Bishop Oscar A. Solis is shown at the 2024 Easter Vigil. IC file photoGreetings of Christ’s peace and love!On Easter Sunday, the people of God of the Diocese of Salt Lake City, together with all the Catholic faithful throughout the world, proclaim with joy, “Jesus Christ is risen from the dead!” The resurrection of Christ is God’s decisive response to sin, death and despair, and proved that love has triumphed, light has shattered darkness, mercy has overcome sin, and life has conquered the tomb. 
We celebrate Easter amid the deep woundedness of humanity scarred by wars that cost many lives, by violence that breeds hate, by bitterness and polarization that divide communities and nations. Too many families wake each day to fear instead of peace, to uncertainty instead of security. Yet the Resurrection assures us that suffering and death do not define our future, but Christ does.
Christ reminds us that the light he brings can dispel the darkness of these painful realities. His Resurrection proclaims that death does not have the last word. 
Where bombs destroy, he restores. Where hatred hardens hearts, he opens a way of mercy. Where truth is distorted and dialogue breaks down, our Lord stands among us and gives us the assurance he told his disciples: “Peace be with you.”
The grace of Risen Christ opens new opportunities and new beginnings. It challenges us not only to believe, but to bear witness to the power of God’s love. We are called to reject indifference to the suffering of the poor, to resist the temptation to retreat into fear or resentment, and to build bridges of unity and peace. Every act of compassion, every word of reconciliation, every effort for justice becomes a small but powerful sign of Easter hope. 
Let us entrust our lives and the world to the mercy of God that Christ, the Risen Lord, who passes from death to life, may strengthen our faith, renew our hope, and lead us to walk always as children of the light. As Christ lives, may he live in our heart.
Christ is risen! Alleluia! I extend to you and your loved ones my prayerful wishes of a grace filled and happy Easter!