Third Sunday of Easter

Scripture often speaks of life as a journey or a sojourn, as Peter does in the second reading today.  For Christians, our journey is one of faith and trust in God and we hope to end the journey by making it to heaven as God desires. And, obviously, we do not make the journey alone.  People are with us, although some leave us abruptly, while others wander away gradually.

The last week of April contains two important anniversaries for me.  On April 26, 1971, my younger brother died when he was 7.  And almost exactly forty years later, my father died on April 28, 2011.  Our faith tells me that I will see them again, provided I remain faithful to my journey, and there have been times over the years when I have felt their presence with me quite strongly.  I believer they are still with me, but it is different now.

The first disciples were blessed to have been with Jesus during his preaching and ministry.  And after the Resurrection, they were privileged to have seen him again.  But it was different.  Jesus wasn’t always with them the way he was before his death.  He would appear suddenly, even through locked doors, and then he would vanish from their sight.  It was indeed Jesus, but they didn’t always recognize him. 

In today’s gospel, we hear of new ways that Jesus is present to two of his followers, Cleopas and his companion.  It’s a beautiful story for all of us who put our faith in the Risen Lord, for he can be present to us in the same three ways.

First, Cleopas and his companion invited Jesus to stay with them.  They offered hospitality to a stranger who would be continuing his journey in the dark.  They knew he must have been hungry and thirsty, so, being charitable, they asked him to join them with the simple words, “Stay with us.”  The parable of the last judgment in Matthew 25 teaches us that whenever help is given to someone in need, Jesus is present.  As a good story teller, Luke doesn't just tell us, he shows us the same teaching.  We need to remember that whenever charity, kindness, and acceptance are offered to another, the Holy Spirit is at work, and Jesus is present.

Second, this stranger had spoken to the two disciples about the Scriptures and how they applied to Jesus.  He showed them how everything that had happened in Jerusalem was part of God’s plan.  And as he did so, the hearts of the two who listened were on fire.  The disappointment, self-pity, and despair that had enveloped them were lifted from them.   They were set free by the words and understanding they heard from their unknown friend.  Jesus will do the same for us.  When we read the Scriptures in a prayerful, believing way, Jesus, who is the Word of God, will speak to our hearts.  Reading and praying over God’s word is one of the best ways to draw closer to the Lord.  Again, the Holy Spirit is at work and Jesus is present.

Third, when the three sat down at the table, Luke tells us that Jesus took the bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to them, and their eyes were opened and they recognized him “in the breaking of the bread.”  That is an expression the early church used for the Eucharist or Mass.  When we gather together and pray and ponder Scripture and, then at the altar, pray and bless and break bread and receive it, Jesus is present in the most mysterious of ways.  For, as at the Last Supper, so at every Mass, the Lord takes what we offer and in return, gives us, not bread and wine, but his Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity. 

Encountering Jesus in these three ways requires faith. We need to believe that the Holy Spirit is at work, especially when we gather as a praying community.  We need to trust that Jesus desires to be with us and receives our love when we care for those in need.  We also have to take time to read the Scriptures so that Jesus can manifest himself to us and speak to us.  And finally, we ought to desire to receive the Lord in the Eucharist as often as we can, for he is the Bread of Life.  We cannot stray far when we stay close to the Eucharist.

The Easter Season is a good time to ask God for an increase in the three gifts that remain: faith, hope, and love.  When we act in faith, hope, and love, Jesus will be with us in amazing and surprising ways.  And with the Lord as a companion, our way will be joyful, even when we are suffering.  We may not always feel his presence the same way -  it may be different -  but he will never leave us.  And all the Lord asks is that we place our trust in him.

Second Sunday of Easter - Divine Mercy Sunday

In today’s gospel account, the risen Jesus appears to the disciples both on Easter night and a week later.  He breathes on them, just as God breathed life into Adam in Genesis.  Jesus gives the disciples new life through the gift of the Holy Spirit.  And the Spirit is given to them so that they might be instruments of God’s mercy.  Just as they will make him present in the breaking of the bread, so too he shares with them the power to forgive or retain sin.

Easter is a time for deepening our relationship with Jesus.  What better way to do that than being forgiven and healed of our sins.  Too often distance and pain creep into relationships that lack honesty and forgiveness.  Jesus knows that.  The Council of Trent in 1551 taught that it was this gospel moment in John 20 in which the Lord established the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  When we confess our sins to a priest, who takes the place of Jesus, we are healed and reconciled, both to the Lord and to others. 

The encounter between Thomas and Jesus the following week assures us that we need not fear judgment of condemnation when we stand before Jesus.  Instead, as with Thomas, Jesus meets us where we are, as he calls forth from us faith and trust in him. 

When we decide to live for Jesus, we do so as members of his Church, for God’s desire is that we be a community united in Christ.  In the first line of today’s reading from the Acts of the Apostles, Luke writes of the four essential priorities of the first Christians:  “They devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking of bread and to the prayers.” 

Centuries later, these are still the foundations for faithful life as members of the Church.  We ought to know our faith as passed down to us from the apostles and their successors.  We need to be committed to each other as a community, particularly in caring for those who are in need.  We need to have the Eucharist, “the breaking of the bread,” at the heart of our life and worship, and, finally, we need to be people of prayer, both individually and as a community.  

Jesus has to be the center of each of our individual lives and of our community life as his Church.  The Christian life is not to be lived alone.  Instead we commit ourselves to spending time to be with the Lord as a community in prayer and to work together to continue his work.  Jesus calls us to be his witnesses, and by doing that to bring others to him. 

