Homily Easter 4B: Heaven-bound, through Word, Worship and Works

Homily for Easter – 4^th Sunday Year B 2021

Acts 4:8-12; 1 John 3:1-2; John 10:11-18m

Introduction

Last week, I received a Facebook message from a friend, asking what happens to our loved ones when they die.  Can they see us?  Can they see God?

Today’s rather short second reading from John’s First letter, one of my favourite passages, answers some of my friend’s questions, because it speaks about heaven.  And so, for today’s homily, I would like us to reflect on heaven, because this is a reality that we should all think about.  For as Benjamin Franklin reminded us, two things are certain in life, death and taxes.  I am sorry that Jesus has little to say about taxes, but he has a lot to say about what happens to us after we die.

Scripture and Theology

St. John begins by reminding us of our privileged status as Christians, saying: “Beloved: See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called the children of God.”  There are two ways we are the children of God.

First, we are his children by virtue of being human. By creating us, God has shared his life with us; he has given us an immortal soul, something that plants and animals don’t have.  But what John is talking about here is being children of God in a second sense, by virtue of our baptism.  Baptism makes us redeemed children of God, candidates for admission to heaven.  Baptism removes our original sin that blocks our entry into heaven and gives us new life in the Holy Spirit that grants us admission.  That is why John can boast about the great love that the Father has bestowed on us by sending Jesus Christ to be our Saviour, to pave our way into heaven, and thus make us God’s children.

St. John then goes on to explain that our new status as God’s children puts us at odds with the world.  And why?  He says: “The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.”  If we are like Jesus Christ, living like he taught us in the Beatitudes, in the great commandments of love, in caring for each other, the world will not like us, because it does not know Jesus and his ways.  That is a struggle we have to be ready to endure, for as Our Lord himself taught, we are in this world, but we are not of this world.  We are temporary citizens of the City of Man, but future permanent residents of the City of God in heaven.

After describing our current state of being both God’s special children and at the same time misfits in this world, John then goes on to explain that “what we shall be has not yet been revealed.”  And that makes sense. Like my friend asked me, we do not know what heaven will be like.  Nobody has gone to heaven and returned to tell us what to expect.  We have questions. We want to know.

Fortunately for us, John answers some of our questions, gives us a picture of what heaven might be like, saying, “We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.”  Did you hear that? In heaven we shall be like God, for we shall see God as he is.

But what does it mean to be like God?  What does it mean to see God as he is?  To understand what being like God is, we can return to Genesis, to the point before Adam and Eve sinned, when God made human beings in his image and likeness.  Before sin entered the world, we were like God, we shared his life perfectly.  But then sin ruined that divine image and likeness, stained that image, even if it did not eliminate it completely.  Thanks to the great love of God, he sent his Son to remove that stain and restores the image back to its original holiness, to that state of being perfectly in God’s image and likeness.  After completing our earthly journey, if we have kept sin at a distance, or if after sinning we have confessed our sins and been reconciled to God, we shall be restored to that original image and likeness of God.  That is why in heaven, we shall be like God.

And as for seeing God as he is, that follows from the very fact that we shall have left this earthly state of imperfection.  You see right now we see God only through mediators: through the appearances of the consecrated host and the precious Blood, through the sacraments, through our priests, through the Church, through our brothers and sisters and many other signs.  We need these mediators on this side of heaven, a world of material things; but there, in the world of pure spirit, we shall see God as he is.  I often remind my seminarian students that in heaven, our work as priests will not be needed, since you will be able to see God as he is.  Father Amal/Mike and I will be out of a job, and will have to file for unemployment.  But that is okay, because we will all be able to see God as he is.

You might remember that on the second Sunday of Lent, we reflected on the sneak-peek into what heaven would be like, an experience that the Lord showed to the three disciples, Peter, James and John, when he took them up the mountain at the transfiguration.  So, in a way, John is writing about what he had seen partially, seeing God as he is, seeing Jesus in his glory.  Now he shares that experience with us, assuring us that the same destiny awaits us.

Christian Life

I know we think about heaven for our loved ones who have died, like my friend did.  But do we think about heaven for ourselves?  How much do we desire heaven for ourselves when our time comes?  Do we really want to enter heaven?

