His Holiness Pope Francis Presides over Easter Sunday Mass
As the Church celebrates the most joyous day of the liturgical year, His Holiness Pope Francis presides over Mass on Easter Sunday in St. Peter’s Square to mark the Resurrection of Christ.
His Holiness Pope Francis at Mass
By Devin Watkins
Over 45,000 pilgrims filled a sunny St. Peter’s Square on Easter Sunday morning.
The Catholic faithful were joined by tens of thousands of flowers from the Netherlands, which adorned the steps leading up to the Vatican Basilica and continued an annual tradition begun in 1985.
His Holiness Pope Francis presided over the Mass on the Solemnity of the Resurrection of the Lord, better known as Easter Sunday.
Death defeated
The Pope did not deliver a homily at the Sunday morning Mass, since he had already delivered his reflections the night before.
His Holiness Pope Francis at Mass
At the Easter Vigil Mass, Pope Francis had reflected on the surprise and joy of the women who visited the tomb where Jesus had been laid.
Instead of Jesus’ lifeless body, the women found an empty tomb and an angel who told them that He had been raised from the dead.
As the Pope noted, the women “went away quickly from the tomb, fearful yet overjoyed, and ran to announce this to His disciples.”
In the same way, he added, Easter should motivate all Christians to “leave behind our sense of defeat, to roll away the stone of the tombs in which we often imprison our hope, and to look with confidence to the future, for Christ is risen and has changed the direction of history.”
In spite of our dreary routine, said Pope Francis, we must harness the power of Easter to revive the “beauty of that moment we realized that He is alive and we made Him the Lord of our lives.”
Paschal resilience
The Pope’s Mass on Sunday morning wrapped up a whirlwind Paschal Triduum—or three days of Easter.
This news was originally published on the Vatican News website. Please click here to read the full text.