As we look back on the Sacred Triduum and Easter celebrations, the profound beauty of what we experienced—the passion, death, and resurrection of Christ—fills us with awe. These beautiful liturgies are physical expressions of our faith, filled with nuance, symbolism and emotional intensity. Over the course of four days we stand, kneel, prostrate, wash feet, plunge into baptismal waters, venerate the wood of the cross, sing, and breathe. By the time we reach the final, solemn blessing on Easter Sunday we are exhausted—yet it's a good exhaustion, akin to completing a marathon. By then, we are truly running on faith.

The Gospel of John recounts how, on the first Easter morning, Mary Magdalene, Peter, and the Beloved Disciple ran to the tomb only to find it empty. Jesus had risen, just as He promised!

The mention of running in the Gospel suggests the dynamic nature of our faith—it is not stagnant or passive but alive and moving. Mary Magdalene, filled with love and devotion, ran to share the good news. The Beloved Disciple, knowing he was loved by Jesus, ran faster and believed upon seeing the empty tomb. His love for Christ enabled him to see and understand the truth of the resurrection.

This year, my Easter was filled with running. On Holy Saturday morning, I ran through the streets of New Haven, searching for forsythia to adorn our sanctuary, the wild, unruly golden flowers foreshadowing the fire that begins the Easter Vigil. Early on Easter Sunday morning, like the first disciples, I ran to the tombs, as it were, in Grove Street Cemetery. I found solace among the tombs, praying for the souls of our beloved departed. On that radiant Easter morning, the scene was bursting with life, the flowers, trees, birds and squirrels, reminding me of the victory of Christ over death, and the promise of new life in the Risen Christ.

As I made my way back, I encountered others on their journey to celebrate and bear witness to the resurrection. In their faces, I saw the joy and hope that come from knowing Christ is risen.

We are now in the Easter Octave, and Saint Athanasius reminds us that these fifty days are celebrated as one continuous feast, and that we are in the “early hours” of a “great Sunday.” As we continue through the Easter season, may we run towards the empty tomb with hearts full of faith and love. May we embrace the dynamic nature of our faith and proclaim with joy: "Christ is risen! Alleluia! Indeed, He is truly risen as He promised! Alleluia!