Easter Homily

We celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. We celebrate his being raised from the Dead by the Father. And so… what does this really mean?

One of the great aspects of the Easter Vigil is the readings; the amount and the trajectory of them. They always begin with Genesis; the story of creation and we remember how God created all with Goodness and that in this world we too were created with goodness, for goodness, to be able to encounter God as God truly is. Our destiny, to see God face to face.

The Scriptures move through the story of God walking with humanity, accompanying them on a journey towards liberation; to be free to encounter the divine. Throughout this journey God gave surprises to humanity, to push us forward towards that liberation. God called out to a simple elderly man and woman and made them fertile, and made a people out of them. God took that same people, now enslaved and freed them, even splitting the sea and thwarting the power of an empire. God surprises with 10 commandments, and even after Israel forgot about them and their role, God through the prophets still spoke to the people even in their exile, calling them home. God called them to come back to God.

Then the biggest surprise yet. The Incarnation and the Resurrection. God enters into the very being of Creation, wholly and completely; validating all of creation and most importantly validating all of humanity. Validating God’s infinite love, mercy, compassion; such that no sin can thwart it, not even death can stop it. Validating that God will always be with us.

In Christ is our Liberation. In Christ is our Salvation!

This matters. Because in Christ, through his birth, life, suffering, death and Resurrection God speaks and says WE MATTER. We have meaning and purpose, all of humanity; all humans have dignity, meaning and purpose.  This is not earned, nor bought; it does not depend on our politics, our country of birth, our gender, or whatever qualifiers we place on ourselves or others: We are and we Matter because of God.

This is liberation! This is salvation that comes from Christ. If we matter to God, God wants us to see God face to face.  Each of us will have our personal experiences of God, of Christ and the meaning of the Resurrection. Jesus rising from the tomb, the reality of the empty tomb only begins a journey.

These next weeks in scripture, especially this coming week, the scriptures and our ancient traditions as Catholics evoke within us ways to see how the Resurrection has freed us, and continues to free us; so as to encounter God in our lives.

The Disciples and Jesus’ loved ones did not immediately grasp the meaning of Jesus’ Resurrection, the Easter Sunday morning Gospels show that. They still needed to journey, grow and be liberated.

Tonight several people have been journeying with God in Christ will be taking a different direction. Some began a journey in another faith, and surprise!! now feel called to walk with God along with the us as Catholics.  Some began that journey as Catholics a while ago, but did not complete those initial sacraments, and now surprise!! will do so.  They will join with us exploring that Resurrection, walking with God to understand it more fully and experience God’s liberation.  

They and us will grow to understand that Resurrection will be the forgiveness that Jesus offers, reminding us true liberation also means we let go of the chains of hate and anger; we forgive too and accept forgiveness. And as we forgive, we get a glimpse of God and God’s capacity to forgive.

It will be the humility that Jesus offers; reminding us true liberation comes not in enforcing our own will onto this world, but following God’s.

It will be in the community that Gathers around Jesus, reminding us that Salvation is not a solo sport, but is a team effort; we need and are built for each other; and these divisions we create through our egos…do nothing but create death.

It will be in seeing our humanity as good, these bodies and souls as both equal and good, as ways to encounter, worship and praise God.

The resurrection will be mission, as Jesus will give that to all disciples reminding them that they are part of a grander vision; building the Kingdom on earth as Jesus did, through love, mercy, compassion, kindness, generosity, non-violence…

It will be the joy of knowing that no matter what happens, God remains with us. God does nothing to punish us, but only to walk us through our lives and knowing that we are loved, that we matter. It will be the joy of the saints, the martyrs, our ancestors in faith.

The Resurrection will be invoked in the Bread and Wine that become the living Son of God each week at mass. Calling us to remember all that Jesus is, calling us to remember God remains with us always.

The Resurrection indeed is the life of the world, today, here now. It is the ultimate in Surprises that God reveals to us. As we God walks with us to full salvation.

It does matter. Our liberation matters, the salvation of Jesus Christ matters. How in our lives…that will be the fun of the journey with God.