Easter shows God works even in the darkest moment – bishops

Devotees hold an evening procession with statues depicting the life and sufferings of Jesus Christ as part of their Lenten practice to mark Holy Wednesday in Paete, Laguna on April 16, 2025. (AP)

MANILA, Philippines — Easter is not just another day but also a “declaration” that God is at work even in “the darkest moment,” the Ecumenical Bishops Forum (EBF) reminded the public on Sunday.

The group also told the public that the resurrection of Jesus Christ encourages humans to remember their capability to rise above “the tomb of despair and grief.”

“God is at work even in the most sinister tomb; even in the darkest moment; that the story continues after what appeared to be the end — the stone, the cross, and the silence,” the EBF said, citing 1 Peter 1:3.

“As we declare once more that ‘Christ is risen!’ This year, we are also encouraged to think that we are capable of rising above the tomb of despair and grief. We can overcome old habits. We can rise from brokenness. We can rise from fear, division, and despair. The resurrection of Jesus is God’s eternal “yes” to the possibility of change—not just deep within us but in the world around us,” they added.

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The EBF also said Easter brings hope for peace and righteousness, as well as “a glimmer of home” for those seeking justice.

“For the exhausted, the faithless, and the spirit that wonders if it can begin anew, there is hope. The fact that Jesus was able to overcome death is an inspiring sign for the prospect of freedom,” they said.

“Therefore, we must not only commemorate the resurrection as an event in history but must experience it firsthand. To become part of a community of the resurrection, we must possess the fortitude to hope, the humility to change, the forbearance to rise up, and the courage to struggle for liberation,” it added.