{"id":705,"date":"2012-04-08T16:05:20","date_gmt":"2012-04-08T20:05:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/?p=705"},"modified":"2012-04-08T16:05:20","modified_gmt":"2012-04-08T20:05:20","slug":"jesus-christ-is-risen-today","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/jesus-christ-is-risen-today\/","title":{"rendered":"Jesus Christ is Risen Today"},"content":{"rendered":"

It is mid-afternoon on Easter Sunday.\u00a0 Over the last three days, we have celebrated Holy Thursday where Jesus celebrated the First Eucharist and calls us to do the same.\u00a0 On Good Friday, we celebrated <\/em><\/strong>the Crucifixion but we can only celebrate the Crucifixion in light of the Resurrection.\u00a0 Each time we celebrate the Eucharist, we celebrate Jesus’ sacrificing of his life for us but again, we can only celebrate in light of the Resurrection.<\/p>\n

Here is my homily for the Easter Vigil.<\/p>\n

Peace,<\/p>\n

Fr. Jeff<\/p>\n

Easter Vigil, Year B – April 7, 2012<\/a>
\nGenesis 1:1-2:2
\nGenesis 22:1-18
\nExodus 14:15-15:1
\nIsaiah 54:5-14
\nIsaiah 55:1-11
\nEzekiel 36:16-17a, 18-28
\nRomans 6:3-11
\nMark 16:1-7<\/p>\n

Our celebration began in the dark outside with the Blessing of the Easter Fire.\u00a0 Then, we blessed and lit the Paschal Candle and entered into the church.\u00a0 As we move into the church, we are carrying candles which we lit from the Paschal Candle.\u00a0 All this reminds us how Jesus brought light to the world.<\/p>\n

We have just heard eight readings.\u00a0 Why do listen to so many readings?\u00a0\u00a0These are not just a bunch of isolated stories.\u00a0 They serve a purpose to tell us how God has been present to his people since the beginning of time.\u00a0 It is the story of Salvation History.\u00a0\u00a0There was never a time when God did not exist and God is the creator of all and so all belongs to him.\u00a0 A literal interpretation of our first reading from the first creation story in Genesis might be taken as an attempt to explain how God created us.\u00a0 The point is not how.\u00a0 The point is that God is creator of all.\u00a0 God is the one who brings order to all.\u00a0 In that order, God has created us in his image and given us dominion over the world.<\/p>\n

Our second reading is familiar to many as the story of God telling Abraham to sacrifice his son.\u00a0 If this is all we hear, then it seems impossible.\u00a0 Why do we listen to this story?\u00a0 Because it tells us of how much Abraham trusted in God.\u00a0 Because Abraham trusted in God, he was richly blessed.\u00a0 Abraham serves as an example of faith and trust in God to us.<\/p>\n

Our reading from Exodus tells of a pivotal moment in Salvation History.\u00a0 God was leading his people out of Egypt.\u00a0 The Egyptians were chasing them down.\u00a0 It seemed like they would not be freed after all but then God saved them in a way that only God could, by parting the Red Sea.\u00a0 Note that the pivotal event involved crossing through the waters to a new life.<\/p>\n

Our readings from Isaiah come from the time around the end of the Babylonian Exile.\u00a0 When they were defeated and many were taken into exile, they felt God had abandoned them.\u00a0 But then, in his mercy (the mercy we count on) he takes them back.<\/p>\n

This is an important part of Salvation History \u2013 the Israelites sin and God forgives.\u00a0 What is the price of God\u2019s forgiveness?\u00a0 Well, God invites them to \u201ccome, without paying, and without cost.\u201d<\/p>\n

God\u2019s forgiveness is a gift.\u00a0 There is nothing we can do to earn it.\u00a0 It is God\u2019s to give but to open ourselves to that gift, we must acknowledge our sins and seek to do better. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 We must also believe in Jesus and that he died and rose for us.\u00a0 In our humanness, it can be difficult to understand how Jesus\u2019 death on a Cross can be for the forgiveness of our sins.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 But we don\u2019t have to understand.\u00a0 We just have to believe.\u00a0 We just need to believe in what God has written in our hearts in the new covenant, the covenant formed in baptism through Jesus.<\/p>\n

Remember before when I pointed out how the Israelites entered into new life by crossing the waters of the Red Sea?\u00a0 It is through the waters of baptism that we enter into new life in Christ.\u00a0\u00a0In a few minutes we will celebrate the baptism of Olivia and Stephen.\u00a0 We will receive Heather into the Catholic Church, and Anthony and Steven will complete their sacraments.\u00a0 Tonight is a major event in their lives.<\/p>\n

What they do tonight, we have already done in some way.\u00a0 After Olivia and Stephen are baptized, we will all renew our baptismal promises. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 We do this acknowledging that we are not perfect, that we are all in need of constant renewal and forgiveness.\u00a0 Our celebrations of the last couple of days remind us of that.\u00a0 Thursday night we celebrated the Mass of the Lord\u2019s Supper, the gift of the Eucharist where we are constantly renewed in God\u2019s grace.\u00a0 Yesterday, we celebrated the Passion of Jesus, believing that our sins are indeed forgiven through Jesus death on a Cross. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Jesus\u2019 Crucifixion can only be understood by what we just heard in the gospel.\u00a0 After Jesus\u2019 death, his body was laid in the tomb. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 But the women have just found the tomb empty.<\/p>\n

When we hear that the tomb is empty, we rejoice because we know that Jesus is risen.\u00a0 But\u00a0we must realize it wasn\u2019t so clear for the women.\u00a0 In fact, if you read the line that follows this gospel passage, we are told that the women were afraid.\u00a0 They didn\u2019t know why the tomb was empty.\u00a0 They did not yet understand.<\/p>\n

Ultimately, the Risen Jesus appears to them so that they might believe in the Resurrection and eternal life. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 This changes our whole view of the world.\u00a0 Things of this world don\u2019t seem so important when we believe in the gift of eternal life.\u00a0 We can\u2019t always understand what eternal life is but we can believe.\u00a0 In our belief, we have hope and that hope changes everything.<\/p>\n

With this in mind, we have some sacraments to celebrate so let us continue by first calling up Olivia and Stephen with their godparents so that we help them cross the waters.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It is mid-afternoon on Easter Sunday.\u00a0 Over the last three days, we have celebrated Holy Thursday where Jesus celebrated the First Eucharist and calls us to do the same.\u00a0 On Good Friday, we celebrated the Crucifixion but we can only celebrate the Crucifixion in light of the Resurrection.\u00a0 Each time we celebrate the Eucharist, we …<\/p>\n

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