There is a mistaken belief among us some Christians, even among some Catholics, that we are all guaranteed entrance into heaven and so we don’t need to worry about it.  You hear this mistaken belief in the way some people talk about their departed ones, especially at funerals or shortly thereafter, as if they are already in heaven.  I know grandma was really a nice lady, but can we say with certainty that she is in heaven?  We hope she is in heaven; we pray that she is in heaven, but aren’t we being overly presumptuous when we declare that in fact she is in heaven?  Even the Pope does not do that; he waits for the whole process of canonization to declare as saints people like Mother Teresa, Pope John Paul II and others who lived saintly lives.  We must therefore pray for our deceased ones that God may forgive their sins and admit them into heaven.

And as for us who are still here on earth, and can do something about our eternal destiny, we must follow Jesus, who tells us that he is the Way to eternal life.  We must do those things he said we need to do, to gain entrance into eternal life, like believing in his Word, celebrating the sacraments, and living by the commandments.  We should work for heaven, and not assume that our invitation is locked in already, like the football team that underestimates its opponent, and then in an upset gets beaten.  We must play the game that leads to heaven, for all four quarters of the game, giving ourselves completely.

Conclusion

And so, staying with the sports metaphor, we must always keep our eye on the ball; and for us the ball is heaven, which John has described so marvellously for us, as the place where we shall be like God, where we shall see God as he is.  Heaven must be the address we enter into the GPS of our life’s journey, so that it can lead us there, step by step.

This summer, I will make the 24-hour trip to visit my family in Uganda, changing airports and planes a couple of times, having to wear a mask all the time.  But I will endure all these things, because of the destination, because I am looking forward to seeing my mother after a year and a half.

May we similarly endure the hardships of this world, fight the battle against our opponent, by doing the holy Trinity of three W’s, which are: believing in God’s Word, celebrating Worship, and doing good Works.  And we will do all these things, hoping that they will lead us to the beauty and joy of heaven, where we shall be like God, we shall see God as he is, for ever and ever without end.

Homily Easter 2B: The many forms of Divine Mercy: creation, forgiveness, works of mercy

 Homily for Easter Year B 2021

Acts 4:32-35; 1 John 5:1-6; John 20:19-31

Introduction

One of the gifts Pope Saint John Paul II left for the Church was promoting the Divine Mercy devotion and naming this second Sunday of Easter, Divine Mercy Sunday.  But the message of Divine Mercy is not reserved just for those who pray the Divine Mercy chaplet, no more than the Holy Spirit is reserved for the Charismatic Renewal or the Blessed Mother reserved for the Legion of Mary.

While mercy is treating someone better than they deserve, we know that God always treats us, all of us, better than we deserve.  And so let us reflect on two ways God give us his Divine Mercy, by creating us and by forgiving us.

Scripture and Theology

To understand the first kind of divine mercy in creation, think of a young man in high school.  Let us call him George.  He is unremarkable, not particularly athletic, not very good in class either, and scores average or lower on all the kinds of things young ladies would look for in a potential date.  Then out of the blue, this girl, let us call her Carmen, begins to show George some attention.  She is not only really beautiful, she’s also the head cheerleader and valedictorian of her class, to say nothing about all the good work she does at Church.  Carmen is the kind of daughter every parent wants to have.  Anyway, then she asks our nondescript young man to be her date for the Prom.  Now you are probably thinking “no way this could never happen in real life.”  And perhaps some of the guys here are wondering why I am talking about them.

But I am really talking about all of us; for this is exactly what God did.  He had no need of human beings, but still he created us.  He wanted to share his life with us.  This is divine mercy – this is God giving human beings more than we deserve – giving us life, his life.  We probably don’t think of God creating us as a form of divine mercy.  But if we realize that we didn’t have to exist, then we must see that our very existence is an act of mercy from God.

This first kind of divine mercy has nothing to do with sin and wrongdoing.  Going back to our high school young man, George had done nothing wrong.  His problem was that he was out of Carmen’s league, just by who he was.  But rather than choosing others, perhaps better and more obvious choices, she chose him.  She treated him better than he could ever imagine deserving.

In the same way, God shows us mercy by choosing human beings to be his friends.  Human beings are not in God’s league either; angels come close to it, but certainly not human beings.  But God creates us and invites us into a relationship of love and friendship with him.  That is Divine Mercy.

