(Unsplash/Paul Zoetemeijer)
by Mercy Shumbamhini
Contributor
Editor's note: Welcome to Theologians' Corner, where each week a different woman theologian from around the world offers a fresh reflection on the Sunday readings.
Easter Sunday/The Resurrection of the Lord
April 5, 2026
On this blessed Easter morning, we wake up to a truth that changes everything: The tomb is empty. Christ is risen.
In the Gospel from John, Mary Magdalene goes to the tomb "while it was still dark." I always find comfort in that detail — while it was still dark. Resurrection begins in darkness. Hope begins when we can barely see. Faith begins when we do not yet understand.
Across our world today, many walk in different forms of darkness. Families carry the weight of illness and loss. Nations struggle with war, division and uncertainty. Communities wrestle with injustice and inequality. Some come to church filled with joy; others come carrying silent tears.
And yet, it is precisely there — in the darkness — that the stone is rolled away.
Peter, in the reading from the Acts of the Apostles, proclaims something revolutionary: "God shows no partiality." The Resurrection is not for a select few. It is not only for the powerful or the visibly faithful. It is for all. The risen Christ breaks every barrier — culture, race, language, status, past mistakes. Death itself is no longer the final word.
A crucifix hangs before a mural depicting the Resurrection in the sanctuary at St. Timothy Parish in Mesa, Arizona, in this undated file photo. (OSV News/Catholic Sun/J.D. Long-Garcia)
The Psalm declares, "This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad." Notice it does not say, "This was the day" or "This will be the day." It is this day. Today — in 2026. Today — in our homes, our workplaces, our fragile and beautiful world. Resurrection is not only a past event; it is the present.
St. Paul, writing to the Colossians, invites us: "Seek what is above." This does not mean we ignore earthly realities. It means we see them differently. Because Christ is risen, despair is not permanent. Sin is not stronger than grace. Suffering is not meaningless. Our lives are now "hidden with Christ in God." What a tender and intimate image — hidden with Christ. Held. Protected. Known.
In the Gospel, we are told that when the beloved disciple entered the tomb, "he saw and believed." He did not yet understand everything. The Scripture says they still did not fully grasp the meaning of the Resurrection. But he believed.
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This gives me hope as a fellow pilgrim with you. Faith is not the possession of all answers. Faith is stepping into mystery. Faith is standing before the empty tomb of our fears, our doubts, our disappointments — and still trusting that God is at work.
The Resurrection calls us not only to rejoice, but to witness. Easter cannot remain within the walls of the church. It must take flesh in our lives.
When forgiveness replaces resentment, resurrection happens. When truth overcomes deception, resurrection happens. When compassion shapes our choices, resurrection happens. When we protect the dignity of the vulnerable, resurrection happens. Resurrection is whenever love rises again.
Mary Magdalene and Jesus are pictured in a mosaic mural, in a chapel in the Duc In Altum at Magdala, March 31, 2023. (OSV News/Debbie Hill)
Mary Magdalene went to the tomb planning to anoint a dead body. Instead, she encountered the living Lord. How often do we approach situations expecting only disappointment? Easter invites us to expect life. To expect God to surprise us.
The stone that was rolled away from the tomb is also rolled away from our hearts. The fear that locks us inside — it can be moved. The shame we hide — it can be lifted. The grief we think will crush us — it can be transformed.
Christ is risen not only for heaven someday, but for our world today. For every continent and culture. For the elderly person praying quietly at home, for the child singing with joy, for the refugee searching for safety, for the young adult longing for purpose.
Christ's tomb is depicted in a stained-glass window at St. Patrick Church in Smithtown, New York. (OSV News/Gregory A. Shemitz)
The Resurrection tells us: Light is stronger than darkness. Love is stronger than hatred. Life is stronger than death.
As we renew our baptismal promises this Easter, may we remember who we are — a resurrection people. People who carry hope into hopeless places. People who choose kindness in a harsh world. People who believe that God is still writing new stories.
May the risen Christ walk with you in your homes. May he strengthen you in your struggles. May he fill your hearts with courage and peace.
And may we, like the beloved disciple, enter the mystery — see — and believe.
