INTRODUCTION
Mga minamahal kong kapatid kay Kristo Jesus at mga kababayan:

Tanggapin po ninyo ang isang maalab at mabiyayang pagbati sa umagang ito mula sa ating Panginoon at tagapagligtas na ngayon ay nabuhay na muli, upang minsan pa ay patunayan na ang kamatayan kailanman ay hindi maaaring magtagumpay. Nagpapasalamat tayo sa Diyos sapagka’t sa pagkabuhay na muli ng kanyang anak na si Jesus, saksi tayo sa katotohanan na ang Diyos ay buhay at mananatiling buhay magpakailanman.
GOD’S INVITATION TO LIFE
Let me extend to you, my dear friends, warm greetings of peace on this blessed Easter morning. Perhaps no other occasion in the Christian calendar celebrates life in a more profound and meaningful way than easter. In the first place, it is the event that dramatizes God’s unceasing invitation to life especially for those who, for one reason or another, have always walked under the shadow of death.

Indeed, Easter, precisely as a symbol for life, is one event that reminds us of that which we commonly share — and which, therefore, we must all defend and protect.

That is why Easter is not a monopoly of one particular religion, one particular people or race. The resurrection of Jesus from the dead is God’s profound act of redemption not merely for a chosen few, but to all, regardless of sectarian belief, race, gender, social class, or ideology.

That also explains the ecumenical character of this celebration. For indeed, we are not here simply to represent our confessional agenda, but to affirm with deep conviction that despite our differences in various issues of life, of church and society, we have a common source of being in the one God who is the author of all.

Only before this God of life can we truly overcome all our differences without losing our individual uniqueness or distinctive contributions as citizens, institutions or stewards.
A MODEL FOR DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE
In fact, it is in this same spirit that brings out the essence of the church in all of us. A church is not a mere collection of similar-minded people, but the coming together of men and women from all walks of life. The Apostle Paul calls it “the body of Christ which has many parts.” yet each part, although different from the rest, has a special function, a distinct vocation, a unique role to play.

This image of the church teaches us something about truly democratic and effective political governance. As president, I am constantly faced with issues and questions, even criticisms, that reflect the variety of institutional agenda, party interests and schools of thought in Philippine society. All these, in fact, are the daily bread of high public officials.

While these are tests of leadership and judgment, they are also the means by which we keep our democracy alive. We must learn to treasure and to heed this diversity of voices — even as we seek consensus and unity, which in the end can only be reached by reaching out and listening kindly to one another.

That process includes our religious community — itself a chorus of many voices — which i have always sought out and respected, knowing that God speaks to us through many voices. Indeed, in my own silent reflections, I realize that the story of easter in the gospel is a lesson on the power of god’s voice — that such power cannot be restrained, imprisoned or stopped by human energies or political authority put together.
THE POWER OF GOD’S VOICE
The last thing the enemies of Jesus wanted to happen was the fulfillment of the prophecy that he was going to be resurrected on the third day. The pharisees were a group of religious leaders at that time who had enormous doubts about the resurrection of the dead.

So, when Jesus finally died on that tragic day, the whole sinful world thought they had finally silenced Jesus once and for all. His sworn enemies celebrated their victory, believing that was the end of it all. To them, Jesus was finished and their problem was finally over.

But, again, it was the power of God’s voice that broke the spirit of human arrogance and shook the foundations of all established opinions about Christ. When on the third day god raised his son from the grave, the religious and political authorities, in whose hands Jesus died, were deeply humiliated — in fact, too embarrassed that they wanted to twist the story.

Matthew’s account in Chapter 28, Verse 11 reads:

While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ if this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble,” so the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day (28:11)).
FOR ALL HAVE SINNED
Even the story of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead was not spared from the craftiness of non-believers, not even from graft and corruption patronized by no less than the chief priests and religious leaders at that time. This only goes to show that graft and corruption or indecency of conduct are matters that can possibly penetrate, not only the circles of those in public service, but men of faith and religious bureaucracies as well.

The Apostle Paul put it aptly when he said. “For all have sinned and fell short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Yet, regardless of who they were or what institutions they represented, it is clear that precisely for reasons of their wanton arrogance and deceptive methods, they were among those who missed the joy and glory of the easter experience.
GOD, THE LAST WORD
What I wish to put across, however, is that, despite all the machinations of sinister forces in society, as the biblical accounts have so beautifully portrayed, the resurrection of Jesus could not be stopped or delayed. In fact, despite the vigilant watchfulness of the guards and the complete control from the power-centers of Jewish society, Jesus quietly rose from the dead just as he promised.

In other words, the resurrection is another way of saying that the last word still belongs to God. The cheering crowd who convicted Jesus on Good Friday thought they had the last word, just as Annas the retired high priest, and Caiaphas, the incumbent high priest, thought they had the last word.

Is this not a sad commentary on almost every aspect of life in our society today? On every issue of life, whether it be in religion, politics or social life, people of questionable interests push their own opinions and views as if they were gospel truths.

Listening to the debates and polemics of our time, it would seem as if these speeches represented nothing less than the last word. No wonder, despite the sincere, best efforts of many, our people continue to be beset by many ills and by the confusion spawned by those who have no respect for the ideas and the needs of others.
EASTER AND THE HUMAN CONDITION
In Jesus’ time, Easter came when the world was wallowing in poverty and spiritual emptiness. It was a time when people moved about aimlessly, not knowing where to turn. It was such a precarious time, because not even those in the business of public governance could be trusted, nor were equipped with moral wisdom to rule with justice and integrity. They had a religious institution represented by the temple, but whose authorities were themselves a class of self-interested and questionable characters.

Nevertheless, Easter came against all odds to prove once and for all that only to the living god belongs the last word, something which the powerful did not understand. True enough, the last ones to experience the glory and hope of easter were the men of power and might. Not even the men of religion and morals as the temple had seen what it was like to meet the risen savior.

Instead, Jesus appeared to the humble women and men who were most aggrieved by his death and whose hopes were shattered by the trauma of Good Friday. This time, however, they were the first to behold the glory and joy of the resurrection. To them, it was finally clear that the last word truly belongs to God.
THE CHURCH AND THE QUEST FOR LIFE
The Easter hope then became the spirit behind the birth of the Christian church. That means the church was among the very first fruits of the resurrection — the church was born and founded on the reality of the living Christ.

Today, we are the inheritors of that church, the legitimate children of the resurrection. As such it is our duty to proclaim Christ as the lord of life against whom death has no power.

Ours as well is the duty of giving life to a society and people that face the threats of death, sickness and hopelessness from day to day. As Christians we are bearers of life to a world that is endangered by its own sinfulness and apostasy. Yes, we can and must proclaim Christ by our life-giving service and active participation in nation-building — by enthroning him at the center of our society and history.
CLOSING
Kaya, mga minamahal kong kapatid, tayo ay kabahagi rin sa buhay na ipinagkaloob ng Diyos sa kanyang anak. Ating bigyan ng daan ang buhay na iyan upang siyang maging ilaw ng ating bansa. At kung dumadanas man tayo ng mga pagsubok at kahirapan, ay makita natin na tanging ang Diyos na buhay lamang ang maaaring maging kasagutan sa lahat ng ating mga dalangin.

Patuloy nating ipahayag ang pagliligtas ni Kristo Jesus, na sa kanyang pagkabuhay na muli, tayo ay may matibay at bagong pag-asa.

At sa wakas, ang sambayanang Pilipino nawa ay maging maka-diyos, maka-kalikasan, makatao at makabansa!!

A happy and glorious Easter to all!

Maraming salamat sa inyong lahat!