The Power of the Risen Christ (HOMILY FOR THE EASTER VIGIL YEAR A APRIL 2023

HOMILY FOR THE VIGIL OF EASTER, YEAR A

Romans 6:3-11; Ps.118; Matthew 28:1-10

The Power of the Risen Christ

When Jesus refused to appear in the house of Martha and Mary at the time their brother Lazarus was sick, people mocked Martha and Mary for their closeness to Jesus when Lazarus eventually died. It made no sense that Jesus could not do for his friends what he had been doing for others unknown or unconnected to Him. Similar mockery was repeated during the trial of Jesus. The Jesus who saved the woman caught in adultery from the condemnation of the Jews, could not save himself. The Jesus who claimed that can destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, is not strong enough to save himself. The Jesus who has been confronting the authorities is now helpless in their den. The Jesus who claimed to be the Son of God could not command angels from above to come defend Him. The Jesus who turned water into wine and promised the Samaritan woman everlasting water, cried of thirst on the cross.

The “weakness” of Jesus during His passion, was a source of discouragement for those who were close to Him, and a source of mockery for those who were against Him. Even one of the thief crucified with Him, still expected Jesus to do something at that last hour; still, nothing happened. At this point, the one explanation that could come to mind is that Jesus was not all that He claimed to be. Before the eyes of all around, Jesus died and was buried. Soldiers were put in place to guard His tomb so that his disciples do not steal the body and claim that He resurrected. Like most “films” that ends with the actor killing the boss, Jesus is the boss of this “film”.

You will notice that the disciples will henceforth start living in fear; fear of shame, of mockery and of their own lives. They could have imagined how they wasted three solid years with Jesus with hope for a bright future. They could have also been confused that despite all the extraordinary things that happened with, by and around Jesus, He could not save himself.

This night, an end is brought to the mockery, the shame, the confusion and the disappointment. This night life is given a different understanding; this night we are now so absolutely sure who has the power of life; this night we have discovered one who alone can defeat death; this night we see that evil can never have the last say; this night we can sure that God does not disappoint.

This night Jesus did for Himself not something like what He did for Lazarus, but something that He has never done for anyone before. There is difference between the coming back to life of Lazarus and that of Jesus. In the case of Lazarus, he was brought back to life; in the case of Jesus, He resurrected by Himself. That Jesus came back to life by His own power means that even while in the grave, His power was still with him. Ordinarily, a dead man can no longer use anything that belongs to him. Since Jesus could still use His power from the grave, it therefore means that life, in the realest sense of it, never left Jesus. In death, physical life left Jesus; but being the way, the truth and the LIFE, Jesus had the capacity to possess life even in death.

It therefore means that there is Life beyond physical life; a life that death cannot bring to an end. This is the greater life that Jesus keeps inviting us to; but we seem to be more interested in physical life. The ability of Jesus to still possess in death what He possessed in life shows that His possession was not given Him but was His from the beginning. Jesus is life Himself! This life is light that discards the darkness of the world. Today, the world remains dark in different forms; only that life that is immersed in the Life of Christ, can overcome the world.

Again, while the resurrection of Lazarus was a return to former life, the resurrection of Jesus was different. After the resurrection, Jesus possessed the features of body and spirit. This is where the complete victory over death is manifested. The Jesus after resurrection is doing more than the Jesus before death; not that His death made Him more powerful but the death was an occasion for Him to richly demonstrate His ever presence power over every negativity, including death. If Jesus is your light, the darkness of your world becomes a useful platform for your light to manifest. The interesting thing is that no one anticipated this resurrection; not even the disciples that were with Him for three years and were suspected will steal His body and claim that He resurrected. Jesus’ resurrection shocked everyone. My dear, you no fit see finish! E go shock you!

