4/5/2026 The Resurrection of the Lord (Family Mass)

Devotional

Day 1: The First Witnesses to the Resurrection

The women were the first to go to the tomb in the early morning, driven by their love and devotion. They did not find a body but instead encountered angels and the risen Lord Himself. They were given a message to carry: "Do not be afraid." Their response was immediate and full of faith, running to share the good news with the others. Their example shows us the importance of seeking Christ, even in places that seem to hold only death. [18:30]

So they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid. [Some of the earliest manuscripts do not include 16:9–20.] Now when he rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons. She went and told those who had been with him, as they mourned and wept. But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it.
Mark 16:8-11 (ESV)

Reflection: Who are the people in your life that you trust to bring you news of God's presence and activity? How can you be a more faithful witness, like the women at the tomb, to share the hope of the resurrection with others?

Day 2: Running to See and Believe

Upon hearing the news, the disciples ran to the tomb to see for themselves. They found it empty, just as the women had said. The empty tomb was a physical sign that demanded a response, moving them from sorrow to the beginnings of faith. This act of running signifies an active, urgent seeking after the truth of Christ's promises. Their journey invites us to move toward the evidence of God's work in our own lives. [20:02]

So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb. Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus' head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed.
John 20:3-8 (ESV)

Reflection: What is one area in your life where you are being called to move from passive hearing to active investigation, to "run and see" for yourself what God has done?

Day 3: Renewing Our Foundational Promises

Easter is a time to remember and renew the vows made at our baptism. These promises are the foundation of our life in Christ, where we consciously renounce sin and affirm our belief in God. This renewal is not a mere memory but a powerful re-commitment to live in the newness of life that the resurrection makes possible. It is an invitation to continually return to our first love and our core identity as children of God. [23:23]

Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
Romans 6:3-4 (ESV)

Reflection: As you reflect on your baptismal promises to renounce sin and profess faith, which one feels most alive to you today, and which one might need a conscious renewal in your heart?

Day 4: The Paschal Joy That Overcomes Death

The resurrection is not a simple happy ending; it is God's definitive victory over sin and death. This victory infuses our lives with a profound and lasting joy that circumstances cannot destroy. This Paschal joy is our strength and our song, a gift that allows us to face all things with hope. It is a joy that must be shared and celebrated within the community of faith. [37:11]

But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.
1 Corinthians 15:20-22 (ESV)

Reflection: Where in your current circumstances are you most in need of the resurrection's victory to replace a spirit of fear or defeat with one of joy and hope?

Day 5: Nourished to Become One Body

In the Eucharist, we are nourished by the very body and blood of the risen Lord. This sacred meal is the source of our strength and the bond of our unity. We are not merely fed as individuals but are transformed together into one body in Christ. This mystery calls us to deeper communion with God and with each other, sending us out to be a living sacrifice in the world. [41:53]

The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.
1 Corinthians 10:16-17 (ESV)

Reflection: How does receiving the Eucharist challenge you to move beyond personal piety and actively contribute to the unity and love of the wider community?

Sermon Summary

Easter liturgy unfolds as a vibrant proclamation of risen life, rooted in Scripture, sacrament, and communal witness. The narrative of the women who first ran to the tomb anchors the assembly’s attention: they arrive bearing care and find the tomb empty, meet angelic reassurance, and are sent to proclaim that Christ lives. The Gospel account of Peter and John racing to the tomb emphasizes the shift from doubt to conviction when the reality of resurrection confronts the senses and heart. That encounter becomes the model for a faith that moves from hearsay to lived assurance.

The assembly marks this Paschal joy with concrete renewal: baptismal promises receive public affirmation, renouncing evil and professing belief in Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This ritual frames Christian identity as rebirth by water and spirit, calling participants to live newness of life. Prayer intentions then widen the focus to family, children, the next generation, and the global community, asking that faith be passed on and that mercy and peace prevail.

The Eucharistic prayer ties resurrection theology to sacrificial thanksgiving, portraying Christ as the true Paschal Lamb whose death destroys death and whose rising restores life. Bread and wine become the eucharistic presence that nourishes unity, sanctifies the people, and equips them for mission. Intercessions name the local church, clergy, the departed, and the world’s needs, situating personal devotion within the Church’s catholicity.

Communion, peace exchanges, and the blessing conclude the liturgy with pastoral care and commissioning: the community receives a blessing to live in light, love, and transformed presence. Thanks to ministers, choirs, and volunteers underscores the parish’s collaborative worship. The closing blessing sends the faithful forth to embody Easter’s promise, urging steadfastness against sin and confident hope in final resurrection. The overall tone combines joyful proclamation, sacramental renewal, and a deliberate charge to hand down an active, unafraid faith to coming generations.

