Easter Sunday 2010

     Today is the solemnity of the Resurrection of the Lord, "He is risen he is not here', said the figure in white to Mary Magdalene as she entered the empty tomb." In the first reading from the acts of the Apostles it is Peter who gives us an account of the things that preceeded this day. In the second reading it is St. Paul who speaks to us. "Brothers and sisters, if then you were raised with Christ, seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Think of what is above, not of what is on earth, for you have died , and your life is hidden with Christ, in God, when Christ your life appears, then you too will appear with him in glory".

     These things that are spoken of as being  not of this world but of the next, "of being above," are matters of faith, not of normal human experience or of natural sight, and since our lives are immersed in the things of this world we cannot, without faith, and without great difficulty accept them. We tolerate hearing about them but their real meaning passes us by. We need to be converted, not once but often.

     One of Jesus' apostles had such an experience. The scripture in another place tells us that in the evening of the day of the Resurrection Jesus came through the locked doors of the upper room where the disciples were gathered, not knowing what  to make of the events surrounding their masters death, Jesus said, "Peace be with you", and showed them his hands and his feet and the wound in his side. Thomas was not present and when he was told of the encounter with the risen Lord .Thomas' comment was, "Unless I see the nail marks and probe them with my finger and put my hand into his side, I will not believe".

     What a self condemnatory statement that is. "I will not believe". But there is another attitude that means the same thing today and it is indifferentism. "whether it's true or false "I don't care".

     The following week Jesus came again and said,"Peace be with you". Thomas was present and Jesus said to him, "Thomas, come and put your finger into the nail marks and probe them and put your hand into my side and be not unbelieving but believing". Thomas fell to his knees in the presence of The Lord and said, "My Lord and my God", the words we use when we gaze on Christ in The Holy Eucharist at the elevation at the  Mass. Jesus said, "Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen  and have believed".

     We don't want to die. We don't want to think about death but the result of death is celebrated today. Christ stripped himself of all things including the glory of God, but on the third day he rose from the tomb, his glory intact. The way to life is through death, that is the gradual giving up of our self will to the providential will of our loving Father. The psalmist writes, "Surrender to God and he will do everything for you".

     How can we do that? how can we become like Christ? How can we be certain of being raised to everlasting life and not to everlasting death? It is first to recognize that through Baptism we have become a new creation in Christ, the giver of life. Not only natural life but supernatural life. Natural life ends  but supernatural life, either for good or for bad goes on for ever.

     At the final judgement which is a ratification of the particular judgement we experienced at the moment of our death all will be raised in our glorified bodies. In Mt. 25 Jesus said that at the last judgement he will come with his angels and seperate the sheep from the goats. To those on his right, the sheep, he will say, "Well done good and faithful servant enter into the house prepared for you by my Father from the beginning of the world.

     Baptism removes the stain of original sin and the temporal punishment due thereto. As we grow in this life and are immersed in the things of this world we lose touch with the things of God. The Church is Christ and it is in the Church and it is through the sacraments and teaching of the Church and the truth conveyed by the Holy Spirit that the Lord keeps in touch with us.. Our responsibility  is to cooperate and to do so for our good and the good of others.

     In the eighteenth century the age of enlightement was a prominent philosophy. It held that mans reason was paramount and made faith unnecessary or at least subordinate. Relativism arose to say that my reason and judgement of  things, even the doctrine of the Church would be truth for me.

     Secularism and materialism followed so that today the slogan, "I'm entitled to my opinion", is exercised in the narrow band of worldly options. One no longer considers the things that are above has having relevance or the possibility of containing absolute truth and meaning.

     Just before the time of Jesus arrest he was in the temple speaking with the jews. He said to them who were plotting to kill him, "Destroy this temple and in three days I will build it up again". His listeners scoffed at him saying, "This temple took forty six years to build  and if it is destroyed you will rebuild it in three days, who do you make yourself out to be?. Jesus was speaking of the Resurrection but the jews were using enlightement thinking. Jesus was professing faith. The jews through their history followed the law. We as baptised into Christ must live by faith. "The Spirit  gives life the flesh profiteth nothing".

     The Holy Catholic Faith in many ways sounds contradictory. That one must die in order to live. "He who would save his life will lose it - But he who loses his life for my sake and for the sake of the Gospel will keep it unto everlasting life". "Unless you become like little children you cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven".

     Jesus said to Nicodemus, "Unless a man is born again of water and the Holy Spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of Heaven". Nicodemus using enlightement thinking replied,"How can a man be born again? Can he again enter into his mothers womb?.

     Today we have the evidence of all that Jesus said and that The Catholic Church teaches.

     In his letter to the Ephesians Ch 6:10-20 St. Paul  speaks of the  "The Christian Warfare". "Put on the armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities and powers, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of this wickedness on high. St. Paul goes on to speak of girding your loins with truth, putting on the breastplate of justice, taking up the shield of faith and having your feet shod with the gospel of peace.

     We must think of the things that are above and reach out in faith to cooperate with Christs gifts of grace conveyed by the Sacraments.

     If we have died with him we will rise with him and today the proof is before us.