The face of the Church's Easter

Padre Geovane Saraiva* Easter is the victory of life over death, bringing hope and great opportunity to the human creature take a new life, a different life. In the Church, "memory" or "presence" and "prophecy" is a triad that includes the only departure from Easter, with the Risen Lord as the center. We Christians, who live in this city of Fortaleza, we must have a concrete action, that responds the wishes of all who live here. Dom Aloisio, in the letter pastoral about the use and ownership of urban land 5/31/1989, said: "The city deveser to man and not man for the city. It should be a space courtyard solidary for all who live in it, living it is of convergence result of efforts to make the city more human and also a Christian "-a city, really, more of Easter. Easter must be a process that takes place and what happens through the ethical commitment in pastoral action work, in social life and the most different activities who believe and have faith and the future of mankind and that "Christ Our Passover "with all his strength, renewed and full of grace aface leaves the earth, particularly in our city of Fortaleza. In 1968, the Latin America bishops, meeting at the 2nd Conference of Medellin, Colombia that the opening was attended by Pope Paul VI, undertook show that to the world the face of a Church of Easter, saying the world who her could walking with humanity, a pilgrim and missionary in history, specifically wanting to liberate their people and be a sign of the Kingdom of God and his plan of love (cf. Medellin, 5, 15). In Medellin, "liberation" was the most important keyword. The big challenge for us all is to present today's world signs that we are Christians passionate about the project Passover of Jesus, and that "is not built without sacrifice, without self-renunciation, without a cross" (Cardinal Lorscheider). The liturgy of Easter (Easter Vigil), in the words of St. Augustine, is the "Mother of all the celebrations" which, with their ancient rites, in all its beauty, its poetic depht while prophetic, must encourage and challenge us. Remain only in the ritual, would be very sad at the heart of God. Easter must be a cry, an announcement and proclamation, in one faith, the search for new one world which has its beginning in hope and love of God, who wants human person and performed well with life. When we have a Easter Church truly? We are challenged to build this church, by force and grace, born of Easter. Happy Easter!  *Standing Geovane Saraiva, pastor of St. Alphonsus Church - Fortaleza - Ceara - Brazil Trad. Rhubens Levy