The second kind of divine mercy is what we are more used to, when God forgave men for sinning against him.  Yes, he punished them sometimes, but way more leniently than they deserved.  The punishment for sinning against God, who is all good, is Hell, eternal separation from God.  But that is not the punishment God meted out to Adam and Eve, to Cain, to the children of Israel and subsequent generations.  In his mercy he not only forgave them, but he also sent them prophets, priests and kings, to help them get back on the right track.  Moreover, he sent his Son to be the final and lasting instrument of forgiveness and mercy.

To understand the depth of this mercy, let’s return to our friends George and Carmen.  Let’s imagine that George actually goes to the Prom with his unlikely date.  And then by some miracle, they actually fall in love and get married.  Now we would all agree that this lucky young man has won the jackpot.  But wouldn’t you know it, after they have been married for a couple of years, he begins to take her for granted.  He forgets the mercy she accorded him in choosing him.  And then this knucklehead does something really stupid; he cheats on his wife.

Fortunately for him, after some soul-searching and agonizing, and prayerful reflection, Carmen forgives him.  She treats him better than he deserves, much better than he deserves.  Remember that she is truly a good woman.  If dating him in the first place was an act of mercy because he was out of her league, now forgiving him for his infidelity and taking him back is an act of mercy because he has received a lesser punishment than he deserves.

And so, the second kind of Divine Mercy is no longer because human beings are of a lower nature than God, but now also because human beings are sinful.  This is the kind of mercy that admits us back into God’s good graces.  This is the mercy which the resurrection of Jesus brings about for us.  This is the kind of mercy we seek when we go to the Sacrament of Confession, the fountain of divine mercy.  This is the kind of mercy we proclaim throughout the Mass when we say, “Lord Have Mercy, Christ Have Mercy, Lord Have Mercy.”

Christian Life

We have just heard in the gospel passage, Jesus appearing to his disciples in the same upper room he had had the Last Supper with them.  Imagine you were one of the disciples, and your Master whom you had abandoned to die alone on the Cross returns to you.  How would you feel?  Ashamed?  Embarrassed?  Guilty?  Imagine you were the Master who had been left for dead, what would your fist words be on meeting these disciples?  Possibly some four-letter words?

But Jesus on both occasions greets his friends saying, “Shalom!  Peace be with you.”  With those words Jesus showers his mercy upon his disciples, forgiving their abandoning him and letting bygones be bygones.  This is Divine Mercy.  But he gives them more than forgiveness.  For we heard that they were afraid of the Jews.  His greeting also takes their fear away and that too is Divine Mercy.

But as they have received this mercy, so must they share it with others.  That is why he gives them the power to forgive sins, saying, “Receive the Holy Spirit.  Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.”  In this way Jesus institutes the Sacrament of Confession, through which we, till today, receive God’s mercy.  For when we go to the priest and in contrition confess our sins, the priest tells us these comforting words:

God the Father of mercies, through the death and resurrection of his Son, has reconciled the world to himself and sent the Holy Spirit among us for the forgiveness of sins.  Through the ministry of the Church, may God give you pardon and peace.

Did you hear that?  It is not Father Deo or Father Mike/Amal forgiving you your sins, but it is God the Father of mercies, through the work of his Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.  That is why the priest concludes saying: “I absolve you from your sins, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”  He not only absolves you but tells you in whose name he is giving you Divine Mercy.

In the same gospel story, we heard about Thomas’ truancy the first time when Jesus appeared to his disciples on Easter Sunday.  And so, Thomas missed out on seeing Jesus and was not able to believe that Jesus had really appeared to them.  A week later, like today, he is present and he sees the Lord who even lets him touch his hands and his side.  And then Thomas believes and exclaims: “My Lord and my God!”  We can learn from Thomas’ experience that Divine Mercy is to be found when we are in the community, not when we are away on our own.

Conclusion

My friends God has not stopped showering his mercy upon us, whether it is the mercy of creating and sustaining us lowly beings in the way that Carmen loved George or whether it is the mercy of Jesus forgiving us in confession like he forgave those who abandoned him.  The fountain of Divine Mercy still flows.

Following in the footsteps of his predecessor, Pope John Paul II, Pope Francis also reminds us that we must share the mercy we receive from God.  That is why the Catholic tradition asks us in turn to carry out various works of mercy.

We do this in the seven Corporal Works of Mercy that attend to the bodily needs of others, like the early Christian community in today’s first reading did for each other.

