Exult! Let us exult at the triumph of our mighty King! Yes, this is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad! So sings the Exultet: that ancient hymn that proclaims the mystery of the Resurrection at the Easter Vigil. And it is right that we sing it, because there is no greater day than this. This is the day when light triumphed over darkness, when life conquered death, when the gate salvation was open to all sinners. This is the day of the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ; and we are truly blessed to witness it.

How did it happen? The Gospel says that it was the dawn of the first day of the week. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary made their way to the tomb; hearts heavy, steps uncertain, trembling with grief. But suddenly, the earth shook. An Angel of the Lord descended from heaven, rolled back the great stone that sealed the tomb, and sat upon it, with great radiance.

In that single moment, everything changed.  The stone was rolled away not so that Jesus could get out; He had already risen. It was rolled away so that we could look in. So that all could see and understand: the tomb is empty. The Christ, the Giver of life, has reclaimed it. He is freed from the sting of death. He has risen and in rising, He has flung open the gates of heaven for all who believe in Him.

And there the Angel remained, seated upon that stone, as if to say: no one will seal this truth again. No one will cover up the reality of the empty tomb. The angel sat there as a witness, much like John the Baptist before him, who was sent to announce the Good News of His birth. And wasting no time, the Angel enlisted helpers; Mary Magdalene and the other Mary: "Do not be afraid," the angel said. "I know you are looking for Jesus the crucified. He is not here — He has been raised, just as He said. Go quickly and tell His disciples: He has been raised from the dead."

This is where the Easter celebration starts. The "Aha!" moment. The moment of discovery. Imagine Mary Magdalene and the disciples, running, breathless, and as they run, everything begins to fall into place. Memories flood back; all the things Jesus said, all the teachings they had heard but perhaps not fully understood, now are becoming clear to them: "Wait… He said He would be handed over, crucified, killed — but that He would rise on the third day." Like dawn ending the longest, most hopeless night, the silence of Holy Saturday is finally shattered — and the conclusion is undeniable: "If He has truly risen from the dead, then everything He said is true." Totoo nga Pala ! Totoo nga pala ang lahat ng itinuro Niya sa atin. Totoo nga pala: Siya ang daan, ang katotohanan, at ang buhay. Siya ang tinapay na nagbibigay-buhay. Siya ang liwanag sa kadiliman. Siya ang Mesiyas na matagal na nating hinihintay — ang Isa na dumating hindi upang pawalang-saysay ang kautusan, kundi upang tuparin ito.

Siya ang ating Tagapagligtas na isinugo ng Diyos Ama upang palayain ang mga nasa bilangguan, upang bigyan ng paningin ang mga bulag, upang ipahayag ang pabor ng Diyos sa mga dukha. Totoo nga pala si Jesus ang Tagapagligtas natin. And so they went, quickly, with great joy, to announce the Good News to the disciples.

Throughout this Octave of Easter, we will walk with the disciples as they, too, receive the news. It will not always be smooth. There will be denial. There will be hesitation. There will be fear. But gradually, as it happened for Mary Magdalene, the truth will break through. Until they, too, can say it with their whole heart: "Totoo nga pala. Muling nabuhay si Jesus." And so, may we also be given the grace, during this holy Easter season, to have our own personal encounter with the Risen Lord. One that shakes us, frees us from our fears, dissolves our doubts, that we find ourselves saying, from the very depths of our heart: "Totoo nga pala." A realization so deep, so life-changing, that it moves us to give our lives entirely to Jesus; and to go forth, like Mary Magdalene, like the disciples, ready to announce this Good News to all creation. Happy Easter!