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Saint Josemaria
Quotations from Saint Josemaria

The Resurrection of Our Lord

Tags: Joy, Gospel, Jesus Christ
When evening fell on the Sabbath, Mary Magdalen and Mary, the mother of James, and Salome bought spices that, going, they might anoint the dead body of Jesus. Very early on the following day, when the sun has already risen, they come to the sepulcher (Mark 16:1-2). And upon entering they are dismayed, for they do not find the body of Our Lord. A youth, clothed in white, says to them: Fear not. I know that you seek Jesus of Nazareth: non est hic, surrexit enim sicut dixit, He is not here, for He has risen, as He said (Mt. 28:5).
He has risen! Jesus has risen. He is not in the sepulcher. Life has overcome death.
He appeared to His most Holy Mother. He appeared to Mary of Magdala, who is carried away with love. And to Peter and the rest of the Apostles. And to you and me, who are His disciples and more in love than Magdalen: the things we say to Him!
May we never die through sin; may our spiritual resurrection be eternal. And before this decade is over, you have kissed the wounds on His feet..., and I, more daring because I am more a child, have placed my lips upon His open side.
Holy Rosary, 11

“Christ is alive.” This is the great truth which fills our faith with meaning. Jesus, who died on the cross, has risen. He has triumphed over death; he has overcome sorrow, anguish and the power of darkness. “Do not be terrified” was how the angels greeted the women who came to the tomb. “Do not be terrified. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here.”
Christ Is Passing By, 102

The Lord’s triumph, on the day of the Resurrection, is final. Where are the soldiers the rulers posted there? Where are the seals that were fixed to the stone of the tomb? Where are those who condemned the Master? Where are those who crucified Jesus? He is victorious, and faced with his victory those poor wretches have all taken flight.
Be filled with hope: Jesus Christ is always victorious.
Forge, 660

Jesus is the Emmanuel: God with us. His resurrection shows us that God does not abandon his own. He promised he would not: “Can a woman forget her baby that is still unweaned, pity no longer the son she bore in her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you.” And he has kept his promise. His delight is still to be with the sons of men.
Christ Is Passing By, 102

It’s not easy. But we have a clear guide, which we should not and cannot do without. We are loved by God, and we will let the Holy Spirit act in us and purify us, so that we can embrace the Son of God on the cross, and rise with him, because the joy of the resurrection is rooted in the cross.
Christ Is Passing By, 66

Christ gives us his risen life, he rises in us, if we become sharers in his cross and his death. We should love the cross, self-sacrifice and mortification. Christian optimism is not something sugary, nor is it a human optimism that things will “work out well.” No, its deep roots are awareness of freedom and faith in grace. It is an optimism which makes us be demanding with ourselves. It gets us to make a real effort to respond to God’s call.
Not so much despite our wretchedness but in some way through it, through our life as men of flesh and blood and dust, Christ is shown forth: in our effort to be better, to have a love which wants to be pure, to overcome our selfishness, to give ourselves fully to others - to turn our existence into a continuous service.
Christ Is Passing By, 114