We are an Easter people and Alleluia is our song.

 

Easter 2021

 

In these days of the Easter Triduum which climax with this celebration of the Lord’s resurrection, we have encountered the Lord in different ways.

 

In the Liturgy of the Lord’s supper on Holy Thursday, we encountered the Lord with a towel around his waist washing the feet of his disciples giving us an example of service that his rooted in the Lord’s radical love for us, and we also encountered the Lord in this Sacrament of the Eucharist.

 

In the liturgy of Good Friday, we encounter the crucified Lord on the cross focusing not even so much on the suffering that Jesus endured but rather focusing on his unconditional love for us.

Now on this Easter day, the first disciples did not exactly experience the Resurrection event with the magnificence of Easter music and Easter flowers and a wonderful sense of celebration.  The first disciples did not immediately proclaim:  We are an Easter people and Alleluia is our song.

For the first disciples, their Easter faith was much more gradual.  The first disciples encountered the empty tomb before experiencing the Risen Lord.  The Easter Gospel speaks of the empty tomb experiences of Mary Magdalene and the apostles Peter and John.  They only gradually came to an Easter faith.

An important truth of our lives is that we discover important things about our lives at the empty tomb.  Our dealing with this pandemic for many of us is an empty tomb experience as we have been confined to our homes, and we haven’t been able to gather as we would like.

 

This brutal virus makes us feel that we are locked up in a dark tomb for an impossibly long duration, as though the darkness of “Good Friday” might go on forever with little hope in sight.  COVID-19 is virtually the Way of the Cross for all of humanity.

Yet today, as we celebrate Easter morning, may the grace of this Easter Day take on a transformed meaning for us.  For we have been living in the darkness of this pandemic, confined to a kind of tomb-like existence. 

As with the first disciples, our empty tomb experiences are the moments of darkness and confusion in life.  As we peer into the empty tombs of the ups and downs of everyday life, we are challenged to see and believe as the apostle John did as he stared into the empty tomb.

There is the story of the man whose dad came home from the II World War; his dad worked in a factory with a very menial job; he had t pay his won way through college.  Frankly he didn’t think too highly of his dad because he didn’t seem to amount to much.

The young got himself a job in an international conglomerate and seemed to be moving up the ladder of success.

His dad died and at his dad’s wake in walk the CEO of this international conglomerate.  The man was as pleased as could be and went to the CEO to thank for coming to the wake.  The CEO then asked:  are you a relative of the deceased Frank.  The man quickly that he was Frank’s son.  The CEO responded:  “So, you’re the son.”  Then he went to say that your dad saved his life during the II World War and pulled him out of harm’s way.  They had kept in touch, exchanged Christmas cards, and the man repeatedly had told Frank that if there is anything I can do for you, please let me know.  After some years, Frank finally did ask for a favor.  He asked if he get his son a job in his international conglomerate.

Immediately the son was filled with shame in not appreciating his dad and what he had done for him.

On this Easter day, may we be thankful for all that our family has done for us.

More than ever on this beautiful Easter day, we need to trust and embrace the grace Jesus offers.  The Risen Jesus calls us by name and offers us the grace to walk away from the empty tombs of the fears and the demons of our lives so that we live with Easter joy and an Easter peace.  This indeed is our journey to an Easter faith.

On this Easter day the Risen Lord wishes to identify with us and to enter into the experience of the people he loves.  Today God is sending this Easter message to us that the Risen Lord showers upon us the joy and peace that accompanies us as an Easter people.

For me, it is an experience of Easter joy to be connected with you -- those of you who are in this Church on this beautiful Easter Day and those of you are who are present to us virtually.   I can see your smiling faces even though your masks and I am blessed with the friendships we share as a community of faith.  Recently I had another birthday, would you believe.  I would like to share with you my very favorite birthday card that I received.  It was from 3-year-old Anna Hickey.  Anna wrote on this home-made card.  Dear Father Jim, I like coming to Church because everyone is really nice.   Love, Anna Hickey.

For me, this was a most touching birthday-Easter Message.   From Anna, she comes to Church not because it is a day of obligation under the pain of mortal sin.  She comes to Church because she experiences the love of this faith community.

May Anna’s birthday greeting to me define who we are as a faith community.  May we be an Easter people who want to be together to give praise and thanks to our God and be a people who enjoy sharing our love with one another.

This virus has not dimmed one iota God’s love for each and everyone one of us.  The Lord’s Easter message is that all are welcome; all are forgiven; and all are loved by the Risen Lord.

 Jesus is present to us in this moment as much as He was present to Mary Magdalene on the first Easter day. Like Mary, we may have difficulty recognizing how the Risen Lord is present during these days. 

This Easter Day we are challenged to think differently about the blessings of our lives. I am a believer that we can find the joy of the Risen Lord in the blessings of life we enjoy on this day.   Yes, we can’t travel to be with extended family, but may our Easter blessing be the gratitude we have for the family we are with.  Social distance does not lead us to social paranoia – fear of my brother and sister.  Instead, may we be led to new forms of solidarity with one another.

May our Easter faith in the presence of the Risen Christ within our hearts fill us with an Easter joy.   Allow yourself to be loved by the God who goes with us in this pandemic crisis.  Yes, we are looking for a vaccine to protect us from this virus, but be assured that with the eyes of faith the vaccine we most need is found in our solidarity with the Risen Lord and in our solidarity with each other as a community of faith.

We are an Easter people.  This means that are not buried in the tomb of our sins, evil habits, dangerous addictions or this pandemic crisis.  Our Resurrection faith gives us the Good News that no tomb can hold us down anymore -- not the tomb of despair, discouragement or doubt, not that of death.  Instead, the joy of the Risen Lord fills our spirit.

May we listen as the Risen Lord calls us by name and welcomes us into the joy of sharing in His Risen life. 

We are an Easter people and Alleluia is our song.

Have a Blessed Easter Day.