Our liturgical celebration today is quite dramatic; yet we are not acting drama but learning deep lessons. The joy of Easter Sunday is rooted in the pain of Good Friday. The conclusion of Easter Sunday follows from the premise of Good Friday. Easter Sunday fully makes sense after Good Friday has been understood. Easter Sunday only happens to those who have passed through Good Friday. The hope of Easter Sunday is what keeps us going in our moments of Good Friday. We start rejecting Easter Sunday when we say Good Friday is not “our portion”. Know this, the fact the distance between Good Friday and Easter Sunday is just 24 hours, does not mean that it will be so for us. The timing will be different but the setting remains the same. The logic remains correct and sound: if Jesus can save Himself, then He can save us too.

Beloved, if you cannot own a house without first building, gifted, buying or inheriting one; if you cannot become a graduate without first passing through school; if I cannot become a priest without first attending the seminary, why do we desire the glory of Christianity when we daily reject our crosses? We bear the crosses of our weaknesses, our poor health, our troubled family, our financial situation, our vocation, our temperament, and so on. No matter how heavy they may be, do not drop these crosses.

We are the Easter people; the people who believe in the power of the risen Christ. Exercise this Faith! Anything and anyone that makes you to leave Jesus through sin, is not worth it. Whatever and whoever promises you joy without a Good Friday is a scam. Beware of the pleasure of sin! Beware of a prayer-less life! Beware of a cross-less Christianity! Whatever Jesus did not teach us is not worth learning.

OR

Homily for Easter Vigil. Year A

"He has Risen, Alleluia."

Tonight's vigil is the most solemn of all the vigils in the Catholic Church. It brings to mind the vigil the children of Israel kept on the night of their departure from Egypt. They kept vigil on the night of their liberation. Christians, too, especially Catholics, keep vigil as we await the resurrection of Jesus, who lies in the tomb. The resurrection of Christ from the dead marks his victory over sin and death.

The resurrection of Christ Jesus is the basis of our faith as Christians. St. Paul says in 1st Cor.15:14: "If Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty, and your faith is empty." This vigil, therefore, is worth keeping.

The vigil is made of four parts, namely

1. The service of light and Easter proclamation.

2. The liturgy of the Word in which the Church marvels at what God has done for his people since the foundation of the world.

3. The baptismal liturgy, in which Catechumens are initiated into the mystery of Christ.

4. The liturgy of the Eucharist, which is the memorial the Church has to carry out until the Lord comes.

One important symbol of tonight's celebration is the symbol of light at the very beginning of tonight's celebration. It is a light that has broken forth into the sinful darkness of our world. A light that has come to dissipate the darkness of hatred and replace it with the brightness of love. A light that shines salvation into the lives of all believers.

The liturgy of the Word tonight presents us with nine readings, seven from the Old Testament and two from the New Testament. In these readings, we see the history of God's relationship with mankind. It underlines the fall of our first parents and the constant effort made by God through covenants and prophets to save us from the predicament of our fall. The resurrection of Christ Jesus is the culmination of God's unceasing effort to save us, and we should celebrate this day filled with light of God's grace and love.

The third reading tells us how the children of Israel walked into freedom while the Egyptians drowned in the waters of the Red Sea. This is a reminder of our baptismal liturgy. Baptism washes away our sins, especially origin sin, which we inherited from the sins of our first parents, Adam and Eve.

Tonight's Gospel tells us about the reality of the resurrection. The tomb could not hold Jesus in captivity. In Christ Jesus, we are victorious over evil in all its ramifications. The enemies of Jesus put him to death unjustly. They thought they had seen the end of him. He would no longer cause them sleepless nights. They were completely wrong. On the third day, He came charging from the grave alive. He has risen! His body was not in the grave. This time around, He would never die again. Death has no power over him. He would live forever. He had gained victory over death. But the victory was not his alone. It was also that of his followers. Just as He died and rose from the death, we, too, would rise from death never more to die. Christ's resurrection was the pledge of our own resurrection. "Dying He destroyed our death, rising He restored our life."

Easter is the feast of our reconciliation with God and his forgiveness. With forgiveness comes peace. Easter holds the promise of our own resurrection that we shall one day see God as He is.

May God increase our faith in the resurrection through Christ our Lord. Amen.