1.    To feed the hungry

2.    To give drink to the thirsty

3.    To clothe the naked

4.    To shelter the homeless

5.    To visit the sick

6.    To visit the imprisoned

7.    To bury the dead

We also have the spiritual works of mercy that attend to the souls of others, like the disciples did for Thomas to bring him to faith in the Risen Lord.

1.    To instruct the ignorant

2.    To counsel the doubtful

3.    To admonish sinners

4.    To bear wrongs patiently

5.    To forgive offences willingly

6.    To comfort the afflicted

7.    To pray for the living and the dead.

Let us give thanks to the Lord, for his mercy is without end.  Let us carry on sharing God’s mercy to others, for his mercy is without end.

Homilia Pascua 2B: Las múltiples formas de la Divina Misericordia: creación, perdón, obras de misericordia

 Homilía de Pascua Año B 2021

Acts 4:32-35; 1 John 5:1-6; John 20:19-31

Introducción

Uno de los regalos que el Papa San Juan Pablo II (segundo) dejó para la Iglesia fue la devoción a la Divina Misericordia y nombrar este segundo domingo de Pascua, Domingo de la Divina Misericordia. Pero el mensaje de la Divina Misericordia no está reservado solo para quienes rezan la coronilla de la Divina Misericordia, como tampoco el Espíritu Santo está reservado para la Renovación Carismática o la Santísima Madre reservada para la Legión de María.

Si bien la misericordia es tratar a alguien mejor de lo que se merece, sabemos que Dios siempre trata a todos nosotros, mejor de lo que merecemos. Por tanto, reflexionemos sobre dos formas en que Dios nos da su Divina Misericordia, al crearnos y al perdonarnos.

Escritura y teología

Para comprender el primer tipo de misericordia divina en la creación, piensen en un joven de la escuela secundaria. Llamémosle Jorge.  El no es nada extraordinario, no es particularmente atlético, tampoco es muy bueno en la clase y no tiene las cosas que las jóvenes buscarían en un posible novio. Entonces, esta chica, llamémosla Carmen, comienza a mostrarle algo de atención a Jorge. No solo es realmente hermosa, también es la animadora principal y la mejor estudiante de su clase, por no mencionar todo el buen trabajo que hace en la Iglesia. Carmen es el tipo de hija que todo padre quiere tener. De todos modos, ella le pide a nuestro joven ordinario para que se vaya al baile de graduación. Ahora probablemente ustedes estén pensando "de ninguna manera esto nunca podría suceder en la vida real".

Pero esto ha sucedido y continúa sucediendo hoy; esto es exactamente lo que hizo Dios. El no necesitaba seres humanos, pero aun así nos creó. Quería compartir su vida con nosotros. Esta es la misericordia divina, esto es Dios dando a los seres humanos más de lo que merecemos, dándonos vida, su vida. Probablemente no pensamos en Dios creándonos como una forma de misericordia divina. Pero si nos damos cuenta de que no teníamos que existir, entonces debemos ver que nuestra propia existencia es un acto de misericordia.

Este primer tipo de misericordia divina no tiene nada que ver con el pecado y la maldad. Volviendo a nuestro joven de secundaria, Jorge no había hecho nada malo. Su problema era que estaba fuera de la liga de Carmen, solo por quién era. Pero en lugar de elegir a otros, tal vez opciones mejores y más obvias, ella lo eligió a él. Ella lo trató mejor de lo que él jamás hubiera imaginado merecer.

De la misma manera, Dios nos muestra misericordia al elegir a los seres humanos para que sean sus amigos. Los seres humanos tampoco están en la liga de Dios; los ángeles se acercan a él, pero ciertamente no los seres humanos. Pero Dios nos crea y nos invita a tener una relación de amor y amistad con él. Eso es la primera forma de la Divina Misericordia.

El segundo tipo de misericordia divina es a lo que estamos más acostumbrados, cuando Dios perdonó a los hombres por haber pecado contra él. Sí, a veces los castigaba, pero con mucha más indulgencia de lo que merecían. El castigo por pecar contra Dios, que es todo bueno, es el infierno, la separación eterna de Dios. Pero ese no es el castigo que Dios impuso a Adán y Eva, a Caín, a los hijos de Israel y las generaciones posteriores. En su misericordia, no solo los perdonó, sino que también les envió profetas, sacerdotes y reyes para ayudarlos a volver al camino correcto. Además, envió a su Hijo para que fuera el instrumento final y duradero del perdón y la misericordia.

