Homily – Palm Sunday 2026
March 29, 2026SCROLL DOWN FOR CHILDREN’S LITURGY QUESTIONS
“The Tomb Is Empty — Now Live the New Life”
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, Happy Easter to you all! Today we celebrate the greatest truth of our faith: Today we stand at the heart of our faith. Today is not just another Sunday. Today is the day that changed history forever. Today we proclaim with joy: Jesus Christ is risen from the dead!
In the Gospel today, we meet Mary Magdalene. She goes to the tomb early in the morning, while it was still dark. Notice that—while it was still dark. That detail is important. It reflects not only the time of day, but also the condition of the human heart without hope. She is grieving. She is confused. She believes everything is over. And yet, in that very darkness, something new has already begun. The stone has been rolled away. The tomb is empty.
Slowly, she begins to understand: Jesus is not dead. He is alive. This is the message of Easter: God brings life where we thought there was only death. God brings hope where we felt only discouragement. God opens a new beginning where we thought everything had ended. My brothers and sisters, this message is not just for Mary Magdalene. It is for us today. Maybe in your life there are moments of darkness—struggles, worries, disappointments, or even sin. Sometimes we feel like things cannot change. Sometimes we feel stuck. But Easter tells us: nothing is impossible for God. If Jesus rose from the dead, then He can also lift us up.
In the first reading, Peter speaks with courage about Jesus. This is the same Peter who once denied Him. What changed? He met the risen Lord. That encounter gave him new strength and new purpose. In the second reading, we are told: “Seek what is above.” In simple words, this means: live differently. Live as people who belong to Christ.
Now, my brothers and sisters Lent has ended. During Lent, many of us prayed more, fasted, gave charity, and tried to come closer to God. That was good. That was beautiful. But Easter reminds us of something very important: We do not stop those good things now. We continue them. Our prayer should not end with Lent—it should continue every day. Our kindness and charity should not end—it should become part of our life. Our effort to avoid sin should not stop—it should grow stronger. Lent was like a training time. Easter is the time to live what we have learned.
It is easy to be serious about faith for a short season. But God is calling us to be faithful in our daily, ordinary life—at home, at work, with our families, with our neighbors. The empty tomb is not just a sign to look at—it is a call to action. It tells us: Leave behind your old life. Leave behind sin and fear. Walk in the new life that Christ has given you. My brothers and sisters, the world needs people who live the joy of Easter every day. Not just today, but always. Let your life show that Christ is risen: By forgiving others. By helping those in need. By choosing what is right. By trusting God even when life is hard. Do not go back to the old ways. Do not return to the “tomb.” Christ has opened the way to a new life—walk in it. Today, let us thank God for the gift of Easter. Let us renew our faith. And let us promise to continue the good spiritual life we began in Lent. Because Christ is alive—and He is with us every day. So, with great joy, let us proclaim: Christ is Risen! Alleluia! Alleluia! He is truly Risen! Alleluia! Alleluia.
CHILREN’S LITURGY QUESTIONS
- Did Mary Magdalene go to the tomb early in the morning? — Yes
- Did she go to the tomb at night when it was dark? — Yes
- Did she see that the stone had been rolled away from the tomb? — Yes
- Did Mary think at first that Jesus had risen from the dead? — No
- Did she run to tell the disciples what she saw? — Yes
- Did Peter and another disciple run to the tomb? — Yes
- Did they find Jesus’ body inside the tomb? — No
- Did they see the burial cloths lying there? — Yes
- Did the disciples immediately understand everything that had happened? — No
- Did they go back to their homes after visiting the tomb? — Yes
- Did Mary stay outside the tomb crying? — Yes
- Did Mary see two angels in the tomb? — Yes
- Did the angels ask her why she was crying? — Yes
- Did Mary first think Jesus was the gardener? — Yes
- Did Jesus call Mary by her name? — Yes
- Did Mary recognize Jesus when He called her name? — Yes
- Did Mary go and tell the disciples that she had seen the Lord? — Yes
- Did Mary hide the news and tell no one? — No
- Does the Resurrection show that Jesus is stronger than death? — Yes
- Does Easter remind us that Jesus is alive? — Yes
