Cedric Pisegna - Easter Is For Everybody
Hi, I’m Father Cedric Pisegna, the host of «Live With Passion». I want to begin by wishing you a happy, blessed Easter. I want to share with you the reading from Paul the apostle. This is chapter 3 of his letter to the Philippians. He said that «I want to know Christ and the power flowing from his resurrection that I may share his sufferings, become like him in his death, and if possible attain the resurrection from the dead».
A blessed Easter to you. Easter is for everybody. It’s for you, and it’s for me. Christ being raised from the dead, the most monumental moment in the history of humanity, means that he is the firstborn from the dead. Just as God raised Jesus from the dead, he’s gonna raise you, and he’s gonna raise me, and we have this living, that’s what the Bible says in 1 Peter, it’s a living hope. Hope is alive. It was Emily Dickinson years ago that wrote, «Hope is that thing with feathers». You know what feathers do for a bird? They make the bird fly, and our hope fortifies us against the hardships of life, it strengthens us, it gives us courage to face life, to even face our own death.
This Easter morning more than anything and everything, we have hope. Oh, I want to fill you with hope this morning. I want to share with you a couple of words I was thinking about when it comes to Easter, the meaning of Easter. How 'bout this, new life, freshness, strength, power, victory, resilience, resurgence, reawakening. Easter is that and so much more. Can’t help but get excited, there’s energy, there’s passion. The Easter season in the Catholic Church is 50 days because we need time to soak this in. Fifty days, Lent was for forty, but easter’s for fifty days. It’s not just one day, it’s a whole season to receive. I think about what the scripture says, the gospel, about who it was, get this, this is huge, who it was that Jesus appeared to first of all. It wasn’t to the high priests, it wasn’t to King Herod to say that «I am the way, the truth, and the life,» and to Pontius Pilate that crucified him.
Wasn’t to all the political leaders, wasn’t to all the highfalutin religious people, it was to a woman; and a woman at that time was lower class in society, not only a woman, we’re talkin' about Mary Magdalene, but a woman out of whom was passed seven devils, that’s what the Scripture says about Mary Magdalene. She had some things going on. She’s the one that go to the Apostles and tells them Jesus is risen from the dead.
Do you know what that tells me? That the Resurrection, the story of the Resurrection, the narrative, the truth of the Resurrection is for everybody. It’s for you and for me. It’s for people that are going to church, and, and this is happening a lot on Easter and Christmas, for people that don’t go to church, the people that have fallen away, the people that are having doubts. This Easter message about the resurrection of Jesus is for you, whether you’re addicted or doubting or sinful. I doubt you have seven devils living inside of you, but she was the first one to hear the message, and that tells me everything. That the Christian message, the gospel message is for all people.
Hope lasts forever, the Bible says. There’s three things that last forever, faith, hope, and love, and hope in heaven will be hope realized, and we are saved by hope. One of the Popes promulgated an encyclical called, «Saved By Hope». Our hope, as I said, it fortifies us and strengthens us and energizes us to be able to face the adversities of the world, so I pray that you will be filled with hope on this beautiful morning, this time of Easter, this Easter season. I’ve always been fascinated by the shroud of Turin. Turin is a city in Italy, and they came upon this shroud with an image upon it, a negative image of a man who had been crucified. And scientists have done studies on the shroud, and what they found out with carbon dating and with other scientific experiments, they have found out that there was some type of an intense burst of light that they cannot reenact even with all of our technology that made, they called it an ultraviolet radiation.
If you had 14,000 excimer lasers, you couldn’t do the same thing, and it ended up being perfect photograph negative in 3D of a man who was crucified. Many are calling this the relic of the Resurrection, and I think it’s true. We even have proof through the shroud of Turin, but I don’t even need the shroud of Turin. There’s more proof than that, I’ll share that with you in a couple moments. I want you to understand that this resurrection that happened 2,000 years ago of Jesus, this explosive burst of power is available for you now. You don’t need the shroud of Turin to prove it. You can experience it through the grace that is the Holy Spirit.
That’s why Paul was saying in Philippians 3, I go back to the reading, he said, «I want to know the power of Christ’s resurrection, and then I want to attain resurrection from the dead». So, he’s saying two things. He’s saying that you can experience resurrection now, today, right where you are, and it’s for you and for me, and when it’s time that I may attain resurrection from the dead. So, I hope you get that. Resurrection is, of course, the resurrection of the body, but it’s also this new, abundant, energetic life that comes in the Holy Spirit. When it comes to experiencing it, I want you to know that there’s a flow, if you will.
Think about electricity flowing through a cord, and I’m talking about major wattage here, major volts going through that cord, there’s a flow of energy coming from this monumental event that we can all experience. That’s why Paul said that, I want to know this, he said. Of course, he already did know it to a degree, but he wants to know it more, and I do too, 'cause I’ve tasted and I’ve seen the goodness of the Lord, and I want more of the glory, more of the power. Jesus said, «Behold, I give you power».
