Dear Friend,

Happy Easter from all of us at Word on Fire!

The Resurrection of Jesus from the dead is the be-all and the end-all of the Christian faith. If Jesus didn’t rise from the dead, then all of those who profess the Christian faith are basically crazy.

As St. Paul himself puts it: “if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation has been in vain. . . . If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied” (1 Cor. 15:14, 19). ” That is what is at stake on Easter Sunday and throughout the New Testament. The claim of Jesus’ Resurrection is the hinge upon which everything turns.

But Jesus was, in fact, raised from the dead, and his Resurrection shows that Christ can gather back to the Father everyone whom he has embraced through his suffering love. And that means we should make him the center of our lives.

So today is a good day to pose that question to yourself: Is Jesus the center of my life? If so, how can I continue to grow in holiness? If not, why not? And what can I do to embrace the truth of the Resurrection and reorder my life around Christ?

Word on Fire exists to help people learn the truth about Christ’s mercy and to answer those questions for themselves. Our mission is to proclaim the joy of the resurrection to the culture and draw people into—or back to—the light of Christ.

Evangelization is not a spectator sport, and the work of this apostolate is also to equip people like you with the training, confidence, and faith to be an effective evangelist in your own family, parish, and community. I pray that the Holy Spirit will guide you in these efforts!

Happy Easter and may God bless you!

In Christ,

Bishop Robert Barron