Pope Francis has declared 2025 as the “Jubilee Year of Hope.” Hope is at the heart of who we are as a Christian people, and Christ’s Resurrection is our source of hope. The Resurrected Christ is the Light that overcomes the darkness of our world. His Resurrection gives us the hope that God’s grace is more powerful than sin, life is more powerful than death, and hate will be overcome by love. The empty tomb means new beginnings for all of creation (a message reflected in the tapestries on the west wall of St. Isidore’s worship space).
We are called to live in this new creation. Our hope is for a better world with a better future for refugees, the poor, the sick, the lonely, the depressed, the abused, the paranoid, and the downtrodden. As Christian people of hope, it is our mission to do all that we can to create this new world. Thus, Easter is not just a dayâit is a way of life.
In his first letter to the Corinthians, St. Paul speaks of our hope that arises from Christ’s Resurrection. Notice that he does not write, “Therefore, since you have such a great hope, sit back and relax because God has a great future in store for you.” Instead, he writes, “Therefore, my beloved ones, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, because you know that in the Lord your labor is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58).
At Mass today, we distributed Easter cards with this Connecting Point, “Hope in Him.” The card, created by our Director of Engagement, Matt Kush, displays a powerful design for which he offers the following reflection:
This yearâs Easter card features a darker design than usual, but thatâs intentional. In a world that often feels heavy with division, fear, and uncertainty, the dark background represents the reality of those struggles. But from that darkness, light breaks through. The glowing doorway is a powerful symbol of the stone rolled away, not from the outside looking in, but from inside the tomb looking outâas if weâre seeing the moment Jesus steps into the light of Resurrection. The beam of light stretching forward reminds us that hope doesnât stay buried; it moves with us. Paired with the message, âHope in Him,â this card is a reminder that Easter is more than a dayâitâs an invitation to walk forward in the light of Christ, even when the world feels dark.
We hope that you will put the card in an accessible place where you may see it and reflect on it daily. May it encourage you to live each day in the hope of the Resurrected Christ.
