THROUGH UNTRUE Fr. Rolando V. dela Rosa, O.P. Every Easter Sunday, I feel revitalized, renewed and, above all, forgiven. I feel like a prisoner who is granted unconditional pardon, a debtor whose debts are written off, a wayward child forgiven by a loving father. No questions asked, just a joyful welcome and a loving embrace. Regardless of how monumental my mistakes and failures were, Easter Sunday offers me the gift of a brand new start. Easter Sunday is a proof that God always gives us another chance to begin again. This is wonderful, especially for those of us whose yesterdays are filled with guilt, shame, and fear. Guilt, because of what we could have done but never did, due to laziness, procrastination, and sheer indifference. Shame, because of the times when we bartered our conscience and dignity for cheap and momentary pleasures. And fear, because of the series of unforeseen calamities, disasters, wars, and lethal diseases that have shattered our fragile sense of security and safety. A friend of mine tells me that, one time, on the eve of Easter Sunday, he closed the door and windows of his room, and pretended to be in prison. At 12 o'clock midnight, he read the Gospel passage about the disciples who, after the death of Jesus, locked themselves inside a room, in fear and trembling because the Roman authorities were looking for them. Inside his room, my friend imagined what the disciples must have felt. They must have been huddled together, bound by the chains of guilt, shame, and fear. Guilt, for having done nothing to save Jesus from his persecutors; shame, for having betrayed and deserted Him at a time when He needed them most; and fear, for the punishment that awaited them once they were caught by the soldiers. But lo and behold! To their utter shock and bewilderment, Jesus appeared and stood before them, not dead but alive. My friend says he couldn't stop himself from crying at such a beautiful scene. The disciples locked themselves in, only to realize that they could not lock Jesus out. For, Jesus is never outside. He does not come from without. He appears from within. The Christ whom they saw crucified, whose death became the death of all their hopes, appeared before them wounded but glorious. Easter Sunday reminds us that Jesus appears as the promise of what each of us hopes for: a new life, a second chance, and a new beginning. The clarity and beauty of the Resurrection story drowns out the senseless cacophony brought created by wars, the pandemic, the forthcoming elections, natural calamities, crimes, price hikes, and rabid factionalism. The disciples who saw the resurrected Jesus were filled with joy. Joy engulfed them because of their conviction that Jesus had given them another chance, a new beginning to become who they were called to be: sons and daughters of God, sinners who are forgiven and loved. It is never too early to begin; and never too late to start.