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A call to fully live the Resurrection, today and always
Introduction: The cry that changed everything
“He is not here; He has risen!” (Luke 24:6). These words, proclaimed by the angels on the dawn of the first day of the week, tore through history like a bolt of lightning piercing the darkness. The tomb, meant to hold a lifeless body, now stands open and empty. But what does that emptiness mean for you and me today? And if the tomb is empty… could it be that our hearts are empty too? The great question of this Easter is not only whether Christ has risen —because that is a historical fact and a truth of faith— but whether His Resurrection has transformed your life.
This article is an invitation to journey through the liturgy, history, and theology of this central moment in Christianity, so that you, dear reader, may open the tomb of your own heart and let the Risen One fill it with life.
I. The Empty Tomb: Historical Fact and the Core of Our Faith
The Resurrection of Christ is not a metaphor or a comforting tale for broken hearts. It is a historical fact, witnessed by men and women who saw the Lord, spoke with Him, ate with Him. But it is also the central mystery of the Christian faith: “If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is useless, and so is your faith” (1 Cor 15:14), says St. Paul. Everything in Christianity —preaching, sacraments, hope— depends on the fact that the Crucified One conquered death.
The Gospels agree in highlighting one detail: the tomb was empty. Not as a symbol, but as a reality. Jesus’ body was not there because He had risen in His own body, now glorified, victorious over corruption. The stone was rolled away not so that He could get out, but so that we could see inside.
And yet, the most important thing is not merely the material emptiness of the tomb, but the transformation that emptiness brings. It is a silence that speaks, a void that shouts, a mystery that challenges us: Where are you? Is your heart full of life or full of death? Full of Christ or full of the world?
II. The Liturgical Tradition: From the Easter Vigil to Daily Life
The Church, in her wise pedagogy, doesn’t leave us with just a story. Every year, she leads us into the Paschal Mystery through the most beautiful of all liturgical celebrations: the Easter Vigil. This liturgy —mother of all vigils— begins in the darkness of the night, symbolizing chaos, sin, and death. But then the new fire is lit and the joyful cry resounds: Lumen Christi —the Light of Christ.
The Lucernarium, the Exsultet (Easter Proclamation), the readings that sweep through salvation history, the Gloria bursting forth after the silence, the Alleluia sung for the first time since Lent began… everything points to one great truth: Christ lives and reigns, and His victory is our hope.
But this liturgy is not a performance or an ancient custom we repeat mindlessly. It is a living participation in the Resurrection. What we celebrate sacramentally, we are called to live existentially. Because if the tomb is empty, then our lives cannot remain the same.
III. What Does an Empty Tomb Mean Today?
In a time marked by existential emptiness, superficiality, nihilism, and a throwaway culture, the proclamation of the empty tomb is a cry against spiritual death. We live surrounded by beautifully adorned tombs: fleeting pleasures, hollow goals, idols disguised as success. But the real question is: Who has truly risen?
Christ did not come out of the tomb so that you could go on living as if you were still dead. His victory demands your response. It is not enough to know that He is risen —you must live as someone who has been raised with Him.
Now more than ever, Christians are called to be witnesses of the Risen One in a world still walking in darkness. Not with empty words, but with lives filled with His presence.
IV. The Heart: Tomb or Tabernacle?
St. Augustine once said, “God, who created you without you, will not save you without you.” The tomb is empty, yes. But your heart —is it? Or is it filled with Christ?
This is the great paradox of Easter: the empty tomb only makes sense if your heart is full —full of life, of light, of the Resurrection. Full of Him.
Many Christians settle for a lukewarm, comfortable, ritualistic faith. But the Risen One doesn’t seek admirers —He seeks disciples. He doesn’t want Sunday visitors —He wants daily communion. He doesn’t ask for words —He asks for hearts that burn, like those of the disciples on the road to Emmaus.
Jesus is alive. But is He alive in you? Is your heart so full of Him that others can see in you the joy of Easter, the peace that surpasses all understanding, the unshakable hope of the Gospel?
V. A Pastoral Call: Be Witnesses of the Risen One
We live in troubled times: wars, polarization, religious indifference, crisis of meaning. In the midst of this chaos, Christians must not hide in comfort or live a privatized faith. Now is the time to go into the world with the joy of the first witnesses.
The apostles went from fear to boldness. From hiding behind locked doors to preaching in public. What transformed them? It wasn’t an idea —it was an encounter. And that encounter is available to you too: in every Eucharist, in the Word of God, in prayer, in the poor, in your daily life.
The world needs to see that Christ is alive, and the only way they’ll believe it is if they see Him alive in you. It’s not enough to say the tomb is empty: your life must be full of Him. We can no longer live as if the Resurrection never happened.
VI. Conclusion: Don’t Stay in the Tomb
Dear reader, the tomb is empty. Christ is alive! No stone can contain His love, His power, His victory. But now it’s your turn. Don’t just gaze at the tomb in awe. Run, proclaim, live!
Ask yourself sincerely:
- Is my heart full of Christ?
- Do I live as one who has been raised or as someone still in the grave?
- What do I need to leave behind to follow the Living One?
- What habits, wounds, resentments, or sins are still keeping me entombed?
The Resurrection is not the end. It is the beginning. The true start of a new life —here and now.
Final Prayer
Lord Jesus,
You who conquered death and live gloriously,
fill my empty heart with Your risen presence.
Roll away every stone that blocks Your entrance,
break every chain of fear and doubt.
Make my life a witness to Your victory.
May others see in me that the tomb is empty,
because You live in my soul.
Amen.
Christ is risen! He is truly risen!
And now… are you ready to live as if that were true?
Want to share this message of hope? Spread the word and shout it to the world:
The Tomb Is Empty! My Heart Is Full of Him!