Key Takeaways

1. Empty tomb calls for believing An encounter with the empty tomb moves faith from intellectual assent to embodied trust. Seeing the grave clothes and hearing angelic words confronts doubt and invites personal conviction. This belief proves practical: it changes how people live, speak, and carry hope into everyday fear. The empty tomb insists that faith must be witnessed and acted upon. [20:38]
2. Women first to proclaim resurrection Women who went to the tomb model urgent, faithful ministry rooted in love and service. Their attention to burial care turns into the first proclamation of new life, showing how attentive love breaks bad news and bears hope. Their witness challenges any minimization of lay or female roles in God’s redemptive work. Faith often moves fastest through those who care. [18:30]
3. Renew baptismal vows this Easter Public renewal of baptismal promises re-centers identity on dying and rising with Christ rather than mere cultural belonging. Renouncing evil and affirming faith in the Trinity refreshes moral resolve and communal responsibility. This ritual re-anchors daily choices in the reality of rebirth by water and the Spirit. Baptismal renewal calls for consistent living of baptized commitments. [23:23]
4. Faith entrusted to the next generation Passing faith requires intentional teaching, affectionate presence, and concrete practice within family and parish life. The liturgy frames intergenerational responsibility as sacred: what adults hand on shapes future discipleship and resilience. Christians must therefore cultivate practices that children see, touch, and join. Faith formation becomes a task of both catechesis and consistent witness. [22:02]
5. Eucharist nourishes unity and life The Eucharistic prayer links Christ’s Paschal mystery to communal sanctification, making sacrament the source of unity and mission. Receiving the body and blood commits the community to live as one body, transformed by grace and sent in charity. Eucharist thus becomes both nourishment and commissioning for ongoing witness in the world. [36:49]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[02:52] - Greeting Families and Children
[03:45] - Contrition and Baptismal Renewal Mention
[06:25] - Opening Prayer: Victory Over Death
[18:30] - Women Run to the Tomb
[20:38] - John Sees and Believes
[21:40] - Call to Rise and Renew
[23:23] - Renewal of Baptismal Promises
[28:45] - Universal Prayers & Children’s Petitions
[36:49] - Eucharistic Prayer and Consecration
[41:20] - Offering and Church Unity
[44:26] - The Lord’s Prayer
[48:00] - Communion Rite
[66:06] - Closing Prayer for the Church
[69:33] - Thanks, Blessing, and Dismissal

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading
John 20:1-8 (ESV)
Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb. Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus' head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed.

Observation questions

What did the women who first went to the tomb expect to find, and what did they actually discover? [18:30]
According to the passage, what specific details did Peter and John observe inside the tomb that helped them believe?
How does the renewal of baptismal promises during Easter connect to the theme of new life in Christ? [23:23]
What role does the Eucharist play in uniting the community and equipping them for mission? [36:49]

Interpretation questions

Why might John have believed upon seeing the empty tomb and the linen cloths, even before seeing the risen Jesus?
How does the witness of the women at the tomb challenge cultural assumptions about who God uses to proclaim important news? [18:30]
In what ways does renewing baptismal vows publicly reinforce a Christian’s identity and commitment? [23:23]
What does it mean for the Eucharist to be both a source of nourishment and a commissioning for mission? [36:49]

Application questions

Where in your life right now is God calling you to move from simply knowing about Jesus to truly believing and trusting Him—especially in areas of fear or uncertainty? [20:38]
The women at the tomb were motivated by love and service. What practical act of love can you do this week that might become an opportunity to share hope with someone?
When you renewed your baptismal promises, you renounced evil and affirmed your faith in the Trinity. What is one specific way you can live out that “I do” in your family or workplace this week? [23:23]
How can you intentionally help the next generation—whether your children, grandchildren, or young people in the church—see and experience faith in a way that is real and attractive to them? [22:02]
In what ways does receiving Communion change the way you see yourself and others in the body of Christ? How can that unity be expressed in your relationships? [36:49]
Who in your life needs to hear “Do not be afraid” from you this week? How can you offer them Christ’s peace and reassurance? [21:21]
Easter is about new life. What old habit, thought pattern, or sin is God inviting you to leave behind in the tomb so you can walk in newness of life?

Sermon Clips

47s

#BaptismalRenewal

“And let's tell the children, we love you. We always support you. And in the most important place is our family and our parish and our school. So my brothers and sisters, let us rise now, and I have a question together with assistant of deacon. Question that in the Easter time, we renew our baptismal promises. Dear brothers and sisters, through the Paschal mysteries, we have been buried with Christ in baptism so that we may walk with him in newness of life.”

43s

#EmptyTombBelief

“And the author of this gospel, John second come, and this passage for gospel is very important. He saw empty tomb and believe. He wrote about himself. It means before they believe but so so. You know, Jesus said something but he was crucified, died three days. But John apostle wrote in the gospel, when he go to the empty tomb and saw that Jesus is not here, he believe.”

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4/5/2026 The Resurrection of the Lord (Family Mass)

Devotional

Day 1: The First Witnesses to the Resurrection

Day 2: Running to See and Believe

Day 3: Renewing Our Foundational Promises

Day 4: The Paschal Joy That Overcomes Death

Day 5: Nourished to Become One Body

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

4/5/2026 The Resurrection of the Lord (Family Mass)

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