Homily for Easter Sunday, Year A
There is a billboard on a major highway not too far from here that proclaims, in bold letters: “Earth’s last greatest hope for survival.” And next to this proclamation is a picture of a large milkshake. Imagine that – according to this billboard, our greatest hope for survival is a milkshake. I don’t know whether we’re supposed to laugh or cry.
On the one hand, this billboard makes a good point – our world does seem to be in shambles. Whether you look at the economy, or the threat of terrorism; the loss of family-centered values or any of a myriad of personal vices, its clear that the world is not as it should be. Something’s not right. You might even say that we need someone or something to save us from the downward spiral, to liberate us from the decaying world that we live in. In that sense, the billboard is right – we do need to look for some glimmer of hope for survival. And I hope we can find something better than a milkshake.
But here, on this bright spring morning, we can find just the hope we are longing for. Because today, we celebrate the ultimate reversal of fortunes. Today, we celebrate suffering and death being transformed into new life. Today we celebrate a tomb that is empty, a savior who has returned to life, and a promise that we can do the same through the saving waters of baptism. Today we celebrate the resurrection – the turning point in all of human history. From that first Easter Sunday, nothing has been the same. From that first Easter Sunday, the light of Christ’s resurrection has been the only hope that we need to tell us that, yes, we will survive – we will live – because God is in charge, and not even death can hold him back.
Any suffering that we come across in this Good Friday World can be transformed – if only we will let the risen Christ take hold of us and lift us up. Any despair or anxiety or fea that we live with can indeed be conquered. As the great Easter hymn, the Exultet, sings: “the power of this holy night dispels all evil, washes guilt away, restores lost innocence, brings mourners joy; it casts out hatred, brings us peace and humbles earthly pride.” The power of Easter is right here – we are desperately in need of help, and Christ rising from the dead is truly our only hope for survival – and it is all the hope we need. For today and all days: Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!
On the one hand, this billboard makes a good point – our world does seem to be in shambles. Whether you look at the economy, or the threat of terrorism; the loss of family-centered values or any of a myriad of personal vices, its clear that the world is not as it should be. Something’s not right. You might even say that we need someone or something to save us from the downward spiral, to liberate us from the decaying world that we live in. In that sense, the billboard is right – we do need to look for some glimmer of hope for survival. And I hope we can find something better than a milkshake.
But here, on this bright spring morning, we can find just the hope we are longing for. Because today, we celebrate the ultimate reversal of fortunes. Today, we celebrate suffering and death being transformed into new life. Today we celebrate a tomb that is empty, a savior who has returned to life, and a promise that we can do the same through the saving waters of baptism. Today we celebrate the resurrection – the turning point in all of human history. From that first Easter Sunday, nothing has been the same. From that first Easter Sunday, the light of Christ’s resurrection has been the only hope that we need to tell us that, yes, we will survive – we will live – because God is in charge, and not even death can hold him back.
Any suffering that we come across in this Good Friday World can be transformed – if only we will let the risen Christ take hold of us and lift us up. Any despair or anxiety or fea that we live with can indeed be conquered. As the great Easter hymn, the Exultet, sings: “the power of this holy night dispels all evil, washes guilt away, restores lost innocence, brings mourners joy; it casts out hatred, brings us peace and humbles earthly pride.” The power of Easter is right here – we are desperately in need of help, and Christ rising from the dead is truly our only hope for survival – and it is all the hope we need. For today and all days: Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!
1 comment:
The entire Triduum experience at Our Lady of Perpetual Help was beautiful this year. Father Eric, you did a fantastic job celebrating the Liturgy with us. Thank you for all of your hard work that went into making these days so meaningful. The Church is beautiful again this year.
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