Happy Easter!

The Disciples Peter and John Running to the Sepulchre on the Morning of the Resurrection. (More often referred to as "The Disciples" or "Les Disciples") is a painting by Swiss painter Eugène Burnand. It hangs in the Musée d’Orsay, in Paris.

Dear Friends,

Happy Easter! He is Risen, Alleluia!

Each year, I find that something new stands out to me in the Easter liturgy. In recent years, it's been the Exsultet and its praise of the “happy fault” of Adam; the declaration in Genesis that all God has made—including you and me—is “very good”; the assurance from Isaiah 54, “Though the mountains leave their place and the hills be shaken, my love shall never leave you”; and the joy of watching friends enter the Church at the Easter Vigil.

This year, what struck me most wasn't a line from Scripture or a liturgical moment—but a painting, the one I've shared above. It’s a depiction of Easter morning as told in John 20:1–9, when Peter and John—the disciple whom Jesus loved—run to the tomb. They’ve heard from Mary Magdalene that the tomb is empty. We, with 2,000+ years of hindsight, know what they will find, but they don't. Because of the urgency of Mary Magdalene's message, they run to the tomb. Why do they run? Because the message they have heard brings them something they thought was lost; they run because they have hope.

That hope—so clearly painted on their faces—pushes through their sadness, fear, and guilt. John, who remained at the foot of the cross, is still anxious. Peter, who denied Jesus, still carries his shame. Look at their faces in the painting and remember the story! Hope drives them forward. Could it be true? Has their teacher, their friend, their Lord conquered death? Could forgiveness really be possible?

As modern Christians, we know the answer: yes! Jesus is risen (truly, he is risen!), he forgives our sins, Heaven is real and open to those who accept God's Grace. And yet, anxiety, guilt, fear, and even hopelessness still tug at our hearts. We are called to be people of Joy and Hope, so what do we do with this mix of knowledge and uncertainty, of faith and human frailty? Saint Paul offers us a clue in the Easter readings, in 1 Corinthians 5: “Do you not know that a little yeast leavens all the dough?”'

This is our call as a parish and especially here at Saint Peter School. We are not a massive institution, nor are we perfect. But we are leaven for the community around us. Through the Grace of God, our small acts of faith, our daily efforts to form young hearts and minds, our work to create a community that seeks to serve; these things can raise up the whole. The students, your children, that we all teach, guide, and love—they have the capacity to transform the world.

So let us RUN during Easter with the same hope that stirred Peter and John—not because we are certain of every step, or even because we feel our efforts will make immediate change; we run because we believe in the One who calls us forward, because we hope to be leaven for others, and because we know that even death has no sting!

Christ is Risen, and so we rejoice! Alleluia!

With Easter joy,

Dr. Evan Kristiansen

P.S. Looking forward to seeing you all back at school on Monday April 28th!