An Easter message by William Murphy, Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rockville Centre

The perennial hymn of joy, the Sequence Hymn of Easter Mass, expresses our faith in the Son of God who rose from the dead that first Easter morn, the hope of every Christian who embraces His life in His Church and the confidence we place in the Eternal One who is risen and reigns forever as the victorious Son at the right hand of the Father of merciful love.

Even in the midst of darkness and sin, even in times of trouble and sorrow, even when the Church and our beloved Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, are being vilified by evil forces and false accusations aimed at undermining the Church, we are one in our proclamation of faith, our cry of hope, our embrace of the cross which leads to the everlasting Sunday of Easter glory. This Easter, as every Easter, we proclaim the triumph of light over darkness, the victory of life over death, the fulfillment of a promise made by God that can never be extinguished, never be destroyed.

This Easter, at the Saturday eve Vigil and the Sunday Masses, you, the good people of our diocese, will gather in our parishes to join with me and my brother priests in celebrating the Resurrection of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Catechumens will receive the Easter sacraments, candidates will be admitted into full communion and you and I will renew our own baptismal commitment through the Easter Creed that expresses what together we believe. As we hear God’s Word proclaimed, we spiritually join Mary Magdalene at the empty tomb and we believe with Peter and John and the whole Church that He is risen, He is truly risen! As we gather around the altar of sacrifice, we enter into the holy of holies, where Christ, the eternal Son of God, is once again the priest who offers Himself, the victim slain and the Head who call us, His Body, to share in His sacramental body and blood and become ever more the one body of Christ on earth.

Ours is the greatest gift anyone can ever receive: life in Christ. His life unites us and makes us His Body, the Church. We are one and we must always strive to maintain that unity and witness it to the world. No one who gathers with us to celebrate Easter should ever be an instrument of disunity. No one who is united to Christ can be in disharmony with His Church. For He who is risen has broken down the barriers and made us all one in Him. With all my heart I embrace each and every member of this Church at Rockville Centre spread across Long Island. With all my heart I thank God for you and the witness of life and love you give to our brothers and sisters in our towns and villages. With all my heart I pledge to you my service as your bishop and brother, your priest and your friend. We are the People of God. We are One in the life He gives us.

Christ is risen! He is truly risen! Amen! Alleluia!