Para comprender la profundidad de esta misericordia, volvamos a nuestros amigos Jorge y Carmen. Imaginemos que ellos van al baile de graduación. Y luego, por algún milagro, se enamoran y se casan. Ahora todos estaríamos de acuerdo en que este joven Jorge es afortunado y ha ganado el premio mayor. Pero, después de que han estado casados ​​por un par de años, él comienza a darla por sentada. Olvida la misericordia que ella le concedió al elegirlo. Y luego este tonto hace algo realmente estúpido; engaña a su esposa.

Afortunadamente para él, después de un examen de conciencia, una reflexión angustiosa y orante, Carmen lo perdona. Ella lo trata mejor de lo que se merece, mucho mejor de lo que se merece. Recuerdan que ella es realmente una buena mujer. Si salir con él en primer lugar fue un acto de misericordia porque estaba fuera de su liga, ahora perdonarlo por su infidelidad y aceptarlo es un acto de misericordia porque ha recibido un castigo menor del que se merece.

Y así, el segundo tipo de Divina Misericordia ya no es porque los seres humanos sean de una naturaleza inferior a Dios, sino ahora también porque los seres humanos son pecadores. Este es el tipo de misericordia que nos permite volver a recibir las gracias de Dios. Ésta es la misericordia que nos produce la resurrección de Jesús. Este es el tipo de misericordia que buscamos cuando vamos al Sacramento de la Confesión, la fuente de la misericordia divina. Este es el tipo de misericordia que proclamamos durante la misa cuando decimos: "Señor, ten piedad, Cristo, ten piedad, Señor, ten piedad".

Vida cristiana

Acabamos de escuchar en el pasaje del evangelio, Jesús se apareciendo a sus discípulos en el mismo lugar donde había tenido la Última Cena con ellos. Imagínese que usted es uno de los discípulos y su Maestro, a quien había abandonado para morir solo en la Cruz, vuelve. ¿Cómo le sentiría? ¿Avergonzado? ¿Culpable? Imagínese que usted es el Maestro que ha sido dado por muerto, ¿cuáles serían sus primeras palabras al encontrar a estos discípulos? ¿Posiblemente algunas palabras malas?

Pero Jesús en ambas ocasiones saluda a sus amigos diciendo: “¡Shalom! “La paz esté con ustedes.” Con esas palabras Jesús derrama su misericordia sobre sus discípulos, perdonando que lo hayan abandonado y dejado lo pasado. Esta es la Divina Misericordia. Pero les da más que perdón. Porque oímos que tenían miedo de los judíos. Su saludo también les quita el miedo y eso también es la Divina Misericordia.

Pero, así como han recibido esta misericordia, también deben compartirla con los demás. Por eso les da el poder de perdonar los pecados, diciendo: “Reciban el Espíritu Santo. A los que les perdonen los pecados, les quedarán perdonados; y a los que no se los perdonen, les quedarán sin perdonar." De esta manera Jesús instituye el Sacramento de la Confesión, a través del cual, hasta hoy, recibimos la Divina Misericordia. Porque cuando vamos al confesar nuestros pecados, el sacerdote nos dice estas palabras de consuelo:

Dios, Padre misericordioso, que reconcilió consigo al mundo por la muerte y la resurrección de su Hijo y derramó el Espíritu Santo para la remisión de los pecados, te conceda, por el ministerio de la Iglesia, el perdón y la Paz.

¿Se enteró que? No es el Padre Deo o el Padre Mike perdonando sus pecados, sino Dios el Padre misericordioso, a través de la obra de su Hijo Jesucristo y el Espíritu Santo. Por eso el sacerdote concluye diciendo: “Y yo te absuelvo de tus pecados en el nombre del Padre y del Hijo y del Espíritu Santo.” No solo le absuelve, sino que le dice en nombre de quién le da la Divina Misericordia.

En el evangelio, escuchamos sobre el absentismo de Tomás la primera vez que Jesús se apareció a sus discípulos. Y así, Tomás se perdió de ver a Jesús y no pudo creer que Jesús realmente se les había aparecido. Una semana después, como hoy, está presente y ve al Señor que incluso le deja tocar sus manos y su costado. Y luego Tomás cree y exclama: "¡Señor mío y Dios mío!" Podemos aprender de la experiencia de Thomas que la Divina Misericordia se encuentra usualmente cuando estamos en la comunidad, no cuando estamos solos.

