Acts 10:34a, 37–43; Colossians 3:1–4 or 1 Corinthians 5:6b–8; John 20:1–9

We began this Lenten season with a simple invitation: That you may live. Not merely exist. Not just get through another week. But live. I asked our community to remember that we are, at our best, a people of yes. A community that says yes to God, yes to one another, yes to the quiet promptings of the Spirit. And so I suggested something very practical. One yes each day. Just one. A yes we might not otherwise choose. A phone call returned. A forgiveness offered. A moment of patience instead of irritation. A prayer whispered before reacting. Lent was not meant to be dramatic. It was meant to be lived.

Now we stand together on Easter Sunday here at St. Monica. We have walked through desert days and quiet sacrifices. We have watched 74 members of our OCIA and faith formation say their own courageous yes to becoming one with us in faith. And somewhere along the way, our small daily yeses have begun to change us. That is what resurrection looks like in real time. Not fireworks, but faithfulness. Not perfection, but persistence. We have practiced yes, and now we sing Alleluia.

Easter is not the end of the invitation. It is the beginning of a new rhythm. The tomb is empty. Fear does not have the final word. Regret does not get to define us. The risen Lord meets us in ordinary rooms and ordinary mornings and still asks for our yes. Let that frame the days ahead. One yes at a time. He is risen. Alleluia. Yes. I love you.

Msgr. Lloyd Torgerson
Pastor

Where in my ordinary, everyday life is the risen Lord inviting me to say one simple yes, and what might change if I actually do?