope and joy of Christ may radiate ever more in the world. The Lord is Risen; He is Risen Indeed, Alleluia!

Be assured of my prayers for God's abundant blessings on you and your loved ones and best wishes for a blessed Easter! I remain,

Sincerely yours in Christ,

+Daniel Cardinal DiNardo

Archbishop of Galveston-Houston