Conclusión

Amigos, Dios no ha dejado de derramar su misericordia sobre nosotros, ya sea la misericordia de crearnos y sostenernos seres humildes como Carmen amaba a Jorge, o si es la misericordia de Jesús perdonándonos en la confesión como perdonó a los discípulos que lo había abandonado. La fuente de la Divina Misericordia aún fluye.

Siguiendo los pasos de su predecesor, el Papa Juan Pablo II (segundo) el Papa actual Francisco también nos recuerda que debemos compartir la misericordia que recibimos de Dios. Por eso la tradición católica nos pide a su vez que realicemos diversas obras de misericordia.

Hacemos esto en las siete Obras de Misericordia Corporales que atienden las necesidades corporales de los demás, como lo hizo la comunidad cristiana primitiva en la primera lectura de hoy.

1.    Dar de comer al hambriento

2.    Dar de beber al sediento

3.    Dar posada al necesitado

4.    Vestir al desnudo

5.    Visitar al enfermo

6.    Socorrer a los presos

7.    Enterrar a los muertos

También tenemos las obras espirituales de misericordia que atienden las almas de los demás, como hicieron los discípulos con Tomás para llevarlo a la fe en el Señor Resucitado.

1.    Enseñar al que no sabe

2.    Dar buen consejo al que lo necesita

3.    Corregir al que está en error

4.    Perdonar las injurias

5.    Consolar al triste

6.    Sufrir con paciencia los defectos  de los demás

7.    Rogar a Dios por vivos y difuntos

Demos gracias al Señor, porque la misericordia del Señor es eterna. Sigamos compartiendo la misericordia de Dios con los demás, porque su misericordia no tenga fin.

Homily Easter 1 - On the third day he rose again from the dead

 Homily for 1^st Sunday of Easter Year 2021

Acts 10:34,36-43; Colossians 3:1-4; John 20:1-18

Introduction

“On the first day of the week,” we just heard from the gospel, Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early in the morning”. Similarly, the Creed, based on Scripture (cf. 1 Cor. 15:3-4) says that on: “the third day he rose again from the dead.”  Have you ever asked why the Scriptures are so specific about the days when these things happened: the first day of the week, the third day?

Well, thank you for asking.  There is a good reason for this.  The writers of the Scripture are specific because they are telling real historical events, and not merely myths or fiction.  They are not telling the resurrection story in the way my grandmother, used to tell us fairy stories saying "once upon a time." They are not telling the resurrection events the way science fiction or George Lucas tells us "a long time ago in a galaxy far far away."  They are specific about the days, because these specific events happened on these specific days.

Scripture and Tradition

So, Jesus rose on the third day.  But was it really the third day?  If Jesus died on Friday afternoon and rose on Saturday night, that is at most one and a half days, according to my math.  So, what kind of math is the Bible using?

Well, they are using a different kind of math, a different way of measuring time.  You see in Western societies like ours, the full day begins and ends at midnight.  But that is not the only way to measure days.  In Uganda, we measure the full day beginning and ending at sunrise.  The Jewish people had another way of measuring time, whereby the day began and ended at sunset.  That is why the Jewish Sabbath dinner is held on Friday evening, after sunset, and the synagogue service is then held on Saturday morning, and by Saturday evening, it is bye bye Sabbath.

And so, for us to understand the three days Scripture speaks about, we have to shed our Western way of counting time and adopt the Jewish one.

The first day began on Thursday evening with the Last Supper Jesus had with his friends.  That night he was arrested, tortured and sentenced to death.  The next morning, they took him and crucified him before noon and then he died about three in the afternoon.  They then took the bodies down and buried the body of Jesus in the tomb, ensuring that this was done before sundown, when the Sabbath would begin, as we heard in Friday’s passion story.  Although today we celebrate these events on two separate days, Holy Thursday and Good Friday, for the Jews, all these things happened on the first day.

