“Let the joy of the Risen Lord be imprinted in our hearts and lives,” Pope Francis told the faithful gathered in a sunny St. Peter’s Square on Easter Monday.

During his Regina Caeli address, the Holy Father said in Italian -- with a touch of Greek: “Happy Easter! Christos Anesti! - Alethòs anèsti, 'Christ is risen! - He's truly risen.' He is among us, here in the square! This week we continue to exchange the paschal greeting, as if it were a single day. It is the big day that the Lord has made.”

The Pope said: “Let this experience imprinted in the Gospel, be imprinted in our hearts and in our lives. Let the joyous wonder of Easter Sunday radiate through our thoughts, looks, attitudes, gestures and words." In addition to action, he highlighted that this comes from “within us.”

Using Mary Magdalene as an example, he stressed the meaning of a joy which “comes from within.” In her case, her weaping for the loss of her Lord and her shock when she saw him risen were a testimony to her interior joy.

Explaining what it means when someone possesses this interior joy, Francis said that this experience makes one “a witness of the resurrection, because in a sense he is risen, is risen herself.”   He added that this enables one “to bring a 'ray' of light of the Risen Lord in different situations: in those [situations which are] happy, making them more beautiful and preserving them from selfishness; in those [situations which are] painful, bringing serenity and hope.”

Giving more homework to the faithful, he recommended they read the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ resurrection, stressing the good it does for us to read these chapters.

Turning to Mary, he asked her to lead us in the joy of Easter, noting that “she has not lost hope.

"We contemplated the sorrowful Mother but at the same time, Mother full of hope,” he said.

(D.C.L.)

On Zenit’s Web page

Full Translation: http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/pope-s-regina-caeli-address-on-easter-Monday        

Source: zenit.org