We are blessed.  We have not seen him, but we love him.  And in loving him, we trust him.  And in trusting him, we open ourselves to all that he wants to give us, especially his mercy. 

Therefore, as Peter tells us in today’s second reading, we rejoice, as we move closer to the goal of our faith, the salvation of our souls.  

Easter Sunday - The Resurrection of the Lord

Mary Magdalene and her friends, having seen the angel who told them Jesus was alive and that they would see Jesus, hurry to tell the others.  Although the angel told them not to be afraid, they were both fearful and overjoyed as they ran to find the disciples.

“And behold, Jesus met them on the way and greeted them.   The angel spoke the truth to them and his word is true for us also.  We too will meet Jesus as we continue on our way and he will greet us.  We know from Scripture that he will never leave us.  Through the Church, his promised presence is manifested in the sacraments, especially the Eucharist.  But the Risen Christ is with us each moment and will listen whenever we turn our minds and hearts to him.

We know from the stories of the Easter appearances that Jesus always asked his disciples to let go of fear and in its place to know his peace.  Peace was his gift to the apostles at the Last Supper and he reminded them of that peace each time he appeared to them after the Resurrection.  That peace, like his presence, is an Easter gift to us as well, since we too are disciples.

And as Peter preached after Pentecost, Jesus gives us pardon from our sins through his name.  We need not fear judgment or condemnation.  We do not have to be afraid that our weakness will cause the Lord to leave us.  Instead, we put our trust in him and in the power of his name and we are forgiven.

The presence, peace, and pardon of Jesus are given to us as gifts from God as we remember and give thanks for the Pascal Mystery.

Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord

Our gospel story ends this Sunday at the tomb of Jesus.  He has suffered and died and a few faithful followers have quickly placed his body in a new grave as the Sabbath begins and a guard has been posted.

Every other Sunday the gospel tells of Jesus at work: healing, preaching, traveling, eating with sinners, proclaiming the Kingdom of Heaven in both word and action.  He is active and alive, filled with the Holy Spirit, doing the Father’s work.  But today we remember that he has died.

In the passion account Jesus patiently and humbly endures all that was done to him: the physical pain, the betrayal, the abandonment, the denial, and the condemnation to death.  He submitted himself to all of it and in doing so emptied himself in every possible way.  And now he has died and been placed in a tomb.

I went to church early this morning so that I could walk through the parish cemetery before Mass.  Each grave is marked with a large wooden cross and is surrounded by colorful, abundant plants and flowers.  I prayed for those who were buried there.  There were all Christians, which means each of them took up their cross and followed after Jesus.  They sought to serve others as Jesus did.  They also suffered and as he did, and finally they each died as Jesus did.   Some, no doubt, lived a virtuous life and had a peaceful death: others struggled often, perhaps even at the end. Some of them died when they were but children; others reached a good old age. But they were all like Jesus and experienced what he did.

Next Sunday we celebrate the awesome reality that death is not the final word for Christians.  Jesus rose from the dead and lives today, and through our baptism and faith in him, we too will share in that resurrection.

But today it seems good to ponder the suffering that we have yet to face in our lives.  Perhaps it will be physical, mental or spiritual pain.  Maybe we will be abandoned by those closest to us or betrayed by a friend.  We have heard again in today’s gospel how Jesus endured his suffering and we pray for the same grace for ourselves for when we need it. 

We also might prayerfully consider our death.  If, during our life, we have imitated the Lord in emptying ourselves and surrendering all to God in trust, then death will simply be one final letting go.  What happens after that is the Good News of next Sunday.  But for now, we remember and realize again that suffering and the cross is the only way to get there.

The Fifth Sunday of Lent

Everything in today’s story about Martha and Mary and their brother helps us see more clearly how much Jesus can do for us, his friends of today.  Lazarus and his two sisters were friends of Jesus.  They welcomed him into their home.  They listened to him.  They served him.  They knew that he loved them.  We too are faithful friends to Jesus when we welcome him into our hearts and homes, listen to him in prayer and throughout the day, and serve him when we see him in need.  We too are the ones he loves. 

We may be like Martha or Mary: some of us outgoing and busy all the time, others more laid back and willing to wait for the right moment.  Jesus understands us and does not expect the same from all of us.  Like Martha and Mary, who sent a short message to Jesus about their sick brother, we too would best keep our prayers simple and not presume to tell the Lord what he should do. 

Again, like the sisters, we need to trust Jesus in times of grief and struggle.  The temptation is to be angry or hurt, resentful and frustrated.  Instead, we need to believe that the Lord is very much with us.  He shares our pain, even when he knows that pain and hurt will not be the final word.  He wept at the tomb of Lazarus moments before he raised him from the dead.  We may not see such an immediate, joyful end to the pain in our lives as Martha and Mary did, but we can trust that God’s love will be work in some mysterious way.

In the gospel of John, eternal life begins when one believes in Jesus and his word.  Eternal life began for us when the Holy Spirit was poured into our hearts at baptism.  We are alive in Jesus already, filled with his love, one with him here and now. 

But we also share in his passion and cross.  The victory has been won, but we need to take up our cross and follow him in order to share in the life of the resurrection in the world to come.

Are we willing, midst the pain and death that often surrounds us, to put our trust in Jesus, the Resurrection and the Life?  Will we ask him to stir up in us the eternal life that dwells in our hearts?  Will we ask to be set us free from all that binds us, so that we may follow him along the way of the cross?  Martha and Mary did, as did Lazarus once he was restored to life.  We need to do the same.