So, the second day, that is Friday evening begins with Jesus already entombed.  What happens on this day?  Nothing.  Nothing happens, because Jesus is in the tomb.  That is why we too don’t celebrate Mass on this day; for how can we celebrate him, who is now in the tomb?  We mourn and we mourn that the tomb has swallowed up our Lord and we do nothing, at least not on this side.  But something is happening on the other side.  We hear in the Creed, that after he was buried, Jesus descended into hell.  What is the good Lord doing in hell, you might ask?  Again, thank you for asking again.  The Catechism tells us that he went down there to free those who had been deprived of the vision of God, who were waiting for the coming of the Saviour (cf. CCC 633).  Even in death, the tomb cannot contain Our Saviour.  The man just keeps working and working for the salvation of the world.

And so, after a full day of apparently nothing happening, we come to the third day.  On this third day which began after sunset on Saturday, during the night, something unheard of before and since happened.  For when the women went to the tomb early in the morning, they found it empty.  “They have taken the Lord from the tomb," Mary of Magdala anxiously told the disciples "and we don’t know where they put him.”  The tomb is now empty.  What could possibly have happened?  An obvious thought is that those bad bad men who had killed Jesus had now discarded his body, in a final act of indignity.  For entirely the opposite reasons, the religious authorities accused his disciples of taking his body away.

But as the women and the disciples would soon find out, the tomb was empty because God had acted in a singular and spectacular way.  This was an emptiness filled with extraordinary meaning.  As the angel told the women in last night's gospel and in virtually all the resurrection narratives, the tomb was empty because Jesus "has been raised just as he said."  The tomb could not contain him permanently.  He did not belong there.  God the Father took him out of there and resurrected him as he had promised.  For "Christ is risen . . . he is risen indeed."

But what did rising from the dead mean?  Unfortunately, even with the benefit of 2000 years of reflecting on these things, we don’t always get it.

·        Some think that what happened to Jesus was resuscitation, being brought back to this life, like Lazarus or the widow of Nain's son.  But as we know these people died again; and yet Jesus does not die again.

·        Others think that what happened to Jesus was reincarnation, his returning as another person, a notion earlier on entertained by some disciples who thought that Jesus was John the Baptist, Elijah or Moses.

·        Others still think that what happened to Jesus was that his soul merely went to heaven, or became immortal as the Judaism of the late Old Testament as well as the Greeks believed.

But these modes of thinking do not capture the fullness and complexity of the resurrection. For resuscitation would simply bring back the old unchanged Jesus, while reincarnation would bring an unrecognizable Jesus; and yet Christ is truly risen, he is risen indeed.  And while immortality of the soul has much to commend it, it ignores the body of the crucified Jesus, the body we receive in the Eucharist, the glorious body no longer limited by space and time, but a body nevertheless.  This is the new reality of the resurrection, a resurrection of body and spirit.

Christian Application

My friends what happened on the third day to Jesus, has profound meaning for us too.  Let me offer three ways we can reflect on its meaning for us.

First, as we profess in the creed, when we say “I believe in the resurrection of the dead”, we too are destined to rise with our bodies to eternal life.  At the end of time, we too hope to do what Jesus did on the first day of the week, on the third day, to rise in body and soul.  We shall not be resuscitated to this life only to die again; we shall not be reincarnated as George Clooney or Eva Longoria; but we shall rise with our bodies and souls, in a better form, a glorified form of ourselves, a 2.0 version of ourselves, that God made us to be.

Secondly, to ensure our resurrection into life and not into death, we must live like resurrection people, following what St. Paul urged the Colossians: "Brothers and sisters, If then you were raised with Christ, seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God . . .. not of what is on earth."  How do we do this?  We live faithfully by the teaching of Jesus, the Way, the Truth and the Life.  We let the resurrection inform everything we do.

Finally, like Mary Magdalene, Peter and John, "saw and believed" and then became witnesses of the resurrection, we must also share with others what we have received.  That is what St. Peter in our first reading was boldly proclaiming to anybody who cared to listen, that Jesus is risen and is risen indeed.  Especially during this time of the pandemic, a time of emptiness in our homes brought about by death and bereavement, by sickness and pain; the emptiness of bank accounts brought about by the closure of businesses and the loss of jobs; and of course, the emptiness of our churches brought about by the need to protect the lives of our parishioners, in case we are angels of death, let the good news of the resurrection of the empty tomb fill our emptiness.  For Christ is risen, he is risen indeed.

Conclusion

May what happened on the third day, happen every day of our lives.  May every day be for us a reminder that Christ is risen, he is risen indeed, Christ is risen, he is risen indeed.