"WHY DO YOU LOOK FOR THE LIVING AMONG THE DEAD?" The Church commemorates the greatest event in history; the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. No one had ever before shown what God revealed to the human beings, the power to overcome death. Previously, death had the final say. So now we can say the prayer in the Scripture, "where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" (1 Cor. 15:55). What does this, which Jesus had previously announced, mean to the followers of Jesus? That He was going to die but resurrect on the third day; His disciples could not understand. It is not easy to understand that someone may die in a cruel and sacrificial way like Jesus; hundreds of people witnessed His crucifixion. And to make sure He died; Jesus' chest was pierced with a spear by a Roman soldier. According to John, water and blood flowed from this wound (John 19:34) and, according to the medical science, this would confirm Jesus' death. Resurrection is hope Today, we are living a historical time with this pandemic. We have seen thousands of people depart from around us and all over the world. Many of us still mourn and pray for the departed and the grieving and those that are still sick from this disease. However, these days are to celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus. What is the message conveyed by this event in the midst of these times of pain and uncertainty, dread and anxiety? Let us review the Christian perspective, the way we see death. Women were the first to discover that Jesus was not in the grave. They and the disciples were truly sad but also afraid. So afraid that, according to the Gospel, all of them had locked themselves away to avoid being arrested. They dreaded being put to death in the same way as their Master. The women were asked, "why do you look for the living among the dead?" (Luke 24:5) Meaning that Christ is real and so is His resurrection. Jesus is alive, there is no reason to cry! Therefore, the way the disciples see death is there after changed. Today, just like those women, I want to tell you that this is our faith, we believe that our loved ones, that have passed away, are subject to the great mercy of Good. That Good has welcomed them and they are not dead! Most certainly, we will not be seeing them physically anymore. But Jesus defeated death and promised that if we believe in Him we will resurrect with Him. He said, "I am the Resurrection and the Life. The one who believes in Me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in Me will never die." (John 11: 25-26) This is the Christian perspective, death is not the end but a step towards eternal life. As I have put it many times before, Saint Paul confirms the way we must see death,…