Archbishop: Easter a dilemma and enigma which can only be understood through ‘one’s heart’

Easter can only be understood through “one’s heart” Archbishop Charles Scicluna said during his homily on Easter Sunday.

“Easter is a dilemma and an enigma to the mind: it defies logic,” he told believers celebrating Mass at St John’s Co-Cathedral.

Scicluna made reference to the Gospel reading of the day: the Gospel of John’s account of the discovery of the empty tomb of Jesus by Mary Magdalene.

He said the disciples did not yet understand from scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead, while observing how Jesus’ followers did not witness any “victorious moment, as one might imagine” when celebrating Easter processions.

“Easter is not self-evident. It is not something that forces itself on us or takes away our freedom. But it engages us on a very deep and profound level,” he said.

He recalled the episcopal motto of 19th century English theologian and cardinal St John Henry Newman: cor ad cor loquitur (heart speaks unto heart).

Scicluna said was the heart that motivated Mary Magdalene to seek Peter and the beloved disciple. “All three were witnesses to Jesus’ death on the cross and his burial, and had now become witnesses of the empty tomb which they had understood to be Jesus’ final resting place.”

“As we celebrate Easter, let us ask the Lord to speak to our hearts and enlighten our lives with his peace and his joy,” the Archbishop told believers.

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