So HAPPY EASTER! And thanks for spending it with us here at St. Patrick!
More than anything else after Lent is over, I like being able to sing Alleluia once again:
Jesus Christ is risen today - Alleluia!
For me that’s better than a ¼ ponder with cheese on Friday, not that I do that too often.
But you know how it is, when you can’t do something, you crave it more than ever!
Every year we have the students in our school color an Alleluia, then we put them in a
box throughout Lent, and now they are displayed throughout the Church.
So if you have a student in our school, you may want to wander around after Mass to see if you can find theirs.
If you are a visitor or a new parishioner, then you don’t know from time to time we have
guests speakers at Mass, I have managed to find one for this morning, who, I think, has an interesting story for us.
My name is Joseph. And I come from a small, Jewish hill town about 20 miles northwest
of Jerusalem. So you know me as Joseph of Arimathea. I know you’ve heard of me. Why if you were here on what you call Good Friday, you heard all
about me in the Gospel of John: “After Jesus had died, Joseph of Arimathea,
secretly a disciple of Jesus for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate if he could remove the body of Jesus. And Pilate permitted it. So I came and took his body.” The other Gospels give some additional details about me: That I was rich, after all I had my own tomb
newly hewn from rock.
That I wrapped the body of Jesus in a clean linen shroud and rolled a stone across the
entrance of the tomb. That I was a respected member of the Jewish council - and that it took courage for me to go to Pilate. That I was a good and righteous man who
did not consent to “their” that is the Jewish council’s “purpose and deed” of Jesus’
crucifixion. And all three of the synoptic Gospels: that is Matthew, Mark, and Luke say I was “looking for the kingdom.”
And I was looking forward to the Messiah and the kingdom he would bring about, as were so many others, and that’s why I am most disturbed, most embarrassed, most regretful, and most sorrowful of my description in John’s Gospel: that I was a secret disciple of Jesus for fear of the Jews. . .
And that’s why it took courage for me to ask Pilate for Jesus’ body because it would out me as a supporter of Jesus, and that could result in me being kicked off the Council, shunned by my friends and neighbors, or even suffer death, like Jesus.
But that’s my biggest regret in life, keeping my faith in Jesus a secret. .
But now there was no turning back, because I did bury Jesus in my own tomb , because deep down, I wanted to believe that it would only be for a few days. I wanted to believe what he told his disciples that he would be put to death, but rise from the dead three
days later, which would surely show he was truly the son of God, the Messiah we awaited.
So after placing Jesus’ body in the tomb, I waited in the garden near the tomb. Just
out of sight from the guards placed there at the request of the Chief Priests and the Pharisees, my fellow council members, some even my friends, because they called Jesus an imposter and thought his disciples might steal the body and say he had risen.
These were the ones I was afraid of?? What was I thinking, what was I scared of:
Like me, they were all expecting the Messiah to come. Now someone had arrived, claimed he was God’s son, but they were against him from the start, all because he ruffled their feathers a bit and called into question their power and authority.
So I waited on what seemed to be the longest night of my life. It was so quiet. It was
like being in the desert. It gave me plenty of time to think and reflect, and repent of my cowardice.
Here was a man who spoke the truth to power, talked of things I believed in: peace, and
compassion, forgiveness and mercy, and all I could do was to be a secret follower of him all because I was afraid. Evening came and morning followed, the third morning after his death. . .
And just before dawn: there was a great earthquake which shook the ground and awoke
the guards who went running in every direction.
The stone, the huge stone that took so many of us to roll in place to block the entrance,
rolled open and a great light shone from inside the tomb. This occurred right before some women who were faithful followers of Jesus showed up to anoint his body. They entered the tomb, as you just heard, AND DID NOT FIND JESUS’ BODY.
Instead, two men in dazzling garments announced his resurrection: “Why do you seek the living one among the dead? He is not here, but has been raised”
They ran to tell his followers , and I ran too. This time not out of fear, but out of joy: He was alive! Which means all he told us throughout his life was true!
The poor, the hungry, those who weep and are persecuted are blessed!
Sinners are forgiven! Those who are weak will be made strong! Goodness is stronger than evil and love is stronger than hate. In fact: God’s love for us is so strong, even death cannot stop it. WHAT GOOD NEWS! I immediately had to tell people about this!
I was no longer afraid, and from that moment on, refused to be a SECRET follower of Jesus. Everyone must know he is the Messiah and that Good News starts with each one of us proclaiming it!!
And that’s my advice to you. Don’t be afraid. Don’t be afraid: of whatever position, power, or prestige you have to risk in order to make this Good News known!
Like Peter proclaims in the first reading: we, you and I, are witnesses of all that Jesus did. So throw out the old yeast of malice and wickedness and take on sincerity and truth. Go forth from here, not only today, but everyday and tell the Good News by your words and actions. Be bold, be daring, be alive in the glory of the Resurrection, for Christ is alive and goes before us to show and share what love can do!
And to that we sing: Alleluia, Alleluia - Alleluia!
Happy Easter!