Bishop Jugis: Easter is the feast of our salvation and new life in Christ
CHARLOTTE — “We celebrate with joy the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. This is the feast of our salvation.”
With these words, Bishop Peter Jugis welcomed the faithful gathered April 3 at St. Patrick Cathedral for the Easter Vigil.
The vigil Mass began at sunset with the traditional blessing of the Easter fire and lighting of the Paschal candle, followed by a candlelight procession into a darkened St. Patrick Cathedral where the Exsultet was proclaimed.
Unlike last Easter, when the cathedral remained dark and nearly empty because of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, this year’s Easter celebration was a joyful one – albeit with a limited number of people to allow for safe distancing. The Mass was also streamed live on the diocese's YouTube channel to enable people to participate virtually.
Bishop Jugis smiled as he looked out at the people sitting in the pews, noting, “Jesus said, ‘I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice and no one will take your joy away from you.’ We share the joy of those first apostles and the joy of all Christians throughout the centuries.”
In his homily, the bishop reiterated his messages from throughout Holy Week: Jesus’ suffering and death was His expression of His love for humanity and our salvation.
“By His suffering, His death and His resurrection, Jesus has accomplished our salvation,” the bishop said. And, “having accomplished our salvation, He then shares His new life with us.”
“We are not celebrating the resuscitation of a corpse,” he said. “We are celebrating the glorified Lord, risen from the dead. He shares that glorified life with us, so that we also can come alive in Him, so that we can come alive and live a new life – a new life of grace, a life of holiness, a life of charity.”
“The Risen Christ living in us, and we living in Him – His new creation.”
New life in Christ begins with baptism, so that is why the faithful renew their baptismal promises each Easter, the bishop explained. “In so doing, we renew our commitment to Jesus Christ and our commitment to the Christian life.”
The bishop administered the sacraments of initiation to two men joining the Church at the Easter Vigil: Henry Braden Fisk and Carter McCrain. The two are among nearly 100 people from across the Diocese of Charlotte who are entering the Catholic Church this Easter.
“Jesus is for all of us,” the bishop concluded, “the Way and the Truth and the Life.”
— Patricia L. Guilfoyle, editor