This morning on Easter, this Easter morning, power, energy. If you are addicted to whatever substance, power to come into recovery. You can do it. It’s a new day. If you are grieving, energy to go forward and not stay stuck. If you have negativity and doubts, illumination to be positive and to have faith that yes, the Resurrection is real. I’m talking about resurgence and resilience, a reawakening with God, perhaps that’s where the power is greatest. You can have something real in the Holy Spirit with God. This isn’t just a historical event from 2,000 years ago, and the Resurrection isn’t just some event that’s going to happen in the future, it’s for right now. I think you get that message. The Bible tells us that over and over and over again.
Read Romans chapter 8, life in the Holy Spirit, about how the spirit comes, that «The Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, then that Holy Spirit will raise you from the dead». That’s a direct quote from Romans chapter 8, and that resurrection, as Paul writes about it, isn’t just for the hereafter, for the here and now. Wow, love Easter. Easter and Christmas, what wonderful solemnities, what wonderful feast days, and that’s why I produce a program called «Live With Passion». Passion is that God energy that comes by the grace of the Holy Spirit. It’s resurrection power, not so much your body being resurrected, but your innermost heart, your spirit, your being, your mind, your attitude. Whew, resurrection.
Hope means that death is not the end. It’s abundant life. Has a double meaning, abundance now, and hope for the future. Paul the apostle makes these, the only way to put it is audacious statements. Get this, he points death, he points his finger at death, and he goes, «Death, where is your sting? Death, where is your victory? Thanks be to God,» he says, «who gives us the victory in Jesus». Can you imagine? Death is the thing that everybody’s afraid of, it’s the primal fear. In the Bible, the book of Hebrews talks about the fear of death, and here’s Paul pointing his finger at it, saying, «Where’s your sting? We’ve got the victory». That’s what Easter is, the victory of our God.
One Easter, I’m visiting my mom in Florida, and that morning I got up early, I wanted to see the sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean, and I’m sitting there on the steps, nobody around, there’s the beach, there’s the ocean, here’s the sunrise, and I’m thinking about people goin' to Mass all around the East Coast as the sun rises. You know, they have the sunrise services on Easter morning. And I’m thinking about all the hallelujahs that are being sung, and people happy because they’re celebrating Easter. All of a sudden, I hear a voice, I hear a voice in my heart. Picture the moment now, I’m on the beach all alone, it’s Easter morning, and the voice I heard said to me, «Cedric, you believe in the Resurrection. But do you believe that you can experience resurrection now»?
And as I sat there, grace was flowing into me, and I started thinking about my attitude and how sometimes I can be negative. And God was telling me, «Cedric, you can be raised up, you can be positive». Those of you who are doubting, you can have faith. I was thinking about emotions like fear, and fear had had a grip on me for many years, panic attacks and all that, and how God was saying, «Cedric, you can experience fortitude and courage and be strong». I was thinking about people that are depressed and people that are down in spirit and discouraged, and God was saying, «You can be reappointed, and you can be encouraged and raised up». And what I experienced on the beach was exactly what Paul was saying. He said, «I want to know Christ and the power of his Resurrection».
This led to me writing a book. That experience, that Easter moment on the beach led to me writing a book, and it’s called, «Rise». Yes, we’re gonna rise, we believe, on the last day. Jesus taught us that, he said, and no one has ever said this, he said, «I am the resurrection. I am the life. Whoever believes in me will never die». Oh, but we can experience that resurrection even now, that new life in Christ, and I wrote a book called «Rise» talking about our thoughts, our emotions, our relationship, and especially our relationship with God, because resurrection has to do with our God relationship. If you’re feeling empty or feeling dry, there can be new life.
For the 50 days of Easter, the Catholic Church reads the Acts of the Apostles, and we hear all about the miracles and about the preaching and about the Holy Spirit working. Some scholars have called the Acts of the Apostles the Acts of the Holy Spirit because really it’s the Holy Spirit using people as instruments, doing all these beautiful things, and proclaiming the gospel all around the known world, wow. Resurrection is for right now. Because of Easter, fears don’t have to dominate us, doubts don’t have to have their way, depression doesn’t have to overwhelm us, worry and discouragement doesn’t have to have the last word. Life has the last word. Resurrection is power. It’s the power of the Holy Spirit alive within… talk about a burst of energy. It wasn’t just on the shroud of Turin, we’re talking about radiating grace, victory, overcoming, achieving, being lifted up, being fruitful, that’s what Easter is all about.
One time I had a teenager come visit me. He knew I was a priest, he was Catholic, he said, «Father Cedric, it’s Easter,» and he said, «at church they’re singing hallelujah, there’s Easter lilies everywhere, the priest is preaching about the Resurrection,» and he said, «Father Cedric, I gotta be honest with you and tell you that I’m sitting there doubting, because the priest wasn’t there, the people weren’t there. How do we know there was a Resurrection»? And maybe you’re thinking that, especially if you haven’t been going to church, you’ve been having doubts, and you’re thinking, yeah, is Easter just this cultural thing society has? Easter bunnies and all that? Is that what Easter is?
Well, it’s a lot more than that. Faith comes by hearing, and as you hear the truth, I believe God is resurrecting you, changing your doubts into faith, changing your faith into trust, and changing your trust into a deep, personal relationship with God. Right where you are right now, experience resurrection. I went and told other people about what this young man said, and I said, «So, how do you know there’s a Resurrection»? One person said, «Well, because it’s in the Bible,» and that’s good, and another person said, «Because the church has taught it for 2,000 years». Yeah, that’s true. Then one woman told me, «I believe there’s a Resurrection because he lives in me».
Isn’t that beautiful? That’s called a witness, that’s what the Acts of the apostles was, they were witnesses. Remember what Jesus said, «Behold, I give you power, and you will be my witnesses before the whole world». Goosebump time. We need witnesses who have experienced the power, who know the Resurrection is true, who can proclaim this to the world. And that’s exactly what’s happening in the Acts of the Apostles. And that’s what I told that young man, I said, «Young man, I don’t know why you think I became a priest. It wasn’t 'cause my mother wanted me to be one, although she did. It’s because I experienced the Holy Spirit when I was 20 years old, and the only way to put it is he raised me up.
I was transformed, and I continue to be transformed. And I know there’s a Resurrection, not just because it’s in the Bible, and not just because the church teaches it, but because I have experienced the power of his Resurrection that raises me from the dead. And I believe that one day I will too be resurrected through that same Holy Spirit».
I gave a witness to that young man, and that’s what we have to do, because people can’t argue with a story. Stories proclaim truth, and that’s my story. The resurrection is for everybody. It has a dual purpose, of course, it’s real simple, and this is all biblical truth. 1 Corinthians, Paul talks about the resurrected body, and that our bodies will be transformed and changed into what he called a spiritual body. It will be changed. I remember, I wrote about this in my book «Rise,» and I remember one woman came up to me, and she’s got arthritis and different things, and she’s read my book, and she said, «Father Cedric, I want to experience that resurrection body now, because my body’s hurting».
And maybe you’re thinking the same thing, yeah, I need some resurrection in my body right now. Oh, don’t we all. We have a great saint in our church, St. Thomas Aquinas. He talked about some of the elements of a resurrected body. First thing he said is he used the word impassability, because you might be wondering what is the resurrection? Well, read 1 Corinthians 15. It will talk about the resurrected body. And Paul talks about the resurrection in other places in Corinthians. Well, impassibility, what is that?
Well, we’ve been goin' through a pandemic for a few years now. People are dying. Over 800,000 people in the United States alone have died from this. There are diseases, there are sicknesses, arthritis, heart trouble, knee problems, hip problems, you name it. Impassibility is being incapable of getting sick. Imagine, the body we have now gets sick and it wears out, but imagine a body that doesn’t get sick. That’s the resurrected body. And then number two, really quickly, there’s agility. Agility, if somebody’s agile, you know what an agile athlete is?
Like a decathlon at the Olympics, they can throw far, run fast, swim quickly. They’re agile, they’re quick, they’re strong. Our bodies will have these new abilities. Every once in a while I have these dreams about flying. I see birds fly, we can make airplanes fly. Well, if airplanes can fly, why can’t I? What in the world is heaven gonna be like? It is gonna be so good. And then, and in terms of agility and impassibility, he included something called clarity. I’m talkin' about Saint Thomas Aquinas and the resurrected body.
Clarity is… let me put it to you this way. When your face is perfect. We all know about blemishes and acne and wrinkles and scars and ugliness. We all go through that when you take a good look in the mirror. Well, remember what happened at the Transfiguration? Jesus glowed, he became dazzling white, and it says that his face shone like the sun. And Jesus said that about us, about disciples, about believers, he said, «Your face will shine like the sun in the kingdom of your heavenly Father».
Wow, that’s gonna be one of the most beautiful things about the resurrected body. We’re going to be gorgeous and handsome, like we were meant to be in the garden of Eden, but we lost when we sinned. But that’s all coming again, and that’s what we’re celebrating on Easter, that we are not only gonna be alive, and that’s so much, that’s magnificent, but we’re gonna be able to enjoy our life, because we’re gonna be healthy, we’re gonna be agile, we’re gonna be beautiful, we’re gonna be everything that we were created to be. A blessed and happy Easter to you, why? Because we have a living hope that fortifies us, and not only a living hope for the future, but belief that we can receive power in a burst of energy and passion and God’s love now. May you experience resurrection in your life that revolutionizes your life. Don’t just live, live with passion.