Homily Easter Sunday: Christ is Risen, He is Risen Indeed

Homily for 1^st Sunday of Easter 2026

Introduction

My dear brothers and sisters, Happy Easter to you all—on this greatest day of our faith! Today we celebrate the victory of Jesus over death.

There is a beautiful Christian greeting that expresses this joy. One person says, “Christ is risen!” and the other responds, “He is risen indeed!”

Let us try it together: Christ is risen… He is risen indeed!

Again: Christ is risen… He is risen indeed!

But my dear friends, what do we really mean when we say this? Let me share three simple points from today’s Gospel.

Scripture and Tradition

The first thing we heard in the Gospel, was that Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early in the morning, while it was still dark. It was dark. She was sad. Her heart was heavy. She thought everything was finished.

My dear brothers and sisters, we know that kind of darkness.  Sometimes life becomes dark—when there is sickness, when there is no money for school fees, when there is hunger, when we lose someone we love. In those moments, life feels like that early morning of Mary Magdalene—dark and without hope.

But what happened? She found the stone rolled away. The tomb was empty. Jesus was not there. Slowly, the truth entered her heart: Jesus was alive.

And this is the message of Easter: God has turned darkness into light.  That is the first message of Easter: His resurrection has turned darkness into light.

Christ is risen… He is risen indeed!

And now to the second message of the Gospel.  We heard that all this happened on the first day of the week—Sunday. That is an important detail.

In the Bible, Sunday is the first day—the day when God began creating the world. So when Jesus rises on Sunday, it means God is starting a new creation, just like in the beginning.

But Christians also call Sunday something else: the “eighth day.” Why the eighth day? Because it is a day beyond the normal seven days. It is a sign of something new, something eternal, something that never ends.

That is why, my dear friends, we Christians do not celebrate our Sabbath on Saturday like the Jews. We celebrate on Sunday. Why? Because Sunday is the day Jesus rose from the dead. Every Sunday is a small Easter.

That is why we come to Mass every Sunday—not just as a rule, but because we are celebrating the resurrection again and again. So when you miss Sunday Mass without a serious reason, you are missing Easter. Every Sunday is the day of new life, the day of victory, the day of hope.

In our local languages, we often follow the secular way and count the week starting from Monday. In some places, like in the Islamic world, the week may begin on Saturday. But for us Christians, Sunday is the first day of the week—the day our lives changed forever, the day Jesus rose from the dead.

Christ is risen… He is risen indeed!

And now to the third point. What does it mean that Jesus is risen? What really happened to Him?

Some people think that by rising from the dead, Jesus just came back to normal life. But that is not true.  You remember Lazarus—Jesus raised him from the dead, but later he died again.

But Jesus is different.  Jesus rose to a new life. Think of a seed planted in the garden. When you plant beans, the seed goes into the soil and seems to die. But it comes out as something new—a plant.

That is similar to what happened to Jesus.  He died, but when He rose, He was no longer the same. He had a glorified body. He will never die again. He is alive forever. That is why the tomb is empty.

We Catholics respect relics of saints. But there is one thing we do not have—and we do not want—the body of Jesus, the bones of Jesus.  Why?  Because He is alive!

Christ is risen… He is risen indeed!

Christian Life

Now, my dear brothers and sisters, this is not only about Jesus. It is also about us. What happened to Jesus will also happen to us. One day, we shall die—but that will not be the end. We too shall rise. That is our hope.

That is why even when we bury our loved ones, we do not cry like people without hope. We mourn for them, yes—but we also believe that one day, we shall meet again. But if we want to share in that life, we must start living it now.

We must live like people of the resurrection, as St. Paul tells us:
"Brothers and sisters, if then you were raised with Christ, seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God… not what is on earth."

What does that mean?  It means: Leaving sin, forgiving others, being honest, helping one another, trusting God.

·        If you refuse to forgive, you are still living in the tomb. If you choose forgiveness, you are living Easter.

·        If you cheat and steal, that is darkness. If you choose honesty, even when it is hard, that is resurrection.

·        If you lose hope and say, “My life is finished,” that is darkness. But if you say, “God will provide,” that is Easter faith.

My dear friends, Easter is not only one day. It is a life. It is a way of life.  And every Sunday, we come back to renew that life.  Every Sunday is a reminder:
Jesus is alive.

Conclusion

As we go back home our big lunch or visiting with family members, let us remember this:

• The tomb is empty
• Jesus is alive
• Death is defeated
• Hope has returned

No matter what darkness you are facing, do not lose hope.  Jesus has already won.  So go home today with joy in your hearts.  And let us say it again with strong faith: Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!