Witness to Jesus | Easter Vigil/Easter Sunday
Here is the prepared text of the homily delivered April 19 at the Co-Cathedral of St. Theresa in Honolulu and April 20 at the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Peace in downtown Honolulu.
If Jesus had died and risen from the dead, but was never seen again, that would probably be worth celebrating. Quite an accomplishment, rising from the dead!
It might make the Guinness Book of World Records. It probably would be noted somewhere in history books. It certainly would be one of the most noteworthy of human accomplishments. Definitely unusual and worthy of note!
If simply rising from the dead was the end of the story, it would be a wonderful story, but I truly doubt that people all over the world would gather for 2,000 years to celebrate this event with such rich and sumptuous joy.
I doubt that some would dedicate their lives to proclaiming his continued presence to others, even when it meant they would be ridiculed, and perhaps even persecuted or put to death.
It is unlikely that the apostles, who proved to be such a cowardly bunch, would leave everything behind, go to the ends of the earth and joyfully tolerate their own suffering and death, if the Resurrection was simply a past event to be noted.
It is unlikely this story of resurrection alone would have inspired a Mother Teresa of Calcutta to offer her life in service to the poorest of the poor; or that a Father Damien would risk dying from the dread disease of leprosy to serve others in the name of Jesus; or that a Father Miguel Pro would face a firing squad for proclaiming what others considered a fairy tale at best or a dangerous fraud at worst.
We are here 2,000 years after this historic event, joining with Christians in every part of the world, to celebrate not only that Jesus rose from the dead, but that he is now alive and still living among us. We are here to remember how we were invited to die ourselves by being immersed in the waters of baptism, so that we can rise up to new life with Jesus.
We are here to hear the living Word that created the world in the beginning and that now makes our hearts burn within us. We are here to be anointed, to be “Christed,” so that we can be filled with the spirit of the risen Jesus himself.
We are here to eat his living flesh and drink his living blood so that we may live forever. We are here to be united in the most intimate and holy communion, as a bridegroom is united to his bride, so that we may have the honor and privilege of being true members of the living body of Christ, one with him and with each other.
It is the encounter with the risen Jesus that makes all the difference. We see in the Gospels that this encounter was gradual, as for those who first only saw an empty tomb. We see that it is surprising, as for his disciples who walked seven miles with him in broad daylight, yet only recognized him in the breaking of bread.
It is challenging, as it was for Peter, when he was face to face with the risen Jesus and asked three times, “Do you love me?” It is amazing, as Jesus tells us that when we feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, visit the sick or imprisoned, we do those things to him personally.
I doubt if we would be here today simply to celebrate some merely historic event. No, we are here because we know for certain that Jesus is alive and living with us right here, right now. He touches our hearts in a way that no legend possibly could, but only a living person whose love is so intense and so very real.
Just as he suffered so much in his life and in his horrible death but overcame death, his living presence with us does not mean that we will not experience suffering in our lives. But through him, with him and in him, we can give glory to God even in the midst of our sufferings, because we know that he has promised resurrection to us who are faithful to him.
And we are sent forth from this joyful celebration to go to others who are suffering, to those experiencing wars or domestic violence, to those imprisoned by bars or by stifling ideologies, to those who are sick and those who carry the burden of caring for them.
We are sent forth by the Risen One himself, who is with us, who never abandons us and who promises us that suffering and death are never meant to be the end of anyone’s story.
We are filled with joy that we have been given the blessing of encountering the risen Jesus as a real and living person, so that we can go out as pilgrims of hope to invite all the world to this wondrous and joyful encounter with the Risen One.
