Tuesday, I Easter
(John 20)
In its beginning the Gospel According to John states that Jesus empowered all who accept him to become God’s children. Now at the end of the gospel the words are seen fulfilled. Jesus tells Mary Magdalene to go to his “brothers” and say that he is going to my Father and their Father, my God and their God.
The disciples believed in Jesus since his turning water into wine at Cana. Now, however, they are brought to a greater realization of what their faith means. Jesus not only has power over death but can use death to bring people to glory. It is like a baseball rivalry, say between the Giants and the Dodgers. One team, say the Giants, not only beats the Dodgers in every series the two teams play but turn the Dodgers into their most rabid fans. For this reason St. Paul will write that he never wants to boast of anything except the cross of Jesus Christ.
Death remains fearful in so far as we lack perfect faith. But we are not failures if we fear it. No, we are only displaying the frailty of our nature. Just as seven weeks ago we were wondering how we would do without chardonnay or chocolate during Lent, we hesitate to embrace death now. But when it is time and we accept death as the door to eternal life, we will see that it is not the beast we fretted. On the contrary, it will allow us to be happier than we ever dreamed.
Homilette for Monday, April 9
Monday, I Easter
Acts 2, Matthew 28)
The gospel mentions a refutation of the resurrection that evidently was circulated in apostolic times. Apparently some Jews claimed that Jesus did not rise from the dead but that his tomb was found empty because his disciples stole his body. We might find the explanation given of why Romans soldiers would admit to negligence-on-duty – that they were paid off and that the Jewish leaders would handle any fallout with the procurator -- as hardly plausible. However, this line of reasoning probably goes beyond what Matthew intended by telling the story.
More topical today is a question about the resurrection that the first reading suggests. Peter tries to show his Jewish listeners that Jesus’ resurrection was foretold in Scripture. Some modern skeptics have opined that the passion, death and resurrection narratives were invented by early Christians with the Old Testament in hand. According to these theorists, the apostles gleaned tidbits from the Jewish Scriptures and inserted them into the story of Jesus’ ordeal. That may be possible, but it is hardly likely. Catholic scholar Fr. Raymond Brown has written it is far more probable that the early Christians noted facts surrounding Jesus death and resurrection that corresponded with Scripture. This is why we have the emphasis on casting lots for the garment, the wine being offered to Jesus, and other details.
Skeptics can and will always raise doubts about Jesus’ resurrection. It remains a singular event in history (unless we count the Assumption of Mary for which there appears to be far less testimony). We accept it in faith because of the credibility we give to the apostolic witness, because it satisfies the longing of the human heart which God has created, and also because we have experiences the effects of his resurrection such as God’s love filling our hearts.
Acts 2, Matthew 28)
The gospel mentions a refutation of the resurrection that evidently was circulated in apostolic times. Apparently some Jews claimed that Jesus did not rise from the dead but that his tomb was found empty because his disciples stole his body. We might find the explanation given of why Romans soldiers would admit to negligence-on-duty – that they were paid off and that the Jewish leaders would handle any fallout with the procurator -- as hardly plausible. However, this line of reasoning probably goes beyond what Matthew intended by telling the story.
More topical today is a question about the resurrection that the first reading suggests. Peter tries to show his Jewish listeners that Jesus’ resurrection was foretold in Scripture. Some modern skeptics have opined that the passion, death and resurrection narratives were invented by early Christians with the Old Testament in hand. According to these theorists, the apostles gleaned tidbits from the Jewish Scriptures and inserted them into the story of Jesus’ ordeal. That may be possible, but it is hardly likely. Catholic scholar Fr. Raymond Brown has written it is far more probable that the early Christians noted facts surrounding Jesus death and resurrection that corresponded with Scripture. This is why we have the emphasis on casting lots for the garment, the wine being offered to Jesus, and other details.
Skeptics can and will always raise doubts about Jesus’ resurrection. It remains a singular event in history (unless we count the Assumption of Mary for which there appears to be far less testimony). We accept it in faith because of the credibility we give to the apostolic witness, because it satisfies the longing of the human heart which God has created, and also because we have experiences the effects of his resurrection such as God’s love filling our hearts.
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