Congratulations to Marlene,
Flutura and Lorraine, who will be baptized and receive First Communion tonight.
Marlene will also receive the Sacrament of Confirmation
Remember
playing Flashlight Tag - Red Light, Green Light - Freeze Tag?
There are moments in all of
our lives that are frozen in time and frozen in our memories. They can be good
moments, or bad moments. Moments of utter joy and moments of profound grief.
Remember?
That first kiss. -
Yes, I will marry you.
A look on the doctor's face. -
The birth of a child – Loss of a job
Graduation - The
end of a life.
"DEFINING" moments
some folks might call them. As we gather on this Easter we celebrate THE
DEFINING moment of our Christian faith –
We call it - the
Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.
What Is the Resurrection?
-
Some say it is a
metaphor – Jesus was still alive in their hearts and minds. He will live on in
your memory
-
Some – another
way to speak of the rebirth of nature after the death of winter. caterpillars
to butterflies and frozen earth to green shoots.
-
Some – his legacy
will live on. Jesus will live on, just like the writings of Shakespeare or the
music of Beethoven.
Although it is comforting
- THIS IS NOT ENOUGH
First - Understand that Jesus was not asleep. He was dead,
really dead. The Romans knew what they were doing. He died on the Cross. His mother held him in
her arms. His body was placed in a tomb.
On the first day of the week
they came to the tomb and it was empty – most logical that the body was stolen
– what other explanation could there be?
The angel said: “He is
not here. He has been raised!”
Something new and
overwhelming had happened. The one who was dead WALKED OUT OF THE TOMB. He took
on a completely new form of human life. Not a return to normal life – subject
to death – but a new life – no longer subject to death. He was truly
there, alive. He spoke to them, ate with them – they touched him – yet he no
longer belonged to this world.
This DEFINING MOMENT changed
them forever –
Peter – crucified upside
down, Paul beheaded – almost all of the Apostles martyred – for a metaphor, a
nice idea or a worthy cause? – no = Because He is Risen!
Last night, the Pope had the
Stations of the Cross in the Coliseum – amazing when thousands of Christians
died there 2000 years ago – why – because he is Risen!
Why on earth would you
become a priest and waste your life – because He is Risen!
Why do you try to live
according to the teachings of Jesus? – because He is Risen!
Why do you do charitable
works for your neighbor? – because He is Risen!
Why do you believe that you
will live forever? - because He is
Risen!
Tonight – Marlene, Flutura
and Lorraine will be Baptized. Why?
Because He is Risen.
Tonight – is a defining
moment for 3 women. They will now be known as Catholics, as Christians. And
from now on, they will be able to touch, to receive, the glorified Body of
Jesus in the Eucharist. Why? Because he is Risen!
St. Augustine once said – I
can now catch sight of my homeland from afar> How do I get there? The One
who is our Goal came to us. He brought us the plank to make our passage.” And
now with St. Thomas we can say – My Lord and My God!”
