Homilies | Father Nathan

Father Nathan | Homily

Easter Sunday

Todays Readings:

First Reading — Acts 10:34A, 37-43

Responsorial Psalm — Psalm 118: 1-2, 16-17, 22-23

This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad.

Second Reading — 1 Corinthians 5: 6B-8 or Colossians 3:1-4

Sequence Victimae Paschali Laudes

Christians, to the Paschal Victim
Offer your thankful praises!
A Lamb the sheep redeems;
Christ, who only is sinless,
Reconciles sinners to the Father.
Death and life have contended in that combat stupendous:
The Prince of life, who died, reigns immortal.
Speak, Mary, declaring
What you saw, wayfaring.
“The tomb of Christ, who is living,
The glory of Jesus’ resurrection;
bright angels attesting,
The shroud and napkin resting.
Yes, Christ my hope is arisen;
to Galilee he goes before you.”
Christ indeed from death is risen, our new life obtaining.
Have mercy, victor King, ever reigning!
Amen. Alleluia.

Gospel Reading — John 20:1-9

Easter Sunday Homily

“Peace be with you, Do not be afraid”

My dear friends, at end of January we heard about this virus. We did not take it so seriously because we thought that it would go away. We thought it would be momentary and would pass away.

But now our country, the United States, is on track on Saturday to surpass Italy in the total number of confirmed deaths from the coronavirus, reaching its deadliest day on Friday with 2,057 deaths. They say that it surpasses the death in Italy.

Do Not Be Afraid

We can face anything, endure anything as longs as we know or believe that it will NOT last forever and that something better will happen. That is our hope. For instance, people will face a long, painful and dangerous and stressful situation as we undergo now. We know and believe that it will bring them a better and safer life.

Sometimes we can face the rigors or painful sickness or operation for a long time but we all hope that something good will come out of it. In any painful stressful, panicking situation we always hope that something better will come from it.

Easter is hope in the resurrection – rebirth, out of death

Easter provides an enormous injection of hope. Hope is as necessary for our spirit as food is for our bodies. It is amazing to witness that humankind can take any amount of pain, struggle, and stress right now, hoping that it will pass by soon.

Nobody thought about it and no one was ready for it, but now we have taken it up and accepted it hoping that it will pass by soon. There are lots of tragedies in the world like this virus.

The good and peaceful are sometimes destroyed ….likewise, the world thought that Jesus was destroyed but he rose again.

He rose again!

He rose again that we may all have hope, hope in him, hope in life, and hope in the world. He affirms that there is a life after a period of suffering, there is a resurrection after a period of suffering. Yes, there is hope. There is life.

Think about this way, if one or two had died in the world due to this virus, do you think that we would have cared or worried about it like this? I don’t think so. But because it has affected the whole world and innumerable people have died we are worried, scared, panicked about it.

The world did not take much notice of the resurrection of Jesus. Their reason for this lies in the fact that it was a humble, hidden event. Jesus did not appear in triumph in the temple in Jerusalem, humiliating those who humiliated him. He appeared to his disciples whom he called by name, with whom he broke the bread and to whom he spoke words of peace. His disciples were the only ones aware of what happened. And even those he appeared to had difficulty in believing. Like all of us, they were slow in believing. Yet, it was a hidden event that freed humanity from the shackles of death.

Jesus rose as a sign to those who love him and follow him that, God’s love is stronger than death. The resurrection of Jesus must not be separated from the resurrection of humanity saved by him. By entering into human life, and by experiencing the bitterness of death, Jesus became a brother and savior to all people. He became human like you and me. The death of Jesus is part of God’s plan. By suffering he saved us.

So as we are undergoing this pain, this suffering, this fear, this panic, it does not remove our pain. It doesn’t take away the pain at all. But it gives it a meaning. It lights it up with hope.

All are different just because Jesus is alive and speaks his words of peace. He speaks to us his words of peace. His words are “Peace be with you, Do not be afraid”

Faith in the resurrection of Jesus, the basis of our hope in eternal life, a hope which enables us to bear patiently the trials of this life. Therefore, there is a quiet joy among us and a peace just because life is stronger than death, love is stronger than fear, and hope is stronger than despair.

There is hope.
There is a peace brought to the world by Christ. And Christ brings that peace to each and every one of us.

Amen.

“Peace be with you, Do not be afraid”

Stay safe and be reassured that God is with you in this time of crisis and isolation!

Stay connected to others during this time through phone, email and social media.

Have a Blessed Week,

Fr. Nathan