Bishops to faithful: Keep hope, spread good news

Bishops of the Catholic church on Thursday advised the faithful to keep hope despite their sins as they observe the Holy Week, because they could serve as instruments to spread the Good News of Christ's passion and resurrection. The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said this is the promised gift of Easter, and that the real message of Holy Week is that Christ not only gave the ultimate sacrificebut also offered man hope by rising from the dead. "The real message of Holy Week is not only that Jesus Christ died for us, but that Jesus Christ also gave us hope for new life by rising to life from the dead. And so: 'The Lord is risen as He has foretold. Alleluia,'" CBCP president Angel Lagdameo said in his Easter message released Thursday afternoon. Lagdameo pointed out that in all four Gospels, the Bible told that the women-disciples of Jesus, led by Mary Magdalene, a former sinner, were the ones who bravely came to the tomb and found Jesus was no longer there. It was also through the women disciples that the male disciples knew about the Resurrection, he said. "This Gospel detail shows that sinners are also objects of the Resurrection news and can be channels through whom the Good News will spread," Lagdameo said. "The gift of Easter is to see Jesus again, to remember what He taught and did, to live and celebrate our resurrection in Jesus. Yes, indeed, the Lord is risen as He has foretold. Alleluia," he said